There are many elements that go into making great property photography; the weather, equipment, the skill and experience of the photographer. But, did you know that there many ways you can increase the chances of achieving fantastic images of your home? You need to ensure the images of your house not only do it justice, but also, more importantly, indicate the kind of lifestyle that a buyer can aspire to. Here are some of our suggestions to do just that:
Clean and clear We all know that TV can add inches to a person’s waistline, well property photography can take off inches! Rooms can look cluttered and meanly-proportioned, with dark corners and distracting colours. Clear surfaces and floor spaces, take up rugs where necessary, and clean everything until it sparkles. Light and reflected shine are the best ways to show off the size of your rooms.
Go shopping! Any self-respecting property lover adores seeing inside the homes of the rich and famous, but one of the reasons these houses look so fabulous is that they are staged for the shoot. Steal their style! Shop for staging accessories and give your home the star treatment.
Share your knowledge The better you brief the photographer, the better the images will be! You know your home better than we do so go round the house and advise us on any particularly attractive angles or features that might look good.
Timing Make sure we know what time of day the sun will be on the front of the house. Think also about evening shots, and when the sun will be on the garden. This may necessitate two separate visits but we are happy to do this.
Follow us round! Plump cushions, move chairs, take away any distracting objects, remove bins and washing. Make sure you can see what we are photographing so you can anticipate any potential for the room not looking its absolute best. Put lamps on, or turn lights off, to keep the ambient light at the right level. A good photographer will really appreciate your help and will guide you throughout.
Keep your images seasonal It’s very telling to see a house advertised in September with daffodils in the garden, or in January with Wisteria in full bloom. Keep your property photography as close as possible to the current season. This often means asking us to revisit to refresh your images with new ‘foliage’ shots. Burning a newspaper will create a roaring fire in open fireplaces and woodburners for the photographer – perfect for winter shots. After all, you may not want your viewer to know how long your house has been for sale – and why give them an excuse to make a low offer?
Lastly some improvements to the images can be made in editing, like putting in a blue sky or taking out a skip. But remember that if you aren’t absolutely delighted with your photography, please ask for the images to be re-taken.