Author: Claire Wright

At times, doing the usual interior and exterior real estate photography is already challenging.

How much more if it is drone photography?

Most photographers share the same dilemma regarding aerial or drone shots, primarily because it is a lot more complicated than the usual photoshoot.

So, if you are also one of those who want to learn how to do aerial photography the right way, this article is for you.

Drone Photography Defined

From the name itself, drone photography, also known as aerial photography, involves taking real estate images and videos at a higher altitude.

Technically, this is challenging since it will require you to use a flying drone at a high altitude.

Despite this, you should recognize that this alone can leverage your property listings.

Here’s why.

Compelling aerial photography showcases unique aspects of the property that is impossible to capture at ground level.

For example, you can take good pictures of the property and the adjacent area in a regular shot but not the significant landmarks and stunning landscape and the rest of the neighborhood.

Yet, with aerial photography, this is possible.

Your Guide to Aerial Photography (4 Steps Only)

Are you excited about how to do drone photography the right way?

Here is a quick and simple tutorial for you.

Buy the right drone

Even without a guide, you can buy a high-quality drone that is perfect for aerial photography.

Always consider your budget, though. If you’re on a smaller budget, there are drones for up to $1400. At this rate, you should be able to buy a good drone to do the work.

It is still costly compared to others but is still relatively cheaper compared to other brands.

One brand you can check is DJI drones.

Master the set-up process

This one is subjective as it depends on the kind of drone you have.

In this tutorial, let us use the DJI drone as an example.

The very first step is to pair it with your smartphone.

Then, download the app from the App Store or Google Play.

Input the following settings:

• Set up the drone for a single shot
• Set the image ratio to 16:9
• Leave the white balance on automatic mode.

One pro tip is to check first if the lens is clean before launching the drone. This can prevent having blur images.

Moreover, pay attention to the GPS calibration. It’s critical to ensure you have proper control of the drone during the flight time.

Learn how to shoot properly

This is the exciting part, but make sure the environment around is free from any power lines and trees.

Launch the flight by pressing the controller toggles in an opposite diagonal direction once you have checked that the path is clear.

Play with the camera angles until you get the shots you wanted.

Make sure to have many shots so you can choose which one is the best to use.

Edit Your Shots

Editing your shots is a must. Do not upload unedited images.

If you are on a tight budget, you can try using some free editing apps, just like Snapseed and VSCO.

The paid ones offer more functionalities and are best if you want more professional-looking photos.

But, if you want to edit by yourself or hire someone you know, that is all fine.

What matters is the result!

Are you now ready to upgrade your listing photos?

Try including some great aerial photographs and see how it can leverage your business.

With many real estate photography companies available, the choice is all yours. Boost your listings with compelling images that people seek and want.

Also, if possible, try incorporating real estate videos too in your listings. It will give interested buyers more reasons to take a look at the property.

In photography, learning is forever.

Having the necessary knowledge is not always enough to compete against others. You need to have an edge – a forte that you can nurture.

There are two things to consider: your niche and skills.

So, first, focus on your niche, then next, slowly develop the skills.

One of the most admired skillsets in photography that you should concentrate on is the lighting aspect.

For one, clients do not want to see dull real estate images.

They hire real estate photographers to get the best images, not crappy ones.

Hence, try your best to learn the craft of shooting captivating real estate images with the aid of proper lighting.

But first, let us define lighting in the context of photography.

Lighting Defined

Lighting in photography is also known as photographic lighting, which practically means perfect scenes to be photographed.

With a working knowledge of how lighting works, you will take control of your photography techniques.

So, here’s a simplified explanation.

First, you need to remember that a photographic image is created only by capturing light reflected from the scene.

The rule of thumb: dark objects absorb more light and reflect less into the camera, while bright things reflect more light.

This process is known as the picture’s brightness, with colors defined by the reflected light’s wavelengths and frequencies.

Therefore, objects with different hues reflect different wavelengths and frequencies and affect the picture’s looks.

4 Real Estate Photography Lighting Techniques

Master Natural Light

Natural light is the best source of lighting for interiors, especially if you have large windows.

Just slide your curtains and take good images of your property.

Here are some more tips for shooting with natural light:

• Choose the best hour of the day. It’s usually around midday, but it depends on the property’s location and the sunrays. So, take note of this before starting the session.
• Avoid shooting interiors at sunset, when the light quickly changes color. Doing so will just make the photos look dull.
• Open all the blinds. Make the sunlight fill the room as best as possible.
• Turn off every light in the room. One of the most significant advantages of turning the lights off is that you avoid color casts.

