You want to sell your house, but you’re competing with other homes on the market for potential buyer attention. First impressions are important. This is why professional photos that showcase all the best features of your house are incredibly important.
How do you acquire those beautiful photos of the place you used to call home so that others can envision themselves living there? You’re in the right place! Take the first step toward capturing the best sides of your house with these real estate photography tips:
Get the proper equipment
Great photos start with the right equipment. To get started, you’ll want a camera, wide-angle lens and tripod. For the camera, you won’t need anything too fancy. Just something that shoots high-quality raw images and has a spot to add flash. Beginner DSLR cameras will do the trick. The right lens can also have a major impact. A camera will likely come with a basic lens, but a wide-angle lens has a short focal length and wide field of view. This is ideal for real estate photography because it captures more of the space.
Finally, a tripod is the foundation to all your photography. A tripod allows you to take steady, level images. It’s especially useful for dimly lit spaces where shutter speed is measured in seconds. One last piece of equipment to consider is photo editing software. There are many options out there, but you’re mainly looking for an option that offers color correction and adjusts exposure.
Clean and stage your home
The next step is to declutter your home. We gather a lot of stuff throughout our life, but you don’t want all of it to show up on camera. If you’re moving out, you’re likely already in the process of decluttering. Take a critical look around the spaces you’re photographing. What can you hide that will make your house feel more spacious?
As you inspect the various rooms you’re going to photograph, keep an eye out for any quick fixes you can make, such as chipped paint, dusty surfaces, smudged windows and scuffed floors. Finally, add any finishing touches to stage the rooms. This includes placing plants, adding colorful throw pillows, turning furniture, and depersonalizing spaces.
Take lighting into account
Lighting is everything for presenting your home in a crisp, clear and inviting way. The first step is to master natural light. This means opening the blinds, turning off all the lights and shooting during the best time of day, which is generally around midday. However, if the house doesn’t have big windows or the natural lighting isn’t ideal, then the light fixtures around the house offer their own benefits. After all, they usually are warmer temperatures, giving the spaces a more welcoming impression. Pay attention to your camera’s exposure and white balance to ensure you’re capturing the rooms in their best light.
Pay attention to composition
Rooms come in all shapes and sizes. How you approach each room will be different every time. Before you start snapping away, walk around the space in search of the best perspective. You’re looking to create a good flow in your pictures. This means paying attention to the furniture placement, room layout and window location. Don’t let large furniture in the foreground block your eyes from looking further into the room.
Take your pictures at eye level. After all, the photos are supposed to be taken from the perspective of a potential buyer. And finally, perfect your verticals. Every house has vertical lines, whether it’s the corner of the walls, windows or kitchen cabinets. These edges must truly be vertical, which means your camera must be as level as possible.
Consider hiring a professional
Phew! That’s a lot of factors to consider when trying to photograph your house. If you’re not feeling confident in your ability to capture all the right angles of your house, then consider hiring a professional photographer. It’s easier and more affordable than you think. Spend time researching local photographers until you find one that will suit you best. Be clear about what you expect. A shot list that outlines all the rooms and features you want to highlight ensures that the photographer will capture exactly what you want.
If you’re looking for the next place to call home, envision your life at Brunswick Crossing. With a variety of models and resort-style amenities, discover all the opportunities that await you.
