The digital camera is an essential tool for real estate agents, architects, designers and others who regularly take photos of real property. They can also be an important tool for individual sellers who want to photograph their own home for fliers, ads or posting online.

Whether a professional or not, the importance of taking well-composed and exposed photos of real estate can not be understated. Using a few tried and true techniques can produce near-professional looking images without the need to buy expensive equipment.

Wide angle lens recommended for real estate photography

While a wide angle lens isn’t required for taking real estate photos,  it is certainly a huge plus. Cameras and lenses with wide angle capability of 28mm 0r wider capture more of a scene than a standard lens.

Not only can a larger area of the scene be photographed with a wide angle lens, but wide angle allows you to stand closer to the subject and still fit it in the frame. You can take photos free from unwanted foreground objects, such as mail boxes, trees and shrubs.

If you haven’t purchased a digital camera, consider one with at least a 28mm (35mm equivalent) lens. Or check if the one you own accepts a wide angle converter lens.

External flash

If you take a lot of inside photos, consider a camera that has a hot shoe for an external flash. External flashes are much more versatile than tiny built-in flashes. Many can bounce the flash off the wall, providing more natural and diffused light, free from harsh shadows.

Composing real estate photos

Make a habit of checking the composition in the viewfinder or on the LCD prior to taking a photo. There are no hard and fast rules for composing real estate photos, but do keep in mind a few principles.

• Stage. Before taking a photograph, temporarily move distracting items from the scene such as a car in the driveway, a garbage sign, or a “For Sale” sign. For interior shots, tidy up the room so it looks uncluttered.
• Highlight positive areas of property.
• Before snapping the shutter button, review the scene so vertical or horizontal line are perpendicular.
• Take shots from different angles so nothing obstructs an important part of the scene.
• Move slightly to the left or right, or back a few steps, before taking a photo. This method can significantly improve composition. Watch composition changes on the LCD, or viewfinder, before pressing the shutter button.

Lighting

Outside lighting

The real property should be well lit and devoid of stark shadows. Ideally, the source of light should come from behind the photographer, not behind the house. Try to shoot on a day when the sky is blue and contains clouds. Shoot when a cloud covers the sun so shadows are barely seen on anything within the scene.

Inside lighting

Photograph the interior on a bright, but overcast day. This prevents streams of stark sunlight from entering the room. Get room well-lit, even when using a flash.

Turn on as many room lights as possible, though make sure none will be in direct view of the camera lens. For the best possible inside illumination, combine lighting. Let natural light from outside enter the room to augment the artificial light. Adjsut the white balance setting accordingly.

Issues when photographing real estate

Real estate photography can be challenging. Take a few moments to learn how to address the main problems you may encounter when photographing real estate.

Barrel distortion

When taking photos of real estate using the widest lens angle of a digital camera, you will often  encounter barrel distortion. The wide angle lens position causes the edges of an image to look curved or skewed. Lines that you’d expect to appear perpendicular are not.

Barrel distortion is most noticeable when photographing a straight edge near the side of the frame, such as taking wide angle shots of angular buildings, doors and edges of walls. In the illustration, notice how the curvature of perpendicular lines is greatest near the edges of the photo.

Minimizing barrel distortion

To minimize barrel distortion, zoom in the lens closer and move back to get more of the subject within the frame. Watch the effects change on the LCD.

Barrel distortion can be fixed with most photo editing software, though avoid distortion as much as you can when taking a shot.

Camera shake

Camera shake causes images blur. To prevent camera shake when shooting in low light, place your camera on a tripod or other support such as a tabletop. If you don’t have a remote control, use the built-in self-timer to trigger the shutter.

The Jaggies

Photos taken of scenes containing lines at angles or at a diagonal are prone to the “jaggies.” Jaggies occur when lines are in high contrast to the background, such as a roof line against a clear sky. When a large image is reduced in size using a photo editing program with anti-aliasing, the “jaggies” should visually disappear.

To help avoid jaggies when actually photographing subjects with strong angles, change your position or the distance you’re standing from the subject.

Photographing reflective surfaces

When taking photos of items with reflective surfaces, shoot at an angle so reflections are minimized. Avoid using a flash as its light will be recorded in the image and ruin it.

For many more tips on this subject, purchase our popular ebook, How to Photograph a Home. It’s only $3.95 and available for immediated download.