Home Exterior photos

The First Image a Client Will See – Do It Well

– The chances are that this is the first image most people will see when either looking at your portfolio or property images in a real estate window. The outside is everything; it is what determines, in most cases, whether people wish to look at the rest of a property.

It is important to get the best shot possible whilst trying to be as honest as you can.

Whatever your thoughts on this, it is a personal preference, but with some skilful photography, you can “hide” certain, surrounding and ugly features of a property.

Cranes for instance are not a problem, you can either re-align your shot to keep them out of the frame, or clone them out later in Photoshop. I have often done this on many occasions with a clear conscience, as I know that the cranes won’t be there forever, and possibly not even there for the first viewing.

When it comes to more permanent “distractions” shall we say, like water towers or power lines and cables, I would suggest that you include them, although again it is up to you. By removing them, you are liable for giving misinformation or falsely portraying a property with a view to selling. It can open up a can of worms and create some very irate clients.

This will not do your future any good so I suggest that honesty is the best policy here!

– Lighting

I cannot stress enough how important the lighting for the exterior shot is. Whether it is sunny or cloudy, you always want the sun behind you if possible.

Sunny

Work out what the sun will do during your time at the job and decide on the best time of day to shoot the exterior. Ideally, you want the sun to be shining directly onto the front of the property showing it at its best.

If the sun is behind the house or building, is it a nightmare to expose correctly without blowing out the sky, let alone the front of the property looking dull and colourless.