Whether you want to sell some property or flex your interior design skills, taking high-quality photos is essential. The problem is that owning expensive equipment does not necessarily mean taking amazing pictures.
Home Options built this guide for anyone that wants to take unique photos of your house and make them great! Home Options will go through the entire process of finding a location, planning the shoot, capturing the right shot, and using post-production techniques to transform these ordinary images into stunning and attractive photos any real estate agent would proudly display.
So, let me ask you: Do you want to know how to take stunning property photos? Let's cut the small talk and read on!
1. Create a Shot List
The first thing you need to do is create a shot list. This should include all the rooms and areas that need to be photographed. Take note of each room's particular features or unique aspects (like the vaulted ceilings or floorboards). Once you have this list, it will allow you to plan how you want each shot to look and ensure you don't miss anything important!
2. Declutter
Getting rid of clutter will make your house look bigger and brighter. Plus, it will make it easier for prospective buyers to imagine themselves living there.
3. Take time to learn some basic principles of photography.
If you're looking to take stunning real estate photos like a pro, you'll need to know basic photography principles. This can be as simple as learning about the essential elements of photography so you can apply them to your shoot.
To create a visually appealing photograph, incorporate three principles of design: pattern, symmetry, and the rule of thirds. The pattern is created by repetitive elements in your subject. Symmetry occurs when elements in the composition mirror each other when the image is cut in half. These can be used to lead your viewer's eyes to an area of interest within the composition. The rule of thirds suggests that points of interest should fall along intersections created by two vertical and two horizontal lines; this makes interest for the viewer without distraction.
4. Make Sure You Have Enough Light
This one is pretty straightforward—you'll need enough light for each room so your photos aren't too dark or bright! If there's not enough natural light in one area of your home, try using artificial lighting sources instead (like ring light placements or turning on your lamps). Just remember that too much artificial lighting can cause weird shadows on walls and floors, so keep an eye out for those too!
5. Take photos with a tripod.
If you're looking to take some incredible real estate photos, there's no need to break the bank. All you need is some creativity!
If you have a camera and an iPhone, then you already have everything you need to take incredible real estate photos. The key is learning how to use them together effectively.
And most importantly, get a tripod! This might seem obvious, but it's a must to remind you of its function. You want your images as crisp and straightforward as possible so that they will look professional when people see them. If your camera isn't steady enough on its own, try using a monopod instead (which will also help if there are uneven surfaces around).
6. Set up your shot.
Now comes the fun and exciting part: setting up your shot! First, set up your tripod and frame your shot, so it looks exactly how you want it to look when it's done. Then grab your props! Wine bottles work great for this—they add color and depth without distracting from the real estate listing itself. Fresh fruit can also work well if you're shooting outside during summertime (or even inside if the weather is not too good).
7. Take Photos from Different Angles
When taking photos in a home, take advantage of all the different angles you have available. Try taking pictures of the room from above, below, and sides to capture the best view of the space. If there's a particular view that you like more than others, take advantage of it! That way, when clients come by, they'll be able to see what they're getting with their own eyes instead of just seeing a picture.
How you capture a photo is just as important as how you edit it. To ensure your images sell the property, you must take them from different angles and perspectives.
8. Go the extra mile when taking bathroom shots.
Bathrooms are often small spaces with lots of potential for creative styling and decorating—so don't let them go underutilized! Make sure you showcase your bathroom's best features by taking advantage of all those hard-to-access angles above or below the sink.
Important Reminders Depending on the Gadget Used
If you're using a DSLR, turn off the flash! This will make you get a natural-looking photo.
Next, you must also adjust the ISO. If you want to take photos at night or in low-light situations, adjust your camera's ISO setting to make up for the lack of light. This will allow you to capture more details in your photos and make them look brighter than they are.
Also, you have to fine-tune your white balance settings. White balance is what determines if your image has too much blue or red or green in it—and it's one of the most critical settings for any photographer because it affects so much of what we see on camera! You can adjust white balance by using a gray card (or asking your subject to hold one), but if you don't have one handy, there are ways around it: try using Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop; both have built-in tools that allow you to fine-tune white balance manually with ease!
But, if you are an Android user, you must turn on the grid lines. This will help you frame your shots perfectly, but if you want to go the extra mile, use an app like PhotoGrid or Adobe Photoshop to create your own custom grids in the shape of your choice. This is especially helpful if you want to ensure all of your images line up with one another when they're displayed together in a slideshow or collage.
Also, don't forget to use the HDR option on your phone's camera. It's easy to do—just tap on "HDR" and then "On." You should also use Pro Mode (if available) for better control over your photo's exposure settings so that everything looks crisp and clear without being washed out by too much light or darkened by too little light (or vice versa). And since android offers different camera modes, you should also play around with it until you find one that creates exactly what kind of image YOU want—then stick with it!
Lastly, for iPhone users, select the best photographic style for your property. This will depend on the real estate you're selling, so make sure you know what kind of home it is before selecting an aesthetic. For example, if it's a colonial-style house with lots of natural light, consider using black and white photography or even vintage filters to give it an old-school feel. If it's a modern condo with lots of glass and greenery, try taking photos in black and white to create a more minimalistic look.
Once you've selected your photographic style, turn on the grid lines by going into Settings > Photos & Camera > Document Shapes > Show Grid (or Document Shapes). This will help ensure that all of your photos are straightened out and aligned correctly—and who doesn't love straight lines?
Next up: Focus and exposure. When taking pictures of your house for sale, it's essential to make sure that everything looks clear—and this means making sure your focus is set on infinity (or at least as close as possible). To do this, turn on the "Live Photos" feature in iOS 11 so that each shot automatically turns into a short video clip when taken; this way, you can see exactly where something is out of focus before pressing the shutter button again!
The iPhone camera tends to default to a very bright exposure, which is excellent for most situations but not always what you want when shooting interior shots. To fix this, go into your camera settings and change the exposure from automatic to manual. This will let you manually adjust how much light is allowed into the picture so that it's just suitable for any situation.
The iPhone has two cameras on its back, one of which is ultra-wide and great for capturing large spaces like rooms or hallways. If you're shooting an interior space, try using this camera instead of the regular one—you'll get a wider shot that shows off more room (and therefore looks bigger!) than if you were just using one of the other cameras.
The most important tip Home Options can give you is to have fun! You're taking pictures of a home, so do what you can to make the most uncomplicated and homey pictures of the real estate property for sale as much as possible.
