Smartphone photography has come a long way, and today you can use yours to take professional listing photographs without consulting a photographer. Photos are a critical part of your property listings, they are usually the first thing your client sees when searching for their dream home and can easily capture their attention. Property seekers love looking at beautiful properties and well-photographed properties are sure to receive more leads than poor-quality listings.
However, taking professional listing photographs can be challenging, especially if you want to create an impression on property seekers. In this guide, we talked to the experts and shared the ten tips to help you up your photography game – from arranging your property pre-shoot and taking stunning photographs to editing your images.
Natural Light Is Your Best Friend
Natural light is exactly what it sounds like, it’s the sunlight coming into your property. When shooting property photos, you want to bring as much brightness as possible from windows and balconies. Remember to adjust the lighting before you start taking photos so that all your shots show the right light balance.
Natural light is best either right after sunrise or right before sunset, this is the best time to schedule photo shoots as your property will appear warm and cosy. If you find that you need additional light, consider investing in a portable LED light to make it easier to capture high-quality images.
Switch To Wide Angle Shots
A wide-angle lens is best for capturing large, open spaces. It shows a broad horizontal plane, offering your viewer more depth in your photos while still highlighting areas you want to focus on.
On most smartphones, you will see two icons at the bottom of your screen, one which shows your regular camera lens and the second for wide-angle shots. Ensure you switch to your wide-angle lens at the start of your property shoot.
By giving a better sense of depth, wide-angle photos help make small spaces look bigger. If you find yourself struggling to capture smaller rooms or close spaces, stand at the corner of the room and use your wide lens to capture both walls of the room. The difference is massive!
Tap To Refocus
Most smartphone cameras have a focus feature which is triggered by tapping your screen. Without focus, your photos will lack sharpness and detail, making them appear blurry. You want your property to look as crisp as possible, so use the focus feature to highlight specific property details.
If you don’t set a focal point, your smartphone will autofocus on a specific area. To ensure you capture the best image, it’s best to set the focal point yourself. For living rooms, focus on the view, chandeliers, or any unique features and for kitchens, focus on appliances, counter space or unique features.
Blurry photos are a quick way to lose a property seeker’s attention and have to move to another listing.
Keep Your Lines Straight
Gridlines help you take more aesthetically pleasing photos by following the rule of thirds. So, what is the rule of thirds? Simply put, the rule of thirds states that strong, visually appealing images by placing your subject at the intersection of grid lines, splitting the image into thirds. This means that your focus point is never at the centre of the photo but rather at the left or right third of the frame.
Following this rule gives your photographs better balance which makes them appear more professional. Adding gridlines on your camera is different on different smartphones. On Android devices, you can open your camera, tap on settings and then enable gridlines. On iPhones, you’ll have to go to Settings > Camera > Grid and then enable gridlines.
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Wherever you take your photo, ensure all vertical gridlines run straight up and down. An easy way of making sure your gridlines are levelled is to position your phone camera perfectly horizontally and align gridlines to walls, windows or any objects with vertical sides.
Now, there are a few exceptions to this rule; for example, when photographing a staircase or shooting from a higher level, you will have no option but to angle your camera downwards/upwards to capture your property.
Stage Responsibly
Before taking your photos, make sure any clutter is out of sight. You want your property to look as clean as possible. Consider using furniture or décor to create an appealing and restful space. If you are photographing an unfurnished apartment, ensure the space is neat and clean before you begin taking photos. Virtual staging platforms can be used to give your property a more homey look. Remember, our clients want to be able to visualise their lives in the new home, a well-staged home helps make this easier.
Take Photos In A Logical Sequence
Have a strategy in mind for the photos you take. They should be taken in a logical sequence that shows the full property, including features property seekers look for. This will help your clients better understand what the property looks like as they view your listing. Make your clients feel as if they are touring the property by starting from the entry of the property and posting photos in the same order that you would show the property.
Protip – Always shoot in landscape rather than portrait. Though the natural inclination when shooting photos with a smartphone might be to hold it upright, you’ll get much better photos if you hold the phone sideways for a landscape-oriented view. Landscape photos allow you to show more details, such as kitchen appliances, open spaces and balcony views which are especially important when photographing real estate.
Mind The Mirrors
Be mindful when photographing rooms with mirrors, as you don’t want your reflection to appear in any photos. Position yourself in such a way as to make sure both your phone and your reflection are not visible.
Boost Your Photography Game With Accessories
Accessories such as a Nimbus9 Finger Grip make taking photos a lot easier. The grip adheres to your phone case and helps to stabilise it for steady photos. Other accessories useful for photographing property include a tripod, device cleaner and portable lights. If you frequently take photos for your listings or your marketing activities, these accessories are sure to be a worthwhile investment.
Perfect Your Photos On The Go
Properly editing your photo can make all the difference and if often the “secret” of high impact real estate photos. Apps such as VSCO or Snapseed are quick and easy to use. Simply upload your images and adjust the exposure, brightness and contrast to make your photos stand out.
Properly Holding Your Phone
When you think of taking pictures, we tend to hold our phones at arm’s length. However, doing this might stop you from getting steady shots, especially if you have shaky hands.
Here’s a great position to try: bring your elbows inward and plant them in your chest or, squat and rest your elbows on your knees. Doing so helps stabilise your forearms and wrists, which gives your smartphone camera a more stable base for photo-taking.
Additionally, rather than using the shutter button on your screen to trigger the shutter, it’s advised to hold your phone with both hands and use the volume button to trigger the shutter. This helps you to keep a firm grip on the phone with both hands and further the camera’s ability to get a sharp image.
For more resources on elevating your listing quality, check out our Content Corner, where we have a variety of articles written specifically for UAE real estate agents. We also recommend signing up for an interactive workshop at Bayut Academy, where we help you acquire all the skills needed to succeed in the competitive UAE real estate market.