Category: Real Estate Photography

When it comes to real estate, the ethical question is not only limited to the concept of how the industry works. Almost all businesses connected to it face the same dilemma, including those engaged in real estate photography.

Determining what is acceptable and what is not in terms of shooting properties and editing the raw images is a buzz topic among realtors. Most of the time, it sparks debates that test the extent of this issue.

Nevertheless, the community has set legal and ethical guidelines for photographers and editors to follow over the years. This is aside from the rules set by each listing site. Here is an outline of the five general guidelines followed by most real estate photography companies.

1. Real estate photographers usually work for the listing agent (realtor). They can have the discretion to take the photos, but in some cases, they are asked to modify images of properties for sale.
2. It is the legal responsibility of the listing agents to not “materially misrepresent” a property.
3. For photo editors, modifying or removing temporary objects like garbage cans, cars, and unnecessary people are acceptable. Moreover, overcast skies are already a practice by most editors and generally not considered misrepresenting the property.
4. For real estate photography companies, their photographers should remain truthful with their shots by not allowing editors to remove permanent objects like power lines or telephone poles. Aside from that, neighboring homes should not be removed from the picture because this is already one form of misrepresentation.
5. Landscaping is a tricky part of images because it could be permanent or temporary. Some argue that it is okay to fix minor problems in the grass, for example. However, others are opposed to the idea and believe that it is one form of manipulation.

Yet despite these five main guidelines, realtors and legal professionals still have their sentiments regarding the topic. Everyone shares their comments, and some of them are the following:

Not removing anything unless told to do so

Most editors say that they do not remove anything in the images unless the realtor tells them to do so. Moreover, if forced to remove anything, they ensure realtors will explain to the clients why the part is removed in the first place.

Never alter the reality

On the other hand, some photographers and editors stick to not modifying any part of the property that can change the real perspective of future clients or buyers. This is an essential pointer to consider because it will help the buyers set their expectations.

Stick to the legal guidelines

There are different real estate listing sites available online, and each of them has legal guidelines about photographs being used. It is the realtor’s job to follow these rules and not override anything, since it may result in your listings being taken down.

Photographers and editors must not have any legal obligations

Since photographers and editors work with the realtors and have the legal responsibilities since they are the member of any realtors’ association, the former should not be held liable for any misrepresentation disputes.

In summary, we can say that the photographer and editor are working for the listing agent, not the potential buyer. Therefore, the property’s accurate representation is the agent’s legal responsibility, neither the photographer nor the editor’s.

 

Still, it is best if photographers or editors can perform their duties with due diligence, so they wil not be held accountable by any misrepresentations that may arise from the edited images. It is recommended to document that they are modifying the photograph at the agent’s request, not only based on their discretion.

In photography, the term “distortion” is used to describe many different aspects of the subject. In general, they are undesirable and need to get fixed as soon as possible. Some types of lenses cause this problem in images. For example, the famous fisheye lens “distorts,” a photograph by intentionally bending straight lines. This makes the image look ugly and funny.

Lens distortion has two main types: (a) when the lens “accidentally” makes a straight line curve or wobble when it should be straight, and (b) when two lines that are supposed to be parallel appear to “lean” in or out, depending on the angle.

Moreover, there are also what we call the barrel, pincushion, mustache, and keystone distortions. But what are these, and how do they differ from one another?

Barrel Distortion

With barrel distortion, a straight line near the edge of the image will bend outward.

Pincushion Distortion

On the other hand, pincushion distortion causes straight lines to visibly bow inward instead, the total opposite of the pincushion distortion.

Mustache Distortion

Moreover, the mustache distortion happens when a straight line does both curvings back and forth. This is a common problem on more affordable, compact ultra-wide lenses such as the 14 mm lenses.

Keystone Distortion

The keystone distortion is not an optical lens flaw. Instead, it is a natural characteristic of the viewing angle. A classic example is shooting a house from a high location, and the subject is way too down your position. At this point, the vertical lines will visually converge in a downward “V” shape or vice-versa. Vertical lines should remain vertical because if not, they seem visually unsettling and unnatural looking.

