A Guide for Photographing Real Estate

[Charlie MacPherson]

The purpose of your real estate photos is to create enough interest in a prospect's mind to cause them to call, tour the house or attend an open house.  Bad photos mean that most buyers will, as the kids say these days, swipe left.

Here are some principles that will help you to use better photo tools and techniques to sell your properties faster.

1. If even after reading this, you can't do a respectable job, hire a pro.  Spend the money and get it done right.  Around here, it's $200 - $300 for an average house.  More if you want drone photos.

If your images look like any of these, https://badmlsphotos.com, you need a pro!

A note on drones - if you're using your drone photos for anything commercial like selling your property, you either need a license from the FAA or use a drone that weighs less than 0.55 lbs.  I'm hearing that the FAA is prosecuting people for unlicensed commercial flying.  They're fining Realtors who use unlicensed pilots too.

Shooting your own real estate photos can be beneficial for reasons of turn-around time, cost savings or just the enjoyment of the process.

2. Equipment.  Ideally, get a DSLR so you have interchangeable lenses.  A "point & shoot" with a built in zoom lens may work too, but it needs to cover a good wide angle at the low end of its focal length.  

I use a Canon 5D MkIII.  These can be had used on eBay in the $800 - $1500 range.  Whatever camera you use, you need to have HDR (High Dynamic Range) capability - either in camera like the 5D Mk III or in post processing, like Lightroom or Photoshop.

The two main reasons I like the 5D Mk III are that I can push the ISO absurdly high, allowing me to shoot *hand held* in ambient light.  I'm normally at ISO 8,000 - 10,000.  If you're old enough to remember Kodachrome 25, think of this as Kodachrome 10,000.

Modern full-frame cameras can shoot at these ridiculously high ISO settings and still produce images suitable for online use.  If you feel more comfortable using a tripod, by all means do so.

Plus, it has in-camera HDR, so I don't need to handle that in post processing.  Certainly there are many other cameras out there that will do the same things.  

I'm a complete agnostic on camera brands.  Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax and others all make cameras that are so good that they are orders of magnitude ahead of cameras from 10 years ago.  Find the one that you like best and go with that.  Don't worry about the megapixel count either.  For online use, anything above 10 MP will more than do the job.

Lenses are critical.  (All focal lengths are expressed as full-frame equivalent - your camera store can explain)  For exterior shots, focal lengths of 35-100mm will work well.  I use a Canon 24-105mm L.  For interior shots you MUST use a wide angle lens.  I use a Canon 16-35mm L II.

3. Settings - RAW vs JPG.  Most modern cameras allow you to choose between two different file types - RAW and JPG.  I always shoot RAW.  With JPG, the camera is compressing the image to 8-bits from the original 12 bit+ RAW file.  Certain values like contrast, white balance and others are "baked in", meaning that you'll have a lot less ability to adjust them in post processing.  And if you try, you may create distortion in the image.  RAW is the original, as-shot data from the camera.  After processing, you'll need to export to JPG, but you need that RAW data to pull down excessive highlights or pull up the shadows.

My advice is to always use RAW and to use the largest file size that the camera can produce.

4. Exposure.  I like to set my shutter speed so that I don't have to worry about blur from camera shake - but if you use a tripod, that's not a worry.  I like to hand hold.  So when I'm shooting at a 16mm focal length, I like to keep the shutter speed at 1/30th second or faster.  My 16-35mm lens is not image stabilized, but camera shake isn't a big concern with such a wide angle.

That means I set my ISO to 8,000, then adjust my aperture down (higher f number) until the shutter is at the lowest point that I can hand hold.  (Technically, I have to factor in the -3 stop exposure when shooting HDR, so more like 1/60th second).  Remember, the higher the f number (aperture setting) the more depth of field you create.  That means more of the photo from near to far is in focus.

5. Composition.  Your photos should tell a story.  Start with the "establishment" shot.  That's a photo taken from the street.  It shows the viewer what to expect as they approach the house - it's the first impression.  I like to take a few different angles - front, sides, back., garage and anything else that's interesting - pool, landscaping, out buildings, etc.  Include the roof if you can - especially if it's in good condition!

