Property Photography

Okay, so you wish to be a property photographer?

Well have a think, how can I improve my own process, well keep reading this blog and attempt to use these set tips that I as a professional photographer keep to.

• Stage the property

Are you aware that estate agents stage the house for an open house, which is mainly an American routine? As they set up open house events and in England, we tend to arrange set rooms or homes styled for new development.

So what do I mean by ‘stage the property for a photography shoot? All I suggest is to have it clean, and tidy, and have set props or details positioned appropriately within each room.

Here are a few things to consider, you are shooting for the picture rather than the end-user, so:

1. No more wrinkles in sheets

2. Fluff the carpet

3. Look beyond the window for the view

4. Limit the colour scheme

5. Put down the toilet seat

6. Get out of the mirror

Use these to help stage the environment ready for your shoot.

• Colour Composition

Do you understand when I mention colour composition?

Well, take a further read on this subject by reading my blog ‘Colour in Photography, where I have explained the colour theory used within photography.

You need to consider the colours within a room, this can be details, paintwork, or the wallpaper.

What makes the best picture is to have the colours in a picture either harmonious or complementary.

1. Harmonious colours mean - A harmonious colour is one that sits next to another on the colour wheel

2. Complementary colours mean - complementary colours are pairs of colours that, when combined or mixed, cancel each other out by producing a grayscale colour like white or black. When placed next to each other, they create the strongest contrast between those two colours.

• Get The Height Right

The best place or height to have your camera is at the midsection of your body as the viewpoint is very important.

Viewpoint is a photographic composition technique where a photographer can shoot high, low, or upwards. When photographing an interior you want to make the room look larger so shoot from your middle, as this will help with this option.

• Straight Shooter

Make sure that you keep your camera straight so that your vertical lines are straight and you have your camera facing towards what you wish to photograph. Remember you are documenting a section of a room or a personalised detail, angles will not make this look realistic. You are capturing what you see in front of you for others to admire too.

• To Flash Or Not To Flash

I suggest that you make a point when photographing the interior room, that your on-camera flash is turned off. The flash is not required as you want to have only one light source and this is natural light.

Take a watch of this ‘YouTube’ video, on ways to edit your property photograph.

• Never Skip The Edit

This is the last point and very important as you will want to edit the final images, as you may wish to edit the images by enhancing the lighting or the colour. Depending upon the lighting situation you may wish to complete colour correction if you take an image with multiple light sources. I would recommend that you also shoot with natural window light, but you may wish to have any table lights within the room on, to add to the picture.

When using natural daylight you will have shadows when editing you may wish to lighten the shadows within the room, but don't lose the tone aspects of the image.

I do hope that this blog has been helpful and that you have learned some new things to consider and use for your own photography. My next blog with be relating to using social media more effectively. If you would like to have more information and learn more, then please give me some blog suggestions in the comments below.

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