Taking Real Estate Pictures, Part I… Getting Started

I was surprised recently by how affordable pros can be. I spent 199 for 15 photos of a over one million dollars home with ocean views. FOr that price, I also got the video slideshow. It was well worth it!

Hello Lane,

We do like taking our own photos but also hire a Pro to take photos of certaing listings that require a professionals eye.

Thanks for your post.

Looking forward to your future posts Lane.  Will you be addressing iPhone photography at some point as well?

After reading the title I thought, Oh great, another attemp to give a few hints to make agents think they are photographers.  After reading it, I feel much better.  The only way to get professional looking photos is to hire a pro or become a pro which isn't an overnight thing.

Think about this for a moment.  Why does the agent make the decision on whether a professional photographer is used or not?  Why not show the home owner how important great photos are and then give them a list of professional photographers just like we do with painters, stagers or repair people.  In this way ALL of your sellers get the same treatment.  I have a long list of reasons why allowing the property owner pay for the professional photography works better than the way we are doing it now.  

I'm not saying one has to make money at it to be able to achieve pro quality photos.  I think the problem is that today the agent decides whether the property deserves pro quality photos.  If this agent doesn't have the skills and doesn't have the money to pay a pro, then their decision of whether the property deserves pro quality photos is skewed. Shouldn't that decision be made by the property owner?

When I was young I invested thousand in Film Cameras, Lenses, and related toys.  I have not bought a real quality digital yet.  

I think Digital has hurt the art of photgraphy.  Without a need to pay attention to film usage people just take lots of pictures, rather than trying to make each picture count.  Then they just fix them on the computer.  

I agree that digital has hurt the art of photography in that way, but I also believe digital has helped the art of photography in that the student of photography gets instant feedback and the student isn't reluctant to try new things.

This afternoon I'm meeting some athletes at the gym to shoot the cover for a local magazine.  I plan to shoot from straight over the subject looking down from a pole (pole aerial photography).  Without the ability to see what the camera sees on the pole (live view video feed), this type of photography would not be practical.

In terms of digital photography making the average agent think they are a professional photographer, I won't argue.  We used to take one shot of the exterior with a Polaroid camera.  Quality wasn't important because almost no one saw the photo.  Today, with the internet, photos have become too important to not do them well.  And if you don't have a passion for photography, you probably aren't doing the property owner any favors by shooting it yourself.

Great, you get my point.  What I'm suggesting is that the agent educate the seller as to the importance of photography in the internet age.  I don't think we do that today.  You wouldn't allow the seller to list the property for twice what it would possibly bring.  A good agent would educate the seller on what it would take to get the highest price in the least amount of time. That's all I'm suggesting when it comes to marketing photography.

On the film vs. digital discussion, I shot film in high school, but never really developed my skills as a photographer because I didn't have the money.  Today a kid could mow a few lawns, buy a camera and start learning the art of photography with very few limits.  I've come across some very good young photographers these days.  I don't remember that many exceptional young photographers back in the film era.  And don't get me wrong, I love film.  I'm just pointing out an advantage that digital has brought to the world of photography.

I came across this older post and had to comment. I prefer to go with professional photos, video, and aerials using drones etc. They always look the best.