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The Best Real Estate Photography Tips On The Web

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Services for Real Estate Pros with Resortified

Photography Tips From The 2012 Real Estate Photographer Of The Year Award Winner, Iran Watson

Real Estate Photography Dining Room

Upon researching "top real estate photography tips" for a killer article I was planning to write, I stopped dead in my tracks after stumbling upon Iran's Atlanta Real Estate Photography site. Iran's photos truly speak for themselves, every room and shot tells a unique story and I quickly realized how little I know about real estate photography.

So, instead of scavenging up helpful tips and tricks I went directly to the expert. Iran is a professional photographer specializing specifically in real estate. While being an Atlanta, GA Photographer member REPAI, the April 2012 Real Estate Photographer of the Month and the 2012 PFRE Real Estate Photographer of the Year Award he’s also a highly accredited Real Estate Agent.

Atlanta Real Estate Photography of Office

Something Active Rain’s Bob Stewart told me a long time ago that’s stuck with me ever since was that, ‘As a Realtor, you have to paint a picture of what it would be like to live in that home and area. Think about that…that’s a huge commitment and buyers need to know they’ll love it.’ (not word for word, but something like that). This is something I talk a lot about with my Vail Real Estate Pros at High Life Properties; how can we encapsulate the Vail, CO experience?

But, nothing has rung truer to Bob’s advice than seeing Iran’s work. His photos depict exactly what it would feel like to live in each particular home. This is exactly what buyers need and from a seller’s perspective that’s…priceless.

It was an honor to pick his brain on real estate photography and without further ado I give you the BEST Real Estate Photography Tips on the web!


1. How did you get involved with Real Estate photography?

It was quite by accident really. I started researching "real estate photography" as an effort to improve my own listings' presentations. As I got more and more into, I discovered that I really enjoyed it and as my skills improved it motivated me to take it even further. Then one day, an agent calls me and asks for the number of my photographer. When I mentioned that I did it myself, they offered to pay me to shoot a couple of listings for them. So I did, eventually they told their friends, and then they told their friends and before I knew it, it just took on a life of its own. A couple of years later, I started receiving inquires for commercial work and that’s when I decided to set it up as a bonfide business.


2. If you could go back to your first interior photography shoot, what would you tell yourself, knowing what you know now?

"Hire a professional!" LOL! Seriously though, there were so many aspects of interior photography that I was simply oblivious too. It really is a very challenging type of photography to learn to do well. Nowadays there are some very good resources created by working pros in this field that are invaluable for someone just starting out. I wish these ebooks and videos were available when I was starting.

Atlanta Real Estate Photography


3. Photos are so crucial in Real Estate, what advice do you have for realtors trying to take photos on a budget (with a point and shoot or cell phones)?

First and foremost, educate yourself on what makes a good interior photograph and learn how to overcome the more common issues one faces when photographing interiors. Study the images of other successful photographers and make notes on what aspects you like and then try to mimic them in your own work. Share your work with your peers, or better yet, a group of professionals like the Flickr PFRE group, and let them critique it and offer you feedback, the more honest, the better.

Looking at a scene and being about to visualize what the finished product will look like is crucial in my opinion. If you can't see what you are after in your mind's eye, it will be difficult to formulate an approach to get you there. Thankfully technology does a lot of the heavy lifting so a good DSLR, Wide Angle lens, Tripod and external flash will go a long way. Finally, if you really want to reach the upper tiers of this kind of photography be prepared to spend a lot of time and money, as there are large investments required for both. Having said that, it’s not an impossible goal to reach.


4. How do you determine what angle to shoot from in a room?

Composition is really my number one concern when shooting interiors, so in a manner of speaking where you (or your tripod) stand in the room is paramount. If you don’t get that right, you really have to work overtime to introduce enough redeeming qualities into the image to make up for a poor composition. For the important rooms of a home, the kitchen, master bedroom, master bath, etc. I will typically shoot multiple angles of these spaces. So what determines my angle, it can be any number of things actually, every scene is different.

Generally speaking I start with the camera at about the eye level of a person sitting in the room, which is about 4ft. I usually go for a straight-on, one point perspective or shoot at a 90 degree angle toward a corner of the room. Wide Angle lenses often introduce a kind of distortion that stretches the corners of the frame. Composing around one of these two perspectives helps to minimize the impact of that. Ultimately, the angle is determined by what I feel is most aesthetically pleasing through the viewfinder of the camera after considering what I mentioned above.

