Real Estate Photoshoot Ideas to Take Better Photos
Get better results while on a real estate photoshoot by following the 8 ideas and tips listed below. Also, feel free to check out our articles 5 Tips for Real Estate Photos and Best Real Estate Photography Classes for more helpful information.
Table of Contents
Real Estate Photoshoot Ideas and Tips
1. Make Sure the House is Clean
This one may seem obvious, but we’ve all seen those Zillow photos of a room that’s filthy. It completely distracts the viewers attention and ultimately leads to a pointless photo.
Ideally, you’re not the one that’s cleaning the house since that’s nowhere in your job title. However, if you do get to a real estate photoshoot and the house is just a bit messy (think crumbs on the table, disheveled papers on a desk) take the time to either clean it up or have someone on site clean it up.
2. Stage the Photo
Staging the room can be as easy as decluttering the space. The first thing I do when I get into a house I’m about to photograph is a quick walkthrough. I identify how much staging will need to be done and then start to put things into place.
Sometimes this is as simple as moving a few curtains or fluffing some pillows, but other times it can mean rearranging a kitchen or even moving some furniture. Either way, properly staging a room is something not to be over-looked.
Luckily, we’ve already written a checklist that has all the best home staging practices which you can download for free. Just click the link below.
3. Take Advantage of Natural Light
Natural light is your best friend when photographing real estate. If the space you’re photographing has windows letting in a decent amount of natural light, you’ll surely be able to come away with some quality photos.
Take note of where the windows are, how the light is coming through them, and where it looks the best. Focus on using the natural light to accent the space. People love to see natural light streaming into a room, especially realtors!
Always remember, light is the most important part of photography. If you can find the well lit areas of the home, you will be able to take some great real estate photos.
4. Highlight the Room, Not the Furniture
Far too many real estate photos put focus on the furniture/appliances in the room rather than the room itself. If you’re guilty of this, it’s an easy thing to fix. You just need to shift your focus while you’re behind the camera.
It might be tempting to try and get the full couch in the shot, but first ask yourself if it’s really that important to show the whole couch (it’s not). The same thing can be said for refrigerators or stoves in the kitchen.
The people looking at your photos aren’t interested in purchasing the couch or the refrigerator. What they are interested in is the full layout of the living room and kitchen. It’s ok to only show half the couch or a sliver of the refrigerator. It’s not ok to cut out a portion of the room.
If you’re having trouble doing this in practice, try to focus on the architectural details of the space, even if it’s just a window or a doorway. This will help shift your attention off the furniture.
5. Use a Checklist
Nothing is worse than wrapping up a shoot, uploading the images to your computer, and realizing that you missed a needed angle. Rescheduling a shoot is a huge pain for everyone involved and many times can cost you the client. One way to be positive that you avoid this common mistake is to use a checklist.
Click the link below and download our free Real Estate Photography Checklist. It highlights all the angles needed from a real estate photoshoot. Using it will make sure that you walk away from your real estate photoshoot with all the most important images.
6. Move Around
Very rarely will the first place you put your tripod be the best possible angle. It’s important to move around, even if it’s only an inch or two in either direction, to get the best possible angle.
Once you identify the best general angle, you’ll want to make micro-adjustments to try and line everything up perfectly in the frame. Take the extra 30 seconds needed to see if you can improve the shot by moving your camera around.
Moving backwards a foot or two and tightening up your focus can look quite a bit better than being close up and shooting super wide. You’re photographing the same general angle, but you’re improving the image by moving the camera just a little bit.
7. Overshoot
By overshoot I mean both in terms of angles and exposures captured. You don’t need to deliver every angle you capture. Heck, you don’t even need to edit every angle. But capturing a few extra angles gives you some wiggle room incase one of your photos was out of focus or you end up not liking some angles you thought looked good.
Regarding capturing extra exposures, it only takes the click of a button to give yourself the insurance of an over exposed photo and an under exposed photo. You can use that over exposed photo to brighten up the darker parts of the image. Likewise, you can use the under exposed photo for better looking windows or fixing highlights.
Overshooting is like an insurance policy. Give yourself more options to limit your mistakes. It doesn’t take much time and it could be the thing that saves your real estate photoshoot.
8. Change Lenses
Sometimes the best way to get creative is to force a different perspective. If I’m feeling like I haven’t captured the space properly, I’ll sometimes switch from my wide-angle lens (16-35mm) to my telephoto lens (24-70mm).
This forces me to see the property in a different way and can reveal completely different angles that I may not have seen before. I find that putting on a new lens will almost always give me at least two or three extra, high quality photos.
Don’t limit yourself while on location. Force creativity by literally looking through your camera differently. A telephoto lens can be great for tight, one point perspective shots and for showing depth.
Be sure to check out our Beginners Guide. It’s full of articles with helpful ideas and tips exactly like this one. Our Business Resources page has all the resources you’ll need to get your Real Estate Photography business started on the right path.
Additionally, if you are looking for real estate photography courses to help you learn more, check out our article Best Real Estate Photography Classes.
Finally, go check out our Gear page to get up-to-date reviews and recommendations on todays best gear for Real Estate Photography.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a real estate photographer?
The average cost of a real estate photography shoot ranges from between $140 – $230. Additional services like drone photography or video services are not included in the average cost.
How can I make my real estate photos look professional?
One of the best ways to make your real estate photos look professional is to use editing software. Learning how to properly edit photos can greatly enhance the image quality.
Is there demand for real estate photography?
The short answer is yes. Demand for real estate photography is growing with the continued growth of internet content and peoples desire to see homes before going to an in-person viewing.
How much can you make taking pictures for real estate?
It all depends on how many clients you have and how much you want to grow your business. For a more detailed answer check out this article: How Much Do Real Estate Photographers Make?