Do you ever wonder how those amazing pictures of homes and their interiors are done? How did they make those small rooms look so spacious or how can they make the home look so presentable interior+design photographer, even with someone still living in it? It’s simply all about using the right angles to make the rooms and spaces as appealing as possible to potential buyers.
The exterior of the home should always be considered on the shoot. Determine the light and the weather that gives the exterior its best look. Houses and interiors may look the same, but getting into the right perspective and good composition may often make one home stand out from the others when photographed.
Endeavor to create a scene which suggests the feeling of a warm, welcoming haven. Always survey the rooms before taking your picture so you can get a true feel of the home and also work out the best composition and lighting angles.
Preparing for a shoot starts with your gear. Cameras with good ISO performance will greatly help in this task. You will need to understand the basics of photography, aperture, shutter speed and ISO to get the proper exposure, because lighting can often be quite tricky.
Real estate photography is really all about the lenses you use. A wide angle lens anywhere between 14-24mm is the best option as it gives a certain perspective in that it stretches out rooms and angles making them appear bigger than they really are. A wide or ultra wide lens is the key to success!
A Tripod is also an integral piece of equipment. Some rooms will be dark causing low ISO and a lower shutter speed which will introduce camera shake if not mounted on a tripod. You should also able to record finer images, meaning greater sharpness and an increase in depth of field. Always keep the camera level, if you do not, it may result in vertical lines being distorted or crookedness on straight lines. Always use the cameras built in horizon to keep the camera level, or alternatively you can purchase small spirit levels which fit onto the cameras hot shoe.
Real estate Photography will challenge your perspective and composition skills. Ideally, you should pay special attention to the most important rooms in the house being the main living room, bathrooms, bedrooms and the kitchen. Always try and shoot into corners never strait onto a walls, this will create a sense of depth in your images. It’s best to create a shot list, as this will guide you on how you want to best present the house.
Once your equipment is set up, I recommend shooting in brackets. On a single shot, take 3 images at different exposures. You may need to create a composite image as interior and exterior exposure can be completely different. The combination of these photos in post processing can provide greater details in the scene. Shooting in HDR will produce greater dynamic range, especially to exterior shots, though care must be taken when editing these images as HDR can sometimes look artificial or surreal.