Hey, it's Elijah from Allison Media Co! I'm thrilled to share our super-efficient process for snapping stunning home photos in just 18 and a half minutes. This isn't architectural or design photos; we're diving into the art of real estate photography. We go a little more in depth in the video below, or you can just read this blog for a summary of it all.
Home Preparation
But before we jump into the photo game, let's chat about getting the home ready. I've got this comprehensive checklist that covers everything from flicking on lights to tweaking window treatments. The checklist is in the description below, so check it out. Now, let's get into the nitty-gritty!
Strategic Parking
Alright, first things first—where you park your ride matters. I always suggest parking a bit away from the property to avoid your vehicle photobombing the shots. Paying attention to these little details keeps distractions at bay and amps up the overall appeal of the property.
Essential Gear
Now, gear talk. We're rocking a tripod, a geared head, a trusty Sony A7IV, and a Tamron 17-28mm lens for our real estate photography adventures. Don’t try to photograph a home for real estate with a 24mm, it never works. Seriously, that geared head is a game-changer—it makes leveling and vertical adjustments a breeze, saving us precious shooting time.
Exterior vs. Interior Priority
Deciding whether to hit up the exteriors or interiors first depends on the weather. If it looks like it's going to turn ugly, get those exterior shots in early. For this one, we're kicking off with the interiors.
Camera Settings
Time to dig into camera settings. We're going for five brackets, two stops apart, with a two-second timer to keep those vibrations at bay, leaving our photos sharp as a tack. Exposure compensation is rocking at -1.7. Aperture priority, f/10, manual focus at five meters, and ISO 320 round out our settings.
Three Wall Rule
This one's crucial—stick to the three-wall rule. Making sure your shot captures three walls keeps things cohesive and engaging. If there's only two walls shown, it’s tough to figure out how large that space is. 3 Walls keep the image grounded. Make sure to not include too much wall, or else you're wasting some of the frame. On the other hand, if your camera is off level, and in the edits you have to fix that, forcing you to crop the image, if you didn’t give yourself enough third wall, you might crop it out entirely. Practice makes perfect…
Setting Tripod Height
Nailing the tripod height is an art form. I usually set it halfway between the ceiling and the floor for real estate gigs. I've got this neat trick involving kitchen cabinetry to hit those consistent and visually pleasing heights every time, check it out in the video (works every time).
Composition Techniques
Let's talk about composition. I'm walking you through my thought process while composing shots, hammering in the three-wall rule, and avoiding any distracting elements like pesky door trims and handles in the frame. Its super amateur to include door trim in your photos, like come on. Move the tripod in guys.
Interior Photography Walkthrough
Alright, now let's get into the rooms. I'm breaking down how I approach different spaces, discussing angles, compositions, and the whole volume-based strategy to become a faster, more efficient photographer, all of this is in the video. Sorry blog post readers, I’m not going to type it all out, better to watch my process in the Youtube video.
Exterior Photography Techniques
We're shifting outside now. I'm dishing out how to max out your tripod height for killer overall shots. Adjusting the number of brackets and throwing in a slightly higher focal length for exteriors to get that satisfying compression effect. Ensure to include a shot focusing on the house, and one focusing on lot size, if you can get it all in one shot, great!
Conclusion
As we wrap up, I can't stress enough the importance of constant improvement. Give me your feedback, let's chat, and remember, this photography game is always evolving. Consistency and practice are the keys to efficiency and excellence in real estate photography.
Thanks for hanging out with me on this journey, Elijah out.
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