guide to real estate photography

GUIDETo real estate photography

/ Tome 1

Dear agents,

Today, the photo of real estate property is the central element of putting it on the market.The potential buyer must be able to see themselves in the space at first glance. In this way, the real estate ad must transfer emotion.

The real estate agent wanting to increase their success rate, must get training and acquire the necessary tools in order to highlight potential properties on the market. To accompany you on this journey, VitrineMedia has developed this guide which presents some fundamentals and technical advice.

The VitrineMedia team.

EDITORIAL

TO START, YOU WILL NEED...

Real Estate PhotographyReal Estate Photography 54

A spirit level

A camera A lens

A retouching softwareA tripod

TABLE OF CONTENTS

To start, you will need...The wide anglePreparing the spacePositioningIn summaryExposure and retouchingThe 3D imageGood to know

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CONTRAST BETWEEN AN AMATEUR PHOTO AND A PROFESSIONAL PHOTO

USE THE VERY WIDE ANGLE

PICTURE TAKEN WITH 10MM LENSThis lens allows you to show 80% of the space, making it more spacious.

PICTURE TAKEN WITH A 18MM LENS (OR A COMPACT)The space appears smaller in picture than in reality because we can only see half of it.


I PREPARING THE SPACE2 LOOK FOR NATURAL LIGHT

I PREPARING THE SPACE1 LUMINOSITY: AN IMPORTANT CRITERIA*

Don’t ignore a single detail! A dark room can dissuade potential clients from visiting the space.

The closed curtains give the impression of a dark and closed room. The spotlights give a yellow tint to the picture as a whole.

With fully opened curtains, the space appears more luminous and the outside view is highlighted.

Having the curtains open and the lights turned off give the illusion of a more luminous and open space.

*For 97% of the french, natural light is an important criteria when choosing a home - Artibat Survey lead in November 2013. Real Estate PhotographyReal Estate Photography 98

DID YOU KNOW?5 ELEMENTS TO PUT FORWARD ON A REAL ESTATE PHOTO

The ceiling height

The overall good state of the space

The outside view

The floor space

Luminosity

I PREPARING THE SPACE3 MAKE SURE THE SPACE IS ORGANISED

The multiple objects all over the space complicate the picture and make the room look disorganized or even unclean; which can dissuade future clients.

Removing most of the objects allows you to show the space under its best angle, and give it more light.

Real Estate PhotographyReal Estate Photography 1110 11

I PREPARING THE SPACE4 OPEN THE OUTDOOR DOORS AND WINDOWS

The door keeps the light from coming in and blocks part of the view.

Simply opening the door allows the light to come in and opens-up a view onto to the garden.

I PREPARING THE SPACE5 DECLUTTER THE ROOMS

Too imposing, too cluttered, this carpet can dissuade some potential buyers and renters.

By removing unnecessary items, the room is less cluttered and more neutral which allows the viewer to better visualize themselves within the space.


I PREPARING THE SPACE6 PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL!

The open doors make the picture complex and can sometimes cast shadows on parts of the image, as is the case in the picture.

By closing the doors, the image is simpler and therefore more enjoyable to look at. The dark areas have also disappeared.

DID YOU KNOW?THESE PICTURES REPRESENT 60% OF THE TIME SPENT BY INTERNET USERS ON ONLINE ADS.

Study lead in 2012 by the Dominion university in Virginia (USA) on users looking at real estate ads.


Text

Technical characteristics

Photos 60%

20%

20%

II PLACEMENT 1 DIAGONAL PHOTO SHOOTING

Taken from the center of the room, the picture doesn’t allow the viewer to appreciate the room’s depth.

Placing the camera in the corners of the room and pointing it diagonally gives the illusion dimension and depth: the room seems more spacious.

II PLACEMENT 2 WHAT IS THE RIGHT HEIGHT?

In this picture some elements are not visible (such as the counter tops, the stove top and the sink) and the angle is «unnatural». The camera is placed 75 cm off the ground.

Taken at 1.20 m off the ground, this picture is more natural and allows you to see the important elements.Note: Place the camera above the furniture in the middle of the room.


II PLACEMENT 3 HOLD THE CAMERA HORIZONTALLY

The walls and windows on the side of the room seem to be tilted. This is because the lens is pointed towards the floor when taking the picture.

The solution for the vertical lines to stay straight is to hold the camera horizontally. This is easy to achieve using a tripod, but can be quite tricky without one.