So, how exactly can you correct these common lens distortions? Here are two efficient solutions to try.

There are two main ways to correct distortion in real estate photography: (a) check if the lens has a correction profile in the post-production software you are using or (b) try correcting it manually.

Luckily, most lenses these days has a correction profile available already. You only need to access it on the raw conversion software such as Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, or Photomatix.

Moreover, some of the mirrorless lenses have permanently embedded the correction profile in raw file data. This makes it accessible by only turning on or off the in-camera. Before shooting images, try checking the in-camera settings to make sure distortion correction is turned on. This process can make editing easy.

On the other hand, for keystone distortion, Lightroom has automated and manual options to correct this problem. The software also has final straightening options that can make the editing quick and easy. At the same time, you can also use Lightroom’s manual tool to trace the lines that should either be vertical or horizontal.

In the end, the major takeaways are the following:

Turn on the in-camera before the shoot

Check that the camera has its barrel or pincushion distortion turned on in-camera. To ensure that this will work, double-check first if the lens you are using has a permanently embedded correction profile.

Set the necessary Adobe Lightroom settings

In Lightroom, check that the Develop Module’s defaults include the Lens Profile Correction tool on and “automatic.”

Master the quick-fix methods

Learn how to “fix” vertical lines that are not vertical quickly using automatic or manual correction tools.

Recheck your workflow and lens all the time

If the work is getting complicated, and you think it is not beneficial anymore, try to seek a professional real estate photographer’s help or find another lens with a perfect correction profile.

As part of acquiring compelling visuals for your real estate property, it is normal to have photos or videos taken by professional real estate photography and videography company. Hiring an expert photographer and videographer is one reason why good listings stand out in the market and quickly get noticed by potential buyers.

Do you have a scheduled photo or video shoot for your property, but do not have an idea on how to prepare your house? Do not worry! We got you covered. Here are some useful tips to follow when preparing your property (both interior and exterior) for a shoot.

Declutter as much as you can

Put away toys, clothing, dishes, towels, shoes, and other unnecessary things inside the house while making sure that the lawn area is also free from other items such as gardening tools, garage equipment, etc. It will help you save some bucks to keep these things away rather than paying for photoshopping the photos.

Depersonalize all spaces

As the current owner, you are probably immersed in the kind of personalization that reflects your home. However, if you are planning to sell it, you must apply a certain level of depersonalization in the house’s areas to make it more neutral. At most, the photos of young children and any potentially offensive art should be put away.

Clean all the rooms and lawn

It is a necessary step to clean the whole house before doing a photo and video shoot. Ensure there are no visible specks of dust on the windows, tables, and cabinets. Moreover, arrange everything – from the vases and other decorations at the rooms. For the lawn, make sure the grasses are newly trimmed, including leaves raked, and bushes and trees pruned. Also, hide any yard decorations, garbage cans, garden tools, hoses, and shovels.

Tidy the kitchen and bathroom

Your kitchen and bathroom need to be pristine. Hide any cleaning products and keep work surfaces clear of clutter. Most importantly, leave the toilet seat down and the bathroom mirror clean. Remove all shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and others. from the shower.

Ensure natural light

At the beginning of the shoot, always open curtains and blinds to let in plenty of natural light. Please get rid of cobwebs that can often be found lurking in ceiling corners, so they will not be captured.

Shine all the areas with mirrors

Clean all reflective surfaces such as the windows, mirrors, glass table-tops. Everything should look shiny and polished, and of course, finger-print free.

Keep your pets away

If you have a dog or a cat, or any other pets, hide them from the meantime since not everyone is an animal lover.

Make sure outdoor amenities are clean

If the property has a pool, hot tub, or spa, clean them to look presentable. Put only necessary furniture near these areas and try to make the surroundings look minimalist.

Indoor lightings should be on

Turn on hall and landing lights to instantly maximize space in areas that are often dark and shadowy. Getting the best lighting possible will yield more quality photos and videos.