Real Estate Photography at it's finest


5. Do you ever get behind the lens and have to alter a room's staging for a shot?

All the time. As I mentioned above, using Wide Angle lenses have the propensity of "seeing" the scene differently than the human eye. I will often slide furniture to the side or remove large decor pieces that distract from the image. These things can look great in the room when physically standing there, but wide angle focal lengths produce a different result than what you see in person. I also work with a Stager on the good majority of the homes I shoot. Issues like de-cluttering, furniture arrangement and decor are handled by her. Of course if there is something that is obviously ruining an otherwise good shot I will take the time to remove or rearrange it.


6. What's the best time of day to take interior photos?

One of the biggest challenges with photographing interiors is the dynamic range, or the range form the darkest area of the scene to the brightest. This is especially true for scenes that have windows in them. With this in mind, you want to shoot the room at a time when the light outside is close to the light inside. This usually means dusk, or dawn, or an overcast day. My personal approach is to use multiple off camera lights, or strobes. This way I can bring up the interior luminosity to more closely match that of the exterior. Using strobes has a steep learning curve, but in the end it is easier to use lights to brighten the interior than controlling the light from the sun...


Real Estate Photography

7. What's the best time of day to take exterior photos?

This largely depends on the direction the home faces, but as a general rule of thumb I try to find a time where the sun is at my back and shining on the front of the home. This usually means mid morning or late afternoon. If you have a north facing home to photograph, I suggest trying to do a twilight shot where you photograph the house immediately after sunset. This can give a very pleasing effect of the home glowing from within and you get a nice gradient in the sky from one side to another.


8. If you could shoot the inside of anyone's home, dead or alive, who would it be?

This might be a little anticlimactic, but I would give anything to be able to go back and photograph my grandparent's house in which I spent most of my childhood. One of the greatest compliments I receive is when a homeowner expresses how much it means to them to be able to look back on these images and recall where their family had once called home. Sure, they are marketing images, but to the family they will also one day serve as a crystal clear view into the past. This is something I really wish I had...


Thank you so much Iran! I greatly appreciated your hustle and incredible responses.

Show All Comments Sort:
Sherry Peckhoon Sim
Sims & Company - Cayucos, CA
Broker/Owner, Covering the Beautiful Central Coast

These lovely and professional-looking photos do paint a story. Thanks for the great tips!

Jan 04, 2013 11:59 PM
Karen Steed
Tallapoosa, Bremen, Waco, Buchanan, Temple, Carrollton - Tallapoosa, GA
Associate Broker Haralson Realty

Wonderful photos.  Great interview.  Great photos really help catch the eyes of buyers.

Jan 05, 2013 12:04 AM
Cynthia Larsen
Cotati, CA
Independent Broker In Sonoma County, CA

Super tips and a great interview! I should interview more people, this was a great idea.

Jan 05, 2013 12:27 AM
Jane & Jeff Daley, PhD
Luxury Valley Homes Scottsdale - Scottsdale, AZ
Scottsdale Real Estate Arizona

LVH Logo Registered TMWe shoot all of our own listings just because of the expense of using a “good photographer”. We tried some of the photographers associated with our web listing services and have been disappointed with their results. An important element in our mind is that any work product that leaves our office is a reflection of our business. I usually shoot our listings and found the back lighting from windows to be the most challenging. By trial and error we use the time of day to get the results we’re looking for and still find it difficult. We tried remote flash and it’s still a challenge and it is not unusual that we take many shots of a room to get the results we need. A good photographer is great but the ones we would like to use want a $1,000.00 dollars for the shoot.

 

That expense is more than we can bear given our guarantee to the listing client. If the sale does not happen that thousand dollars becomes sunk cost to the business that affects the net income of our business. So we continue to educate ourselves in the field of photography to mitigate this risk. Good advice and great photos. Thanks for sharing.

Jan 05, 2013 12:44 AM
Travis "the SOLD man" Parker; Broker/Owner
Travis Realty - Enterprise, AL
email: Travis@theSOLDman.me / cell: 334-494-7846

EXCELLENT photos!! I've tried to get my brother into Real Estate photography (former architect and took photography courses awhile back). He has "the eye" and the patience, but says "Realtors are cheap-skates" and won't pay....would rather just use their phones......oh well....hard to argue THAT point.

Jan 05, 2013 12:50 AM
John Dotson
Preferred Properties of Highlands, Inc. - Highlands, NC - Highlands, NC
The experience to get you to the other side!

Good (or better) photography can be had by purchasing an off-camera flash and a bracket to mount it on.  Most folks don't realize that getting more light on the subject is one of the keys to better interiors.

Once you have a detachable flash you can hold, you can bounce the light from different angles to obtain more professional/softer lit photographs.

Total cost: about $200.00 total for both - I suggest a Vivitar 285 flash.  Puts out a lot of light, multiple accessories and is relatively cheap.  For the bracket, just find a detachable one you can easily hold.

