Getting Started in Real Estate Photography
When I first started my photography business in Carlton, Minnesota, real estate photography was not part of my business model. I picked it up at the end of my first year. I signed on with a national company that trained contract photographers how to do real estate pictures. They had their own contracts with larger real estate agencies and they scheduled all of my appointments. Most were scheduled 1-2 weeks out and I typically had 3 shoots in a week. At some point I was told I needed to get my drone license to stay on. I already owned my own drone but only used it recreationally. Getting licsened was such a big deal that I suspect I will devote a blog to that one day. But to put it simply, if you profit off of your drone images, you need to be licensed. So with drone license in hand I spent the summer of 2023 doing dozens of real estate photos. I found out that I really liked it. It was a nice change of pace from sports photography. But what I didn't like about it was that since the company I was contracted with was technically the middle man, I never got to talk to the realtor. A major disadvantage of that was that being a female, going to people's homes that sometimes were vacant and sometimes not, I at least wanted to ask the realtor questions about the home owner. Will they be home, are they normal, do they have pets, are the pets friendly.
I found that I was being assigned vacant hunting shacks on dirt country roads in remote areas. I was able to have my spouse come with me a few times and a few times when I knew I was going to be by myself, I brought very loyal 4-legged friend Luna. Being by myself in remote areas made me feel uneasy. I started reaching out to the realtor privately and asking the questions. At some point after a year, I left the company that gave me the start in real estate photography. I needed to have more control over where I was going. I now have real estate photography as a 15% slice of my business model.
Seeing the Details
One main aspect to the art of taking real estate photography is "bracketing". It is a technique in camera that takes multiple exposures of the same shot. This has to be done without moving or touching the camera. One is underexposed (dark) one is normal and one is overexposed (light). The tripod ensures the perfect alignment between the shots. Once I return home, I can blend the photos together to make one. This allows the final product to look like you were in the room yourself, you see the outside scenery just as much as the inside. Regardless, if you have a showcase home or not, seeing the details are vital. It is another reason why I put fake fire in all the fireplaces and an image on the TV screen.
One thing that is helpful for me in seeing the details is that I am a home owner and have raised a family. Why is this helpful? If you have never owned a home or raised a family in one, it could pose a challenge to know exactly what special features to highlight in a house. If a kitchen has a walk-in pantry, I want to highlight that. Any unique features or storage that could set apart the house from the next house a potential buyer would see, is important
to capture.
Does the Room Speak to You
This particular house was part of a series of homes I took pictures of for a builder's website. They were all custom builds. Each home was unique and amazing. The craftsmanship was seen in every detail of the house. In this particular example, I wanted to showcase the natural light with the craftsmanship of the woodwork (including the ceiling) and fireplace. Everything about this room I loved.
If you are looking to buy a home, you are looking at all the houses online first. You want the house, the rooms to draw you in. Can you picture yourself sitting in the living room on a winter day? Can you picture your furniture or your family in the house? Capturing the room's essence is essential.
Pictures taken on Nikon Z6ii, 14-24mm lens, F7.
What Bracketing Looks Like
Underexposed Image
The inside of the room appears darker on the underexposed images. The focus is on the outside view. Capturing the scenery. You can see that every light in the room is on. This is a basic real estate photography 101. By having all the lights on, it adds extra dimension.
Normal Exposure
This is typically what the naked eye sees. You notice the outside and inside elements but nothing truly pops yet.
Overexposed Image
When overexposing, it captures more of the detail of the room. Typically, if the room has windows, you won't be able to see the outside details.
Final Image
The final image should pull everything together. In this particular example, one can tell by looking at the photo that this room has amazing natural lighting. You can sit by the fireplace and watch your favorite show all while having the lake views. This is accomplished by layering the pictures on top of each other to form a crisp picture detailing both the inside and outside of the room. Final touches include an image on the TV and fire in the fireplace.
Commercial Real Estate
When I first started real estate photography and worked for the private company, I was on a non-compete. I was not allowed to do residential real estate photography for anyone other than them, not even for myself. But what I could do was commercial real estate. If a construction company hired me to take pictures of their newly built homes, or office structures that was not an issue. I soon found myself getting commercial gigs. To this day, the commercial side is what makes up most of my income for real estate photography.
The Gear
What's in my camera bag?
My Gear:
Nikon Z6ii
Lens 14-24
Trigger (remotely activates the shutter)
Manfrotto 190 tripod with fluid head.
The True Behind the Scenes of Real Estate Photography
All of the photos I have used in this blog are either high end custom homes or commercial property. What you are not seeing is the average home or the rental property that the tenants have no vested interest to have cleaned up prior to pictures. There have been several times where I have showed up at rental properties to unmade beds, toilet seats that are all the way up, towels on the ground or dirty clothes everywhere. Take that one step further and add in a tarantula or several guns piled in a corner. These times are mainly the rentals or homes where the owner is financially forced to sell. The best pictures do not cover up messes and to be frank, I am not getting paid to clean-up dirty clothes. This is where, I contact the agent (if they are not present) inform them of the conditions and if I can't reach them, I do my job. I take the pictures. This is where I point out to you my reader that I do provide guides on how to prep the home for photos but let's face it, people have a different view of what "no clutter" looks like.
There are certain things that I can easily control; turning on all the lights, making sure the curtains are open and symmeterical. One or two dirty towels does not bother me, I will move those out of the way but when it is room after room of piles of clothes or all unmade beds, that is where I ask the realtor for guidance. These times are the exceptions rather than the norm, but it does happen. Most realtors also prep the clients on what to do to get the home ready.
Click on these sites to see my pictures and drone videos
Final Thoughts
The best advice I can give anyone who is having photos taken of their home is remove all signs of clutter. Put items in large bins and hide them in the garage or closets. Unless someone has a really nice walk in or large closet, the inside of closets are rarely photographed. This includes all shoes, jackets, anything on the kitchen sink, counter tops, bathroom sink AND in the showers. No one is interested in what type of shampoo people use, stash those things away! If you have family photos, take them down and if you have non-family art to put on the wall do that instead. Bottom line is that you are taking the pictures for a reason. If it is to sell your home, you have likely taken the time to do any projects to get your house ready. Getting your house ready for pictures is one of the final steps. Do not skip this step! Lastly, you know your home better than anyone. If your house has a cool feature, be sure to tell your realtor that you want specific things highlighted.
Have a real estate photography question or want pictures taken, drop me a line below.
