The difference between a good real estate listing and a great real estate listing is often in the details. A well-written description, thorough documentation of the home’s features and upgrades, and complete records can help your home stand out. However, what will really grab their attention is fabulous photography that helps your home glow.
Taking great photos is easier than you might assume. For many, the camera in their pockets is more than enough to get the job done with stellar results. Today we are going to take a look at how you can leverage your smartphone to take and edit incredible photos of your home with tips and tricks to help polish them to perfection.
TIP: Use the ultra-wide-angle camera on your smartphone for interior spaces.
While the standard wide-angle camera on your phone can deliver excellent results, the ultra-wide camera will help open up your spaces and give the viewer a more expansive field of view by which to admire your home. This wider angle allows you to show more of the room and help create an immersive feeling for those viewing your home virtually. Take care to shoot rooms from an angle that helps you best communicate the size, dimensions, and layout of the space. Think about how you would look at the home if you were walking through it for the first time. Most rooms will be best photographed from a corner of the room that best displays the features and details of the rooms.
For example, a bedroom with a door, closet, and bathroom entrance on the same wall would be best photographed from both the entrance of the room as well as from the opposing corner showing these additional features.
Keep your camera at a reasonable height. You don’t want to shoot a room too high or too low.
TIP: Turn on all the lights – during the day.
Light is a photographer’s best friend. It can create moody sunset portraits, help build the tension in a superhero flick, and help create a welcoming glow in your home.
When shooting your home don’t be afraid to turn on all of the lights during the day for a luscious abundance of light.
Also, take into consideration the natural light present in your home. Try to shoot your home during a time of day that minimizes harsh shadows and gives you a soft light throughout. Often this means avoiding the early hours of the morning and sunset as these will cast harsh and uneven light across parts of your home.
TIP: Edit your photos using a FREE iOS or Android app.
Once you’ve taken your photos you’re going to want to polish them to be perfect. Did you know that you don’t need a professional Photoshop set up to do the job like the pros? Our recommendation is the FREE iOS and Android app Snapseed. Snapseed gives you the flexibility and horsepower to professionally polish your photos to perfection. Here are a few editing tips to consider:
- Make sure your photos are balanced. Don’t over-edit your photos with over-saturated colors. Balance the shadows and highlights in your photo to show the maximum detail of your home. Look for areas of the photo that are overblown (white) or underexposed (black). Snapseed offers a brush and selection tool that will allow you to target just these areas to balance your photos with proper exposure and dynamic range.
- Consider the details. Pinch to zoom into your photos as close as you can! Don’t be afraid to lightly sharpen your photos to ensure a clear reproduction of your photos when they are uploaded to websites and social media. Don’t go overboard though! How do you know if you’ve gone too far? Look at the edges of objects in your photo. If you see fringing or unnatural edges, you may have over-sharpened your photos.
- Double-check the settings you use to save your photos. Export your photos on maximum JPEG settings. Your photo will be compressed when it is uploaded to the internet. Ensuring that you start with a high-quality photo will give you the best results when your home is visible on the world wide web.
Have fun shooting your home’s photos! Photography can be a fun and stimulating part of the listing process. Think about how you can best replicate the experience of a walk-through in your photos and encourage viewers online to want to see the real deal!
Don’t forget to check out our post on staging your home before you snap your photos.