Photographs play a pivotal role in marketing. And with the advent of online selling platforms, photography holds an even more important stature. You need good photos of products to sell them online. For photographers, it’s yet another business avenue to explore. Real estate photography is in a way quite similar. But, in this case, an image of what the place looks on the outside will not suffice. You need to showcase the interiors while making sure that you don’t miss out on what’s unique about it. Photographer Jared Polin takes you through how you can take good-looking interior photos all by yourself:
Taking interior photos is more about preparation. The greater amount of time you spend in preparing the scene, the greater the chances of the images coming out better. To start, ensure that you de-clutter the rooms. Rooms that have many items here and there can appear suffocating in an image. And that’s not a good sign for the prospective buyers. So, make as much room as possible. Even if that means getting rid of stuff temporarily.
As a part of your preparation, pay attention to the lighting as well. Plan to shoot when it’s bright and sunny outside. And also make sure to leave all the indoor lights turned on. Bright rooms appear inviting and appeal better to the clients. Good lighting makes the image enticing and excite the potential buyers to check out the place in person.
As for gear, use a lens that’s wide enough. Whether you’re using an 18mm or a 24mm, or even a 50mm, make sure that the images come out realistic. Images should not look fake. You don’t want the buyer to be thrown off with a small room that appeared huge in the photograph. And if you do use wide angle lenses, keep an eye on the distortion. Ensure that your lines are straight. But that doesn’t mean that you must use a tilt-shift lens.
When shooting a scene that has windows, a good tip is to use exposure bracketing. By merging the images shot at different exposures, you’ll have a ton of data to play with and come out with a really good exposure. And don’t forget to mix up the angles to give variations to your shots. And remember, shooting from an average eye-level works best to give an idea of how the room appears in real life.
If you really want to work your way through real estate photography but feel lost, a good starting point is to learn from the pros. Follow their work through websites and magazines – even Instagram. You’ll definitely learn a lot.
What do you think about Polin’s tips for interior photography? If you have any other tips to share, be sure to let us know in the comments.
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Wow, fabulous photos. They all DO look like HDR photos to me, but I love them anyway. I shoot between five and 15 real estate listings a week, and shoot with a Z 14-50mm lens couples to my Z7 and do NOT use a tripod because I find it too clunky to move around in tight kitchens, bathrooms, and small offices, where, for example, in a galley kitchen I have to lean way back to capture the facing walls as best I can. A tripod is just too awkward to use in those situations, and today’s cameras have such great sensors and lenses I can get away without using one. Having said that, you’ve motivated me to try more bracketed shots. So thanks for that. In our area we have very few million dollar properties, and most of my work is of homes in the $150,000 to $500,000 range, with the mode typically around $220,000, so…. Excellent video. I love your loft!!!!!!!!!!!! And your decor….
Really helpful Thank you.