IN SUMMARY

Take the picture from the right height

Hold the camera horizontally

Place the camera in the corner and aim diagonaly


II PLACEMENT 5 HELP YOUR CLIENTS APPROPRIATE THE SPACE

A photo in which 2 rooms are highlighted, gives perspective and allows the viewer to see themselves within the space.

II PLACEMENT 4 HIGHLIGHT THE WINDOWS

The picture is missing contrast and color. The picture is more contrasted, more colorful and the room’s natural light is showcased.


III EXPOSURE AND RETOUCHING 2 PHOTO EDITING

III EXPOSURE AND RETOUCHING 1 PLAY AROUND WITH LUMINOSITY

On an automatic setting, the camera automatically calculates the light by doing an average between the different image zones.Pictures of interiors are often too dark.

The windows are over exposed, the window frames are blurry while other areas are too dark. For optimum quality, it is recommended that you edit the pictures using a software such as Exposio or Photomatix or Easyhdr. .

When taking the picture, you can adjust the problem by putting the camera in A, V or M setting: in general, you can rectify the exposure from -3 to +3 by 1/3*.See our user guide for more details *CF page 34

Thanks to the HDR technology (here 9 photos re-composed with the Exposio software), the photogra-phy is perfectly exposed, clear and allows you to see the outdoors.


III EXPOSURE AND RETOUCHING 4 ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

III EXPOSURE AND RETOUCHING 3 BLACK AND WHITE

The colors of this space could make too big of a statement for potential buyers and limit the number of visits.

If a cluttered space can be scary...The black and white photo allows you to remove the colors and attract more potential buyers.

... the floor plan is an alternative so that the buyers can get more familiar with the space.


VI 3D IMAGE 2 CONCEPTUALISING A SPACE IN 3D

VI 3D IMAGE 1 CONCEPTUALISE A FURNISHED SPACE IN 3D

If a furnished space is messy, it is better to do a 3D visual. The future client will be able to better appropriate the space. Current state. A 3D set-up proposition is a good compromise to help the future buyer to appropriate the space.


DID YOU KNOW?REAL ESTATE PHOTOS ALLOW YOU TO SELL YOUR PROPERTIES FASTER


Increase of the real sales price (compared to the posted price) when using photos taken with a digital reflex camera.

source : REDFIN 1$ = 0,9€ (February 2016 exchange rate)

$200,000 to $299,999

$300,000 to $399,999

$400,000 to $499,999

$500,000 to $599,999

$700,000 to $999,999

$0 $2,000 $8,000$6,000$4,000 $12,000$10,000

TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR PHOTOS... ... THINK OF A LIT WINDOW DISPLAY.


Before

After

VM LIGHTSYSTEM

VM LIGHT SYSTEMBY VITRINEMEDIA

MAKE THE DIFFERENCETHANKS TO THE VITRINEMEDIA TECHNOLOGYModern & innovative display panels

Easy to install

Unequaled life span

High luminosity, up to 6000LUX

Multiple display possibilities

Easy insertion of your visuals

Alignment with international norms and standards

available in multiple formats: A4, A3, A2, A1 & A0

One sided or dual-sided display

Advanced LED technology

Attract attentionBe visible 24h/7Attract new clientsStrengthen your brand imageSet yourself apart from the competition


Marc JelenspergerFounder of bientot-vendu.comExpert in real estate photography for VitrineMedia

Real estate promoter from 2006 to 2010Real estate trainer (photography, new technologies, marketing and sales) since 2011Has trained 900 real estate agents in Europe (France, Belgique, Suisse, Luxembourg)Writer for the Lettre des Agents (www.bientot-vendu.com)Organiser of the Agences de l’annee trophies.

Find all of this information here: http://pro.bientot-vendu.com/formations

GOOD TO KNOW


HDR (Hight Dynamic Range)This is to say «large range dynamic imagery». This enables you to represent or memorize multiple light intensity levels in one image.

THE DIFFERENT PHOTOGRAPHY MODES

Mode AChoose the opening yourself and set the speed accordingly. This will allow you to force a small/large opening and thus define the depth of field without worrying about the rest.

Mode VYou set the speed and the camera adjusts the opening accordingly. In this way, you define the speed photo is taken and can control the blur during movement.

Mode MBoth settings depend on you and the type of picture you wish to take. Remember only that if you increase one of the setting values, without changing the other, you will also impact exposure of the photo.

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