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9 Tips for Better Real Estate Photos of Houses

1. Have the sun behind you, shining full on the front of the house for the exterior shot. Avoid extremely early or late in the day as there will be more shadows.

2. Turn on all lights and open shades/blinds. Use a flash for all indoor shots.  Although a room may look bright enough to the human eye a flash will help it in photos.

3. Try an unusual point of view if needed.  Sometimes a bedroom will look blah from the standard "doorway" point of view, but looking out towards the door from the furthest inside corner may show more details like built-in shelves, or just look more interesting or attractive.

4. Show as much of the room as possible.  This may sound obvious, but isn't always done.  The more area you show in the photo, the bigger the room appears to be.  Avoid the "bed for sale" or "table for sale" shot at all cost!  Make sure the bed, table or other furniture is part of a larger shot, not the only thing in the photo.  If the space is small, try to frame the shot with the bed or table to one side and show part of a window, dresser or counter along with it. Remember, you're selling that room and the house, not the item of furniture.

5. Remove clutter.  Don't have cars in the driveway in the front exterior photo, and close the garage doors.  Have the counters fairly clear and the sink empty in the kitchen (and magnets/artwork off the fridge if possible). Remove large "Fisher Price" type toys from the living room/family room.

6. Photographing bathrooms.  Be aware of mirrors and if your reflection will appear. Toilet seats should be down, nice or "guest" towels out, and counters cleared.

7. Flowers add a lot.  Flowers introduce a nice focal point along with splash of color and cheeriness. For very little cost a kitchen island or dining room table can really benefit from a little boost that brightens up the room.  Some pillar candles (not necessarily lit) can add a feeling of luxury beside a hot tub in the master bath.

8. There is no law saying every shot has to be at eye level.  Looking down at a two story living room from an upper landing or hallway can be very dramatic.  Also, remember that sometimes an upward angle can make a shot more dramatic or avoid your image showing in a large mirror.

9. Be aware of how much ceiling is showing.  Most people have a tendency to aim straight (fairly level) and shoot.  Before you press the shutter look at how much of the ceiling is in the picture. You want some, to show the height of the room, but you don't want the top 20% or more of the photo to be an expanse of white. 

View some sample photos  

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copyright 2009 Amy Hunter