I am often asked what kind of photography I do. This is often a question that requires a complex answer, but to make things simpler, here is a brief explanation of some of the different fields of photography.
What is Property Photography?
First off, you have Property Photography. At first you might not think it is as popular as wedding photography, for example, but property photography requires a specific skillset. As people are always buying and selling properties, sales can be greatly improved with well-made photos and videos of the property. In many ways property photography is similar to product photography, where a seller is trying to convince a buyer to purchase their product. At the very least, the photos and videos need to spark interest in the buyer to view the property, where a good selling agent can push the sale through. However, the first contact is always with a listing, where most people will prefer to see photos and videos before they decide to invest time in visiting the property.
Although the broad term does define well what to expect, there are specializations of Property Photography, which specialize even further the types of photos and videos produced.
Residential Photography
Much like product photography, residential photography and videography aims at making your home look its best. This usually involves shooting all the main rooms such as bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms, living areas and garden. To make sure your home looks its best when being shot, you will need to spend a bit of time with the photographer, tidying up and making sure everything is presentable. There are many steps to take to make the residence look its best and some of these might even involve special lighting or selecting the right time of day to make the room stand out. Residential photography is particularly important, as mentioned above, when selling a property. Contrary to what many might think, this is not exclusive for lived-in properties. New properties are often decorated and staged to show potential buyers what the home might look like should they choose to buy it. Residential photography is not only about the inside, but also the outside of your home.
Interior & Exterior Photography
When it comes to real estate, everyone judges the book by its cover. Exterior photos can help create interest in potential buyers. It also puts the property into context and shows the surrounding areas. Interior shots help give a property character and capture the personality of the property, and exterior photos show the most important aspect of real estate: location. To ad to the appeal, a drone video showing the property with the surrounding areas is sure to attract potential buyers.
Check out my real estate photography packages and services to enhance your listings.
Commercial Photography
On the subject of selling, much like Property Photography, commercial photography is used to help business attract more customers and generate more revenue. Commercial photography is often used in sales pitches, merchandising and brochures. However, it can also be used on company websites or even as a background for brand campaigns. Portraying your business in an attractive and professional way gives customers the best impression of your business. Commercial photography and videography can include the actual building and installations of the company, specific production areas, or any areas that showcase the business.
Architectural Photography
This type of photography captures the aesthetics of a particular site and gives an accurate idea of either a residential or commercial property. This can be used to showcase specific architectural feature or set of features of a project. This type of photography can be used for publications, to feature on a website and showcase master artistry in building and design, to document a specific project or to sell good and services. As an example, if you manufacture staircases, you will want to show projects you have done in the best angle possible to attract new customers. A company that designs and installs driveways will want to showcase their projects to boost sales. In real estate photography, this could be the focal point of a particularly beautiful property, calling attention of potential buyers.
Construction Photography
For new construction projects, this type of photography can help with marketing and generating interest in new homes that are being built. These can be combined with artistic renderings of the development when completed. For residential properties, you can also include photography of local amenities and services as well as the surrounding area, showcasing how well located the development is.
A new type of construction photography I like to call “construction evolution” is one of the services I offer. This is a specialized service with regular photos and videos made from the same angles to show the evolution of the development. This can also be combined into a timelapse video showing the construction and conclusion from start to finish.
Aerial & Elevated Photography
Aerial and elevated photography can give you impressive angles, which can really help your property stand out. This perspective gives potential buyers a true idea of exactly how your property fits into its surrounding landscape or cityscape. It also shows your property as a whole, which ground-level photography can struggle to do. Some properties have unique features such as manicured gardens or stunning driveways. Aerial photography can highlight these selling points and attract more interest.
Find out more about aerial (drone) photography in this link.
Real estate photography should always include aerial photography, taking the photos to the next level. I offer real estate photography packages that include both interior, exterior and aerial photography and videography. Visit my shop to find out more.
How to prepare for a photo shoot
Most property photographers will have a list of photos they usually take as well as a keen eye for detail, but you should prepare a list of what you feel are the unique features and selling points of your property. You should know beforehand which rooms you would like to be included in the photos and videos as well as specific angles you want of the exterior.
Try a 360o view of the property where the visitor can spin around and even zoom in to see the details and features of the property.
See a 360o view of a property following this link. Try it for yourself and see how amazing it is.
Before the photo shoot, prepare your property. Tidy up, decorate, hide away unsightly things such as cables, grocery bags, dirty shoes, wet umbrellas, and anything else you would not want in your pictures. Make the beds with fresh sheets and put out that throw you keep hidden for a special occasion. Pillows usually make a bed look welcoming, so include some on the beds and sofas. Set the dinner table nicely and clean up the kitchen, leaving only key elements to showcase your kitchen. Remember, the better your property looks, the more interest it will generate. I like animals as much as any other animal lover, but pets can be cute in photos but more often than not, they just make the place look messy. Not all buyers like pets and this could even detract from the value of your property. Unless your pet enhances the look of the house, don’t include it as a model. The exception goes to fish tanks, which can make environments look even better.
As you can see, there is a lot of work, thought and skill that goes into real estate photography. No two properties are alike, so no two pictures will be the same. The point here is to make your property look its best for the objective you have: sales, marketing, publication, and so on. Much like a Hollywood production, you want to bring out the best features and make it stand out.
If you have any questions, be sure to contact me and we can discuss.