Next, step inside - and don't forget to set your camera for HDR here.  I set mine for 3 exposures.  -3 stops, +0 stops, +3 stops.  That gives me a broad enough range of exposures that I can capture the details inside the room without them being lost in shadows while also not having the windows completely blown out (over exposed) in a field of white with no detail.  

My camera (and many others) will take 3 shots - very dark, normal and very bright, then align them, smash them together electronically and throw out the over and under exposed parts.  That creates an image that gets detail in all parts - like the example I've included below.  

Without HDR, the windows would be radically over exposed and the shadows would be too dark to see.

A good shooting position for each room is standing in a doorway, facing the furthest corner.  I also lean against the doorway as I'm hand holding the shot.  You might also shoot an additional image from the adjacent (not opposite) corner to more completely show the room.

Shoot each room in the order that the viewer would most likely walk through the house.  This is part of telling the story.

With each shot, scan the entire perimeter of the frame to be sure there isn't something distracting that you can eliminate by moving a bit.  Things like a door jamb or an open doorway into an adjacent room cam be distracting.

Every room should be shot in LANDSCAPE orientation (wide, not tall).   The common exception is the bathroom.  These are often so small that you have to shoot in portrait orientation.

While we're on the topic of bathrooms, PUT THE DANG TOILET SEAT DOWN.  I can't tell you how many times I see the seat left up.  That's just a bad look.

Avoid useless shots.  For example, a full frame photo of a toilet.  That serves no purpose, except to say "Look!  We have a toilet!".  A much wider shot of the bathroom will do much better.  

Photos of the corner of a bedroom.  Two walls, a part of a closet or window.  This happens so often that I want to scream.  Again, a much wider shot of a bedroom works better.

In the kitchen, be sure to show any of the desirable features clearly.  Upgraded counters means that you should shoot from a standing position, not with the camera at the same level as the countertop (almost always a sure sign of Formica).  Upgraded appliances should be included in the shot as well - and so should upgraded light fixtures.

A good self-check is to ask yourself "Why am I taking this shot?  What am I trying to tell the viewer?"  If you can't come up with a clear answer, don't take the shot.

With each shot, check to be sure your horizon is level.  Many cameras will have a tic-tac-toe type of grid in the viewfinder.  Use that to be sure you're holding the camera level.  There are also small levels that you can mount on your hot shoe (flash connection) for the same purpose - and the 5D Mk III has an electronic level in the viewfinder too.  And if there's a mirror in the room, try not to be visible in it.

Don't be afraid to crop distracting elements out, either in-camera or in post processing.

Declutter as much as possible before shooting.  Shelves, sinks and counters full of clutter communicate to the viewer that the home lacks storage space.

Remove personal items too - trophies, family portraits, kids artwork on the fridge, etc.  All of these things deter a potential buyer from seeing this house as their home.  It will still feel like it belongs to someone else.

Sequence of Photos.  You can rearrange before posting, but I still like to shoot in the same sequence as I'd walk a client through the house.  Exterior, kitchen, living room, family room, bathrooms (if there's more then one, I post the photos together), bedrooms and finally the basement.

Unfinished basements don't need a lot of detail, but I like to include the breaker panel and HVAC and laundry if it's located there.

6. Post Processing.  There are a lot of great programs out there.  I still use Aperture from Apple - even though they stopped supporting it 5+ years ago.  It still works just fine.  Lightroom from Adobe is also popular.  I think Photoshop is overkill for most people, including me.

Shooting in RAW means that every image needs increased sharpness, a slight bump up in contrast and saturation.  I'll often darken excessive highlights with the highlight slider and sometimes the recovery slider.  I'll brighten the shadows with the shadows slider.

Sometimes I'll crop or straighten the horizon if necessary.  It takes me 30-45 seconds to adjust each photo.

I hope that little guide was helpful!