Looking for comments on Real Estate photography

<p>Hi,<br>

I am a wedding and event photographer, but a friend of mine in real estate has me do interior/exterior shots of new residences. I was wondering if anyone with knowledge of this area could help me with a critique of my photos. </p>

<p>She wants me to take the pictures on nice, sunny days. That presents some challenges when the units face north, or when there is extreme sunlight shining in the windows (which do not have blinds). </p>

<p>Here is an example of that. The sky is blue only in the rear photos:</p>

<p><a href="http://kuehlphoto.smugmug.com/RealEstate/Autumn-Creek-Yorkville">http://kuehlphoto.smugmug.com/RealEstate/Autumn-Creek-Yorkville</a></p>

<p>I use a D700 with either a 24-70 or 17-35. I try to get most of my exposure from natural light, but supplement with a flash bounced behind me or overhead. </p>

<p>Also, she has asked me to start doing exteriors at dusk. Here is the first set I did, with some fill from an off-camera speedlight.</p>

<p><a href="http://kuehlphoto.smugmug.com/RealEstate/Edgewater-Evening-Shots">http://kuehlphoto.smugmug.com/RealEstate/Edgewater-Evening-Shots</a></p>

<p>Thanks in advance.<br />Matt</p>

<p>I do a fair amount of real estate shooting. I think most of what you have done is excellent. I would look at fixing the converging verticals in some of the outside shots. I wouldn't worry about the lack of blue in the sky.<br>

<br />The way to deal with inside/outside issues is to bracket and use HDR. </p>

<p>First, congrats on a good gig if you've got it worked out equitably for both of you.<br /><br />Looks to me like you're making the most of the lighting circumstances, shy of putting in exponentially more work with a truck load of equipment and probably at least one assistant. <br /><br />My only observation is that some of your interiors, shot with the 17-35, could use just a bit more care in squaring things up. Crouch a bit, and avoid some of that keystoning - it's a time killer to fix in post, though it can be done. Consider turning on the D700's viewfinder grid lines and use them to help keep corners, cabinets, shower stalls and like nice and true. You can't avoid the perspective issues, but you can make it less distracting if the vertical lines aren't leaning forward or back.<br /><br />For your next trick: a nice little quad-copter camera drone so you can get some house/yard overhead shots worked into the mix. OK, so that's not for everybody, but it's an interesting tool to have in your toolbox :-)</p>

<p>http://kuehlphoto.smugmug.com/RealEstate/Autumn-Creek-Yorkville/i-3PVnWJT/0/X3/x131109phc-ykvl-031-X3.jpg<br>

I would avoid it when the walls meet the border of field of view(Shoot from the corner), which makes the room feel smaller. That's why I prefer this one above to the other two. <br>

And if you want to include the window, then include it all, don't leave it half outside the field of view. Same thing goes with the white sofa. <br>

http://kuehlphoto.smugmug.com/RealEstate/Autumn-Creek-Yorkville/i-cGX3XK9/0/X3/x131109phc-ykvl-059-X3.jpg<br>

This one looks too 'engineering'. You managed to show the platform and stares, but missed the feeling of sitting on the chair and looking at the scenery.</p>

<p>When people seeing the pictures, they are actually imaging themselves living in the house. Keeping this in mind helps you catch the feeling.<br>

BTW, is it required by the customer to shoot horizontally? Try some vertical/portrait? </p>

<p>I find the individual photos are fine, but the sequencing in presentation can be improved.</p>

<p>Questions:</p>

<p>- Did your friend show you photos of other properties in his portfolio?<br>

- Did your friend want the same, or something different, or leaving the creative decision up to you?</p>

<p>One example of sequencing the photos is to imagine how a potential buyer would see the property for the first time, and how your friend would give a tour inside. Start with the one with the birds from afar, followed by shots progressively closer and from different angles, then the entrance inside, the living room, den, bedrooms, kitchen, bath, etc.</p>

<p>Actually, why not just shoot a video?</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I find the individual photos are fine, but the sequencing in presentation can be improved.</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

Real estate photos are sequenced in the listing put up by the agent, not on the photographer's smugmug page.</p>

<p>Thanks all for the variety of responses. Yeah, I'm a tall guy, so maybe crouching to the midpoint of the room would help.</p>

<p>The client requested a variety of photos for the web site and brochures. I'm not sure which ones she picks, so maybe I should cull out the ones that aren't as strong.</p>

<p>The quad copter sounds awesome. I thought about getting one of those for outdoor weddings, but that could only end in disaster.</p>

<p>I assume you've seen the video where the wedding photog runs the copter smack into the head of the groom?</p>

<p>As someone else has said, I try to minimize keystoning when I can, though most bathrooms force me into it. On exteriors, if you're going to do it, go totally out of control, so it looks intentional. I use a 10mm on my D300 (15mm equivalent) for about 90% of real estate pix.</p>

<p>I'm not wild about the dusk shots. First, shooting straight on always looks too static to me, but second, I get the feeling that the flash is reflecting off the garage door. One thing that I really like for interiors that you might try outside (and inside, too) is that I put my flash on a stand in one corner of the room, bounced off the ceiling, and trigger it with a $20 radio trigger from Ebay. I leave it in one spot until I'm forced to move it, so there's not a lot of setup involved. You get more interesting lighting if the flash isn't always in the neighborhood of the camera, and it avoids strange reflection situations, as with the garage door.</p>

<p>Thanks for the comments Michael. I thought I had posted a response yesterday but it didn't seem to go through.</p>

<p>Yes, I did use an off-camera flash for the exteriors, but I supplemented (maybe too much) with an on-camera flash. I'll try that indoors as well.</p>

<p>I'm going to agree with Michael's post here. If you don't have a tilt-shift lens to control perspective and minimize keystone, then embrace it--make it clear that it's intentional. Otherwise the viewer gets this unconscious subliminal uneasiness caused by subconsciously seeing the lines converge.<br>

Be a bit more of an artist with your shoots. The straight-on exteriors don't sell the house as much. Look for shots that emphasize views and space, minimize pictures of "gee, look how close the neighbors are." So change angles not only to provide a little more interest in the photo but also to increase the perception of space with the lot or emphasize some landscaping or highlight a nice feature (like the water).</p>

<p>Thanks Joe. The angled shots always are a challenge for me. I can't seem to find the right angle I guess. Unless I'm really far away, the keystoning seems more pronounced. Plus there are a lot of issues with neighboring houses being under construction, etc.</p>

 

<p>Matthew, I get your challenge. And back in the day when I shot film, I had to agonize over stuff like this. But with digital, shoot away! Take what you think is your best shot. And then recompose. Different DoF. Maybe some exposure compensation. Maybe go shoot something else and come back to that side of the house in 45 minutes when the shadows or glare are a bit different. Step back. Tilt the camera. Got artist on yourself and look for a creative way to shoot the house (maybe with a wide angle lens up close with a bush in the foreground that dominates the house). 90% of those photos will be worthless to your real estate clients. But you'll grow as a photography of built space. You'll start to learn "hey, this just doesn't work, not matter what lens I use" or you'll be able to instinctively get how to maximize the sense of privacy with seconds of seeing the lot. If this helps, give yourself a shot sequence, make a checklist, put it on a pad of paper and check the shots off as you go along.</p>

<p>I wonder if the dusk shots might have worked better if flash didn't bounce straight back from garage doors. Possibly move flash further from camera, use two flashes, or don't shoot square to garage doors?</p>

<p>Your shots look fine. Keep it up!<br>

If you haven't already done so, check out http://photographyforrealestate.net/<br>

Lots of good stuff there.</p>