# Real Estate



## 412 Burgh (Sep 11, 2013)

Hey guys,

My friend who is a realtor contacted me in need of some photos of one of her listing. She has a point and shoot and said the lighting is just terrible with her images. I know this is a new area for me but as a college student I try to learn as much about photography as I can to use in my portfolio. So about this house. It's on the market and it needs photos that are usable and welcoming to the house. The catch is that there is no furniture in the house so it's empty. I figured I would take my 18-55 and tripod. Along with my 24-70 just in case. I just wanted to know if you guys/girls have any tips for a noobie. This is a freebie, just trying to add to my skill list and portfolio.

-Zach


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## tirediron (Sep 11, 2013)

Real estate photography is all about lighting, lighting, and lighting!  The difference between a good shot and a poor one is almost always in how it's lit; blown windows, mixed white balances, etc.  My suggestion (if you're willing to put the time required in) would be to shoot them mostly as HDR panos.  I like to use speedlights everywhere to fill in the light, but if you don't have a bag of them, it can be tough, therefore, bring your tripod and 18-55 and shoot HDR to ensure good exposure, and no blown windows or light fixtures.  Shoot in pano so that you can shoot long and ensure that your verticals are actually straight and vertical; another common problem is people going in with a UWA and producing images with curved walls, barrel-distorted doorways, etc.  

Use the room lights to advantage, and strive for even lighting.  Make sure things are clean.  A bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towel are essential.  If there's carpet, watch the nap; bring a stiff broom along so it's all going in one direction.

Good luck!


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## astroNikon (Sep 11, 2013)

tirediron said:


> ...  If there's carpet, watch the nap; bring a stiff broom along so it's all going in one direction.
> 
> Good luck!


I would never have thought of that.  Great TIP


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## 412 Burgh (Sep 11, 2013)

Very good tips! I will definitely use these to my advantage!


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## 412 Burgh (Sep 11, 2013)

As far as contracts go do you guys know of anything? I am in the process of making more official contracts for portraits, commercial work, etc.


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## KmH (Sep 11, 2013)

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...eal-estate-pictures-need-feedback-please.html


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## texkam (Sep 12, 2013)

You want a wide DOF. Plan on long exposures. Consider shooting at night to take the ambient daylight out of the equation. 




This is with 1 speedlight bounced into the ceiling. Note, bedside lamps were left off. They created a bad effect. Experiment. Throw some light in the background to give the place a sense of depth (see the stairs).


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