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10-20mm LensHere are two examples of the Sigma 10-20 lens used on the same house. The exterior had parked cars at the curb. I was standing on the lawn to take this shot. The 10mm did the job and got me on the house side of the curb. The interior of this room was very dark with only a 40 watt bulb, I could barely see in this room. This is where the 10-20mm lens and the bounce flash really got to work.(Go ahead, click on a photo for larger image)
Our mission in photographing homes is to provide real estate clients with professional images to enhance their print and online marketing efforts and ultimately result in and an increase in sales with more profit. In a market as competitive as real estate, it is important to have an advantage over your competition. In a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors, they found that 80% of people across the county who bought a new home last year used the internet as a tool when looking for a home. They found that people rated photographs as the most useful tool in their search process. At no time does the saying "A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words" ring more true than now. At a time when buyers have an advantage in the marketplace and the ease of access to various listing websites are at an all time high it is paramount that your home is represented in the best possible light. Recently I was asked to critique a virtual tour. The virtual tour had photos of vacant rooms, photos of a hallway, photos of the garage, and photos of the exterior with no landscaping. The problem is what to do when you need to sell an empty home or new construction. Unless the space itself has an interesting aspect, photographs of empty rooms usually do not do anything for the room. here are three bad examples:
You must remember that real estate photography is not documentary photography. You are not simply documenting the property; you are trying to make it look attractive so someone would want to purchase it. Real estate photographers and agents should consider working with interior designers, today they are often called staggers who can move in furniture and décor items to decorate a home to make it look good. This service may seem expensive but it usually pays for itself in the long run for the seller. Another problem is occupied homes that have too much furniture or furniture that does not present well. Not all home sellers have a good sense of home decorating. Much of the time home sellers would be better off if they just move out and have their home professionally staged. Solving these problems is ultimately up to the real estate agent and the home seller. However, it’s the job of the photographer to raise the issue to who ever is having you photograph the home. A photographer can do a lot to improve the look of a home by simply moving around furniture and making sure clutter is out of photos. I spend half of my time moving stuff out of shots, but that’s OK; remember the job of a photographer is to do what ever it takes to make a home look good in the photographs! NY Times Article On The Importance Of Professional Photography In The Real Estate Market. View New York Times Article Making Every Pixel Count It has been said that you never have enough "Stuff", It seem like there is always just one more thing we need to make that perfect shot easier. (Ok, this is number four from above, Ansel Adams said "The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.") Your camera equipment does not affect the quality of your photos, the photographer does.
Buying a $8,000 Nikon D3X with a $2,000 AF-S Zoom-NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G lens
will not make you better photographer.
The less time and effort you spend worrying about your camera equipment the more time and effort you can spend creating great
photos. The right camera equipment just makes it faster, easier or more convenient for you to Best Prices for the results you need.
If you are not going to do anything larger than 8x10 prints, the camera
simply doesn't matter at all.
(See
Megapixel Printing Chart).
Just look at the following photos that were shot using a $50.00 cell phone:
(Click a Photo For Larger Image
How do you become a better photographer?Since digital cameras, computers and Photo Shop for post processing, photography has gotten easier and cheaper. To improve your photography, you should always be looking for an unusual shot. Keep your eyes open, there are opportunities everywhere. Get closer to the subject and be aware of what's in the the background. Take several shots of the same subject from different angles, apertures, shutter speeds and focal lengths. Always look at your exif data. Try to remember what you did good or bad. Create a folder on your hard drive labeled discards, but keep them for review. Put your good shots in another folder. Never make extensive Photo Shop changes to your originals but rename the changed photos with a slightly different name. Try to do some shooting daily or at least weekly. Upload your work to photo sharing sites like Flikr and ask for critiques. Improving your photography is not unlike playing the violin or piano: It takes years of dedication and practice.There are three important basic filters for exterior work that cannot be duplicated in post processing: (We are still talking about light here)
What's in My Camera Bag?(This Bag Rarely if Ever Leaves My House - See Walk Around Bag Below)Cameras
Camera Lenses
Zoom LensesPrime LensesLightingTripodFilters: Cokin, Hoya, Tiffen, Sunpak Tiffen Filter Wallet
Other Accessories
What's Goes in My Walk-Around Camera Bag (Depends upon what I'm shooting)
Go Bagless (and avoid looking like a Japanese Tourist)One camera with wide neck strap, mounted lens, another lens in my pocket, two filters and a lens cloth in my pocket and I'm good to go all day
What's in My Digital Darkroom?
My first thought is always of light. Galen Rowell How to Improve Your Photography Using Your Old Equipment "As long as there is asphalt, pavement and roads there will be street photography"
Mason Resnick
I'll finish discussing each of these items in the near future
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