Are you looking to break into Real Estate photography in 2020? Are you just curious what it’s like to shoot real estate photos and videos? For either of these cases and then some, we will look at some tips I’ve used to help my real estate photography game. Remember that you should be technical with things but don’t over complicate the matter.
Real Estate Photography: 10 Tips for 2020
- Tripod
- Wide Angle Lenses
- Bracketed Shots – AEB
- Drone
- Details
- Prepare a Shot List
- Know Your Weather
- Lighting
- Shoot RAW
- Get and Stay Creative
Use a Tripod
Tripods are one of the most important parts of the real estate game. Can you get by without one? Yes, but the ability to compose your shots precisely will take a hit without one. If you are planning to shoot in lower lit areas or adding a dramatic effect to your shots, Tripods are a must
Find a Wide Angle Lens
Wide Angles Lenses are the key ingredient in any real estate photoshoot. A suitable lens will be in the 10-30mm range and able to convey the size of the entire room. As a Nikon user, I use the Nikon 14-30mm f/4 and am very pleased with it because I can get very wide interiors and then up to 35 for exteriors. Remember that wide lenses can give a false sense of space so ensure your shots don’t negatively do so by
Bracket your Shots – AEB
Nail all of your shots by utilizing AEB or Auto exposure bracketing. Using this technique will ensure that your pictures are underexposed, correctly exposed and overexposed to blend together. Once you see the action put to work, you will continue to utilize this technique.
Get a Drone
Drones used to be a luxury and nice to have piece of equipment. Now, drones are pretty much required to be in any real estate photographers bag. Not only do Drones showcase homes significantly better, they attract significantly more eyes. Not sure what drone is right for you? The DJI Mavic series will suffice and any DJI Phantom will nail all your shots.
Details
It’s all in the details. What makes a room specifically appealing? Is it the island in the kitchen? Is it the TV in the game room? Find that detail that draws you in and compose your shot to highlight it.
Make sure the house is clean
This might sound foolish, but sometimes you will arrive for a shoot to a dirty house. Who wants to tour a home that has crap all over the place. Make sure the place is tidy and then remove any other distracting items that aren’t necessary.
Shot List
You might think you’ve nailed all of your shots until you come home and forgot two shots. This has happened to me because I thought I captured everything I needed when in reality I didn’t check all the boxes. Have a shot list and check it twice!
Weather
Keep an eye on the weather for your shoot day. Are you going to shoot in a cloudy environment and edit your work in post or is it going to be sunny and have an abundance of natural light? Ideally you can capture the moments at sunset with a stunning backdrop but everyone’s schedule varies.
Interior Lighting
Turn the lights on! Not only is it going to add more warmth to the shot it will show more details of your subjects. Dark and moody is great but for different creative projects. Keep the house warm and lit.
SHOOT RAW
I predominantly shoot raw for one main reason. You can edit your photo dramatically more compared to shooting JPEG. I love jpeg on certain cameras and for certain reasons but for client work, RAW is always the way to go.
Get and Stay Creative
Yes you should cover all the basic and necessary shots but you should also experiment with different styles and techniques to showcase your creative side. With real estate photography being competitive, those who continually nail the basics and push the envelope with new techniques will flourish. It’s not always about being better when different scratches the customers itch.
More to come in 2020 with Photography
Thanks for taking the time to read my piece on Real Estate photography. Did I forget to mention any important pieces of advice for 2020? How many of these tips have you known or will now put too use?
For any of my readers who are based in Michigan and need any work done, please contact me here. If you are not in Michigan and need some work done, follow the same link above. I travel frequently so I potentially might be in your city while you read this and travel to clients.
Looking for more than Real Estate tips? Some of the most beautiufl colors I’ve seen in the states have been in Michigan. Take a peek at MI Fall Colors or if you need a guide to Marquette, 36 Hours In MQT Piece. Finally, all of my resources and info in the photography world usually comes from Fstoppers