This one on eBay is a steal - and no, it's not my sale...: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vivitar-283-Hot-Shoe-Flash-Camera-Platform-Bracket-/380541448954?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D4664462723834961618%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D251192379915%26

Jan 05, 2013 01:21 AM
Susan Jackson
America's Network Realty Group, Inc - Sandy Springs, GA

Great interview  with Iran.  Looking at his works certainly shouts one thing to me personally, "Get a professional to do your listing shots."

Jan 05, 2013 05:41 AM
Charles Stallions Property Manager
Charles Stallions Real Estate Services - Pace, FL
Pensacola, Pace & Gulf Breeze Property Management

I bet it cost a small fortune to get those shots so in the real world can a seller afford that kind of photography on a 150K home. JMHO

Jan 05, 2013 08:11 AM
Anonymous
Nancy Holloway

Great articlie and tips for the photos.  Pictures are so very important for all listings including fixers.  Thank you for bringing forth valuable information.

Jan 05, 2013 08:31 AM
#52
Maureen Bray Portland OR Home Stager ~ Room Solutions Staging
Room Solutions Staging, Portland OR - Portland, OR
"Staging Consultations that Sell Portland Homes"

I'm a big fan of Iran Watson's photography ... especially of the staged homes he's shot, many for Kathy Nielsen's staged properties.  He's a real pro in his field, and his work is simply amazing!

Jan 05, 2013 09:40 AM
Iran Watson
Georgia Elite Realty - Marietta, GA
Marietta Real Estate Agent - Photographer

I guess Im a little late to the party, but hopefully not too late to say "Thanks" to Britney for coming up with this great blog idea that I could be part of.

I would also like to respond to a couple of the comments.  Thanks to stagers like Kathy I do have the good fortune of primarily photographing clean, well staged homes with beautiful decor.  It makes a huge difference in the final product as empty rooms and non-descript spaces are, well... boring to look at.  Having said that, I photograph foreclosures, short sales and otherwise neglected and run-down property all the time.  According to my agent clients that sell these properties, it makes all the difference in the world.  For starters, a lot of these properties dont even have the electricity turned on.  Supplementing the natural light with my strobes, I can make the images look just as good, if not better, then if it were turned on.  In some cases, my fees are less than what it would cost to have the power turned on and replace all the burnt out bulbs...

I also want to say that while I highly recommend you find a great photographer that specializes in interior photography to work with, it is entirely possible to learn to take better listing photos yourself.  It will require a good bit of time and money invested, but it is possible.  I think my case study is a perfect example of this. 

Jan 05, 2013 01:29 PM
Kimo Jarrett
Cyber Properties - Huntington Beach, CA
Pro Lifestyle Solutions

Thanks for sharing your information, however, simply shooting several pictures of the same room from different angles and areas should provide enough excellent photos to select from, shouldn't it?

Jan 05, 2013 04:47 PM
Rob Renk
Center Street Lending - McKinney, TX
AE | Fast Fix/Flip Loans for Residential Investors

A wonderful story.  I really liked your photography in your post.  Photos help tremenously in selling the home.  The photos someone sees online are the buyers first impression.

Jan 05, 2013 09:12 PM
Brian Kuhns
Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber - Fort Wayne, IN
Fort Wayne Real Estate by Brian Kuhns

A great read. I am currently working to improving my own photography and this knowledge is great. Most impressive pictures to go along with your post. Thanks for sharing

Jan 05, 2013 10:43 PM
David Popoff
DMK Real Estate - Darien, CT
RealtorĀ®,SRS, Green ~ Fairfield County, Ct

Excellent tips and information, bookmarked for future reference, thanks.

Jan 06, 2013 02:44 AM
Anonymous
Dan Crace

Great post Britney.  One of my biggest complaints is poor Real Estate photos.  Our Clients expect and demand more than many Agent provide in pictures.  I work very hard to take great pictures and because of the extra time I take the commissions kepe coming.

Jan 08, 2013 01:30 AM
#59
Thomas McCombs
Century 21 HomeStar - Akron, OH

What a treat to scroll thru those pictures!  Thank you so much for bringing this to us.

Jan 08, 2013 05:48 AM
Mike&Marie Edwards
Estes Village properties & Plains Real Estate in Greely/Windsor - Fort Collins, CO
"We Bring You Home To Colorado"

Hi Britney, what a fantastic interview that was filled with so much information. We agree that a good picture really does tell the story.

Jan 08, 2013 10:45 AM
Steve Higgins
RE/MAX Kelowna - Kelowna, BC

Hi Britney,

Good post and great photo's. Thanks for the information it will come in handy.

Jan 12, 2013 08:54 AM
Gene Riemenschneider
Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA
Turning Houses into Homes

Those are great photos.  This is something I thing we all can work on to some extent.

Jan 17, 2013 12:47 AM