Put the necessary accessories only

Think of your home as a stage set and accessorize accordingly. For example, add extra cushions to sofas and bedrooms, or you can add fresh flowers on top of the tables.

No cars, please

If possible, pull vehicles out of the driveway. This will highlight the front of the home and the car park area, giving the buyers a more concise picture of the said areas.

These are some ways to prepare your area for a scheduled photo and video shoot led by professional real estate photography and videography company. Following the tips above can make you feel at ease and confident that you will get the compelling visuals to use for your listing.

It is undeniably true that the power of photography is dominating the real estate industry. Almost every listing we see online includes well-taken photographs of the properties for sale. This makes it a part of the mainstream.

Despite all the unfortunate events this early 2020, there are still recognizable real estate photography trends. Let us discuss them one by one.

Real Estate Buyers Prefer Online Listings

A lot of prospective buyers are going online to search for available listings. This shift from people looking into newspapers and magazines for listings is not only attributed to them being busy. It is also connected to the current global situation wherein the coronavirus pandemic’s impact is so massive that the ‘new normal’ demands stricter social distancing measures. With this, the safest way for the buyers to transact with realtors is through online listings boosted with quality property images.

Photography Companies Focus on Online Presence and Social Media

Another spotted trend in the real estate market is the stringent campaigns to increase various photography companies’ online visibility. This includes improving the websites’ searchability using search engine optimization (SEO) and social media networks.

Mobile Ready Images

2020 also marks how everything that can be done on a computer is also possible in mobile devices. Everyone uses mobile devices every day. Realtors always have phones or tablets to quickly update listings while buyers use smartphones to browse, make inquiries, or even complete transactions. On the other hand, real estate photographers can also use high-end mobile devices to take impressive shots and edit them using computer software.

Photographers Collaborate with Photo Editors

While other real estate photographers know how to edit their shots, some are not that well-skilled and still need a professional photo editor. To provide quality images to realtors, photographers often partner with a photo editing company to ensure high-quality pictures.

Real Estate Photography and Videography

The rise of real estate photography and videography is another trend this year that realtors should not be taken for granted. The combination of real estate photography and videography produces more compelling visuals for the listings, which, unlike before, are just limited to images. It gives realtors competitive advancement over those who are stuck into utilizing clear images only for their listings.

Aerial Shots Using Drones

Aerial photography is a great way to capture a home’s images and its surrounding area from above using a drone. It gives buyers the ‘big picture’ of the property. It can also get more precise and closer images of the amenities nearby, such as parks, hospitals, markets, and malls. It is still an emerging trend, so make use of it and incorporate the latest photography techniques.

3D Virtual Tours and Walkthrough

2D images are boring. If you want to do a virtual tour, it is best to do it using 3D models. 3D virtual tours transform still shots of the home into a realistic computer simulation. This gives the viewer the chance to navigate around the house as if the client is there physically. It is interactive, and potential buyers can save time since they can easily do this using a computer or mobile device. On the other hand, a video walkthrough is somehow similar to a virtual tour, except that it is less interactive. Here, a person (usually the realtor) is in the house while hosting the video tour to show buyers the property’s rooms and amenities.

To wrap it up, the trends in real estate photography this 2020 are still insightful. They can be of great help for realtors in selling properties despite the pandemic. Use these trends to gain leverage and authority in the real estate market.

Exposure bracketing is simply taking a series of identical shots at the same aperture but different shutter speeds. Having a constant aperture keeps the depth of field the same. However, changing the exposure allows you to capture well-exposed pictures for all different lighting levels present in the scene.

Capturing the correct exposures is the key for having the best results for your real estate photography. This approach calls for a lot of uses for both exterior and interior photography. When taking pictures outside, it can save you having to use a tripod since it automatically corrects the movements during shooting. On the interior end where there are wide differences in brightness, you can make the most out of it and shoot the best picture of the place for sale.