Use a Flash to Mimic Natural Light

Sometimes, the light in a room can be dull and flat.

However, you can improve this by mimicking natural light.

This is simple to do. All you need is to imitate natural light from a definite direction by pointing the flash on the wall to get a soft large diffused light coming from that direction.

Use HDR While Maintaining a Natural Look

In a room, our eyes continuously adapt to the environment to sense the highlights and shadows.

Using HDR is perfect when shooting images at different exposures. In the end, the photographer needs to capture other exposures and combine them in post-production without destroying the natural look of the property.

Avoid Mixed Lighting to Eliminate Color Casts

The perfect lighting should always be neutral.

It is best not to use different lighting sources to avoid color cast.

Color cast is not a useful element in photos because it makes them look dull with noticeable noise.

The first method to avoid a color cast is to turn off every light. This way, you can be sure to have a uniform light in your photos.

If your flash doesn’t match with the light fixtures or with the window light, try using gel filters to check the color temperature.

You can also try matching the flash with the interior lights to make editing easier in post-production.

Are you a real estate photographer?

If yes, what is the ISO you are using?

Any professional photographer surely knows the importance of ISO in all types of photography. For one, it is not just a useless element in your camera. It has a purpose.

So, before learning more about ISO and how it can help you shoot beautiful images, let us define it first.

What is ISO?

There is no denying that your camera’s ISO stands for International Standardization for Organization.

It is the very same ISO you know in different industries’ regulations.

But, there is one thing you should know when it comes to a camera’s ISO: it is only used to brighten or darken your images.

It is technically a setting that can allow you to work in dark environments without the need for additional or artificial lighting.

ISO Sensitivity and Exposure Triangle in Real Estate Photography

For most DSLR cameras, ISO measures the camera’s ability to capture light.

It is associated with the concept of exposure, particularly in certain types of photography, including in real estate.

So, how exactly should you use ISO in your property images?

The primary step is to learn the exposure triangle.

But what is it?

In the most straightforward reference, exposure refers to the amount of light that the camera can capture.

Is it a controllable setting? Yes, it is!

You can control exposure, given the three necessary settings that work hand-in-hand to create perfect images.

Hence, you should familiarize yourself with these settings: aperture, shutter speed, and sensitivity, otherwise known as ISO.

Moreover, remember that these three settings comprise the exposure triangle.

The Ideal ISO Setting for Real Estate Images

The rule of thumb is to remember the basics: (1) increasing the ISO value means the sensor is more sensitive, so more light is captured, while (2) decreasing the amount means lesser light is captured.

The primary camera’s ISO is around 100, but it can be as high as 4000.

Having ISO as high as that sounds good, but it also has its downfall.

It allows you to capture more light information even in a low-light environment. Still, the images will likely not appear crisp, with noise or grain. This is not aesthetically pleasing to see in the final photos.

Therefore, the recommended ISO levels, especially for real estate photographers, should be the following:

• Maintain it as low as possible, starting at 200 ISO as a base.
• If you need to go higher, make sure you will not go above ISO 400 unless otherwise required.

Aperture and Shutter Speed Ideal Settings

Do you still remember that exposure triangle?

We mentioned other settings like aperture and shutter speed, so here is a bonus part for you!

We’ll let you know about the ideal settings you should follow when setting up these two other settings.

So, let us define what an aperture is.

Aperture refers to how wide your lens is when taking images.

The basic idea to remember is this: the wider the opening, the lower the aperture value, and the more light that is allowed to strike your sensor.

Given this, the shallower the depth of field is, the more precise the focus point is while anything away from that point becomes more out of focus and less bright.

Now, a lower aperture value means a shallower depth of field. At the same time, a high aperture value such as F22 means the lens is open less.

Typically, in real estate photography, the ideal aperture is between F8 and F11. Moreover, F5.6 and F16 are also acceptable but not recommended with outside edges of the range.

On the other hand, shutter speed means the duration as to how long your lens stays open to allow light to hit the camera’s sensor.

What’s right about shutter speed is you can be flexible in setting this compared to ISO and aperture.

If you choose to use 1/100 second, make sure you use a tripod to avoid blurry images.

That’s it!

You now have a better understanding of the perfect ISO for your next photo shoot. Following the suggested settings should help you first-hand if you have difficulty finding your camera’s right settings.

However, we still recommend that you experiment with these settings in your free time to get the best combination that is perfect for your nee