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Things to Watch Out For – Indoor Photography
TIP 1 – Keep people and animals out of the shots. That would also include objects such as feeding dishes, dog beds or cat scratching posts. Some potential buyers may have allergies (or an aversion to certain pets) and will immediately stop looking when there is evidence of pets living there. Let that be something discussed between the prospect and the agent rather than turning them off with a photo.
TIP 2 – Avoid or at least minimize overly bright windows (we call them "blown out"). It can be especially tricky to take indoor photos of a home that is fairly dark inside when there is bright sunlight coming through a window. Techniques to deal with this can easily occupy an entire training session or more and I will write about that specifically in another article. Best to add more lighting to the room, adjust blinds and position yourself so an overly bright window will not be too prominent when framing your photo. Another option is to take the photos just after sunset or when the sun is on the other side of the home.
TIP 3 – Cloudy days are fine for taking photos. The difference between indoor and outdoor light is more balanced and even. You will not have as many blown-out window situations to deal with. If you want blue sky and sunshine for the outside photos, you could always come back another day to take the outdoor shots.
Things to Watch Out For – Outdoor Photography
TIP 4 – When shooting outdoors, avoid moving vehicles, people or pets. Let them pass by, then take your shot. This is especially important if you are shooting multiple exposures. As best you can, avoid or minimize the effect of things like power lines and poles, in-ground utility boxes and unsightly neighboring homes or yards. Reposition yourself and frame your shot until you achieve the best look.
TIP 5 – Outdoor front shots of the home can be tricky. If you happen to be using a wide-angle lens, do not back up too much or the property may appear to have a huge driveway or lawn and a tiny home. Do not stand too close so that your camera is angled up steeply. Take a front-on shot of the home and a few others from different angles so you have several to choose from. Generally, I do not bother with a photo angle that would show mostly garage door. If possible, try to can get an angled shot that does not make a neighboring home seem too close.
TIP 6 – This concept may be a little trite by now, but the "rule of threes" (in art and photography) is helpful to keep in mind. For shots of the front or back, featuring the entire home, put the home in the middle third, sky in the top third, and ground in the lower third. Be sure to allow some space on either side of the home so nothing is cut off.
Things to Watch Out For – Indoor & Outdoor Photography
TIP 7 – Dust – Argh ! The nemesis of photographers everywhere. It will get into your camera. No zoom lens or camera is airtight without it is a model built for underwater use. If you have a camera that has a feature to clean the sensor, it may or may not shake off a dust particle or two, but absolutely will not totally clean it. Some dust and pollen is just too sticky. Get your camera professionally cleaned at least once per year or whenever you start to notice dust showing on your photos. Below are a few ways to minimize the amount of dust collected inside your camera and sometimes you can stretch the time between cleanings:
- After a shoot, store your camera and lens in a clean plastic bag whenever you put it away.
- When changing lenses, do so in a room with as little dust as possible (like kitchen or bathroom). Carpets can hold a lot of dust and outdoors dust is always flying around. Inside your car would be better than outdoors.
- In addition to using a lens pen to clean your lenses, keep your lens caps clean. Brush and blow (do not use canned air, use a bulb blower) dust from your lens caps before you put them on. Cap your lenses whenever you remove them from the camera, and keep your camera body face down until the replacement lens is locked in place.
- When using a zoom lens, adjust the zoom slowly, do not jam it closed as that action forces air into the shutter area and can introduce or stir up dust that may have collected near your mirror and sensor.
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Source by Wayne R Tremblay