How to Photograph Real Estate Interiors Using Exposure Bracketing

Using these steps below, you will know that you’ve perfectly covered the lighting range at the scene—most importantly in interior real estate photography wherein there are wide differences in brightness.

There are 3 basic steps:

1. Set up the camera.

• Keep the ISO and Aperture unchanged between shots
• Avoid going higher than ISO 400
• Use f/8 for Aperture

When taking bracketed shots for HDR, both the Aperture and ISO must be the same. Only the shutter speed varies. The camera should be set to Manual mode before anything else. ISO setting determines how sensitive your camera is to light. For real estate interior photography, it’s recommended to use and ISO not exceeding ISO 400.
You also need to select a suitable aperture for the scene. This varies depending on the scene, but f/8 is a good balance between depth of field and shutter speed. Using a tripod is also recommended because you’ll be taking many shots, and some might have slow shutter speeds that may cause the camera to move a little making the images blurred.

2. Determine which photos to take.

• Use Spot Metering or Histogram check to determine the shortest and longest shutter speeds
• Take note of the exposures shown in your camera

When you’re taking a bracketed set for HDR, it’s very important that the darkest photo has all the details in the highlights and the brightest photo has the details in the shadows and have mid-tone additional shots in between. To do this, you must find out the longest and shortest shutter speeds.

The easiest way to do it is to use the Spot Metering mode on your camera that looks at a small area to know what exposure to use, and switch to Aperture Priority mode to work the exposure out with the aperture you’ve chosen.
For you to know the longest shutter speed, point the camera at the darkest area inside the room then take note of the exposure shown in the camera. For the photo that requires the shortest shutter speed, point the camera at the brightest part of the room—but not directly at the sun or any reflections—and take note of it.

Another way to determine the longest and shortest shutter speeds is the brightness histogram on your camera. This is more precise but needs more work. For this method, keep the camera in manual mode and point it at the darkest area of the room and take a test shot. If you see a vertical line at the left side of the histogram, then there are dark areas you haven’t covered yet. Change the shutter speed to something longer and try it again. Do the opposite for the shortest exposure. Remember to take notes of the exposures.

3. Taking the photos.

• There are two methods: semi-automated method and full manual method

Now that you’ve made a note of the longest and shortest exposures, all that’s left to do is to take the photos from the fastest shutter speed to the slowest with the right photos in between. To do so, you can choose between the following methods.

The Semi-Automated Method

This uses the Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) function of your camera and the HDR Exposure Calculator. Most DSLR cameras can take a certain number of shots automatically with exposures bracketed around a central shutter speed, and the calculator will tell you which shutter speeds to use and how many automatically bracketed sets will be required. You just need to input the readings you’ve taken note before into the boxes and it will tell you the exact number of photos to take.

Set the camera to Manual mode, activate the AEB function, set the shutter speed to the first value given on the calculator, then select your bracketed number of photos and press the shutter button or remote shutter release.

Full Manual Method

This method is used if you don’t have an AEB function in your camera or you don’t have access to the calculator. Just select ‘Single-Shot mode’ on your camera, and in Manual mode, input the fastest shutter speed and take the shot. Afterwards, decrease the shutter speed by one stop or 1 EV, and take the next photo. Repeat the process until you’ve taken the picture with the slowest shutter speed. Ensure that the tripod is locked in place, so you don’t get blurry pictures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is exposure bracketing in real estate photography?

Exposure bracketing is a technique where multiple photos of the same scene are taken at different exposure levels. This ensures details are captured in both the highlights and shadows.

Why should I use exposure bracketing for real estate photos?

Bracketing helps produce well-balanced images by combining the best parts of each exposure. This makes interior and exterior shots look more natural, even in tricky lighting conditions.

How do you merge bracketed photos?

Bracketed photos are usually merged using HDR (High Dynamic Range) software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop. The software blends the exposures to create a single, evenly lit image.

What camera settings are best for bracketing in real estate photography?

Use a tripod, set your camera to aperture priority mode, and choose a consistent aperture. Set your camera to take at least three shots: one underexposed, one correctly exposed, and one overexposed.