Good Interior Photography Can Sell Your Home
Pay Attention to Cleanliness, Light in For Sale Property
Apr 20, 2006
Maloney, whose home base is Austin, Tex., has photographed “thousands of houses, more than I can count” for FloorPlan Host, a virtual touring system.
“The basic obstacle to any photography is light. In a home, often the light inside will not match the light outside - so you end up with dark interiors or blown out windows,” observes Maloney, who advises against using flash and expensive equipment such as reflecting panels.”I tend to use available light and let the windows go. It gives a more natural feel. I also shoot RAW files, allowing me to better edit the images - bringing details out of the highlights and shadows.”
First, he advises taking a look at the property. Check for cleanliness and complete construction. People who are hiring a photographer rather than doing it themselves should arrange the furniture neatly.
“ Showing up to a messy house means either I get nothing done or I spend twice the allotted time on-site - waiting for the homeowner or agent to clean ahead of my shots,” says Maloney, who added that in his experience buyers like to see open space rather than furnishings or clutter.
Bright homes are inviting, he adds, so open the blinds and draperies. Photographs taken at midday are most likely to highlight the bright indoor space of a house.
Get The Right Equipment to Photograph Your Home
“Honestly, anyone can do this with any camera - a kid with a camera phone - but to do it well you need something more,” says Maloney, who recommends a camera with lens adapter options or an SLR with interchangeable lenses. A wide angle - 17mm or 21mm - lens is preferable but 24mm will do the job, he adds.
Getting the right wide shot is important with tight interiors, he says. Too wide gives too much distortion on the edge of the frame and makes everything look unnatural.
For panoramic images, Maloney recommends a special tripod head is needed that holds the camera in place and level so that it can rotate around a special point in the lens called a nodal point. This will give a set of images in a full 360 degree arc that all have the same perspective and can be stitched together without too much difficulty.
Tips for Photographing a Home for Sale
The more skill a person has as a photographer, the better, but Maloney offers the following tips that almost any homeowner or real estate agent can implement:
· First, go to www.panoguide.com and learn how to do this kind of photography. Make sure you have all the necessary equipment. Know how to use the equipment you do have.
· Next, if you can turn off your built-in flash and shoot with manual exposure settings, do so. Preview your images while shooting to get a feel for how you are doing. If you can't turn off the flash or set your exposure manually: avoid shooting directly at reflective surfaces such as plastic or finished wood.
· Try not to shoot directly at bright windows
· Avoid having objects close to the camera (lamps, bedposts, etc).
· Don't shoot into the sun if you can avoid it.
· Try to avoid odd angles - don't look down/up at everything. Try shooting at chin-to-chest level. Watch that you aren't tilting the camera left or right as you shoot. Lines are very important.
· Focus on the larger areas of the house and the exterior. Focus on the property itself and not the furnishings.
· Don't expect professional quality (you can always hire a photographer for that!)
Clean Your House Before Photographing it for Sale
Maloney emphasizes that when people view a potential home purchase, they want “an ideal life, which is why they want to move to a bigger, better place. Help them envision this ideal life by removing evidence of anything less than ideal.”
Cleanliness is key. Put away dishes, clean up the laundry and don’t pile things in closets! People also want to see space everywhere, including inside the closet, says Maloney.
