With DSLR cameras becoming incredibly affordable and so many people now sharing photographs through social media, a lot of people see themselves as an amateur professional photographer. However, the reality is that a true professional do things slightly differently. This is particularly true in the world of real estate. Allen Hartman has seen time and again that people wanted to save a little bit of money on their real estate listing by taking their own photographs rather than hiring a professional and this has had quite devastating consequences to the overall sale process.
Why Professional Real Estate Photography Matters
A professional photographer knows how to create images that really speak to people. It is said that you never get a second chance to make a first impression and the photographs of a real estate listing are that first impression of a home. When people see high quality beautiful photographs, they will have faith in the idea that the property will look even better in real life and they will be interested in coming to view it. If, on the other hand, the photographs are drab and not appealing, they won’t even entertain the proposition of coming to look at it. This is true all over the world, from Houston to Timbuktu.
Professional real estate photographers, first of all, have the right equipment. This includes:
- The right lenses, with high quality glass and excellent zoom capacities.
- An external flash, which ensures the lighting can be used to the photograph’s advantage.
- A tripod, which will ensure none of the photographs are moved even in the slightest. Indeed, most professional photographers also have a remote control to actually take the picture, thereby even avoiding tremors from manual pressure.
Furthermore, professional photographers know which settings their camera should be on. This includes:
- The mode. Most professional photographers will shoot in manual aperture priority mode. This means they are completely in control of their camera.
- The white balance. Sometimes, leaving this on automatic is fine but a good professional photographer will know when it is important to adjust the settings slightly.
- The aperture and f stop, which is what provides the correct depth of field. A professional photographer also knows to slow down their shutter speed in relation to how much light they are getting.
Then the fact that professional photographers know how to properly prepare for their photo shoot. Some of the things they will look into include:
- What the best time of day is to take the real estate photographs. Different properties look different in varying lights. Some look their best with the sun at its Heights, others look better at sunset or sunrise, others look better on a sunny day whereas some homes are easier to photograph when it is slightly overcast.
- What the property actually looks like on the inside. A good photographer will walk through the home several times before the photoshoot. During the shoot itself, they will keep an eye on all the important details such as there not being any crumbs on the kitchen counter and all the toilet seats being down.
