How to determine/take best photos

[Beatrice641]

let me premise with I am awful at taking photos. My, then 14 year old took my photos but I think we can do better. He is now taking photography at school and we want to try to get the best photos. Any suggestions would be helpful. We cannot afford a professional photographer.

[Julie5882]

Hi @Beatrice641 ,

If professional photography is not an option, my advice would be to flood as much light as possible into the spaces before you photograph them. Make sure they are neat and tidy with no clutter around. 

And nice you get some revenue under your belt, spring for those professional photographs. They make all the difference!

Best of luck!

Julie

[Sandrine1036]

Hi

Maybe have a friend take some photos for you if that's not your thing 🙂

[Alex1485 · Accepted solution]

Hi..

Your photos  are an A!

To get to A+….

@Julie5882  mentioned, bring in as much light as possible.  Pro photographers bring knowledge of best: lighting, shot angle and editing the room of clutter

1. Bring in extra light…

Shop light from Home Depot, tall multi head -lamp from target, use these to  flood each room with light, adding boost photos need…if all else fails, use the brightening tool on photo editing…

2. Photos to take/the shot list…use the pro as your guide..

Da quick search for lux homes for sale, lux hotels that offer home rental, ie ritz Carlton, …Use their photos as a “where to stand in the room to take the best  photos” . Also gives you a good idea how many detail vs. full room shots to take..

3. Edit, edit, edit..

Often times photographers will edit out items in room, move furniture around to archive best look. 

Remove all extra’s…to make the house look like a show house.

No need to showcase shampoos in bathroom, trash cans, 

. 

4. Find a student in school who wants to take photos…do you have a community college nearby that offers photography classes? You can help a student with an assignment and get free pix in return…

One quick note, on of your bedrooms pix is currently showing photos of ceilings…-

[Beatrice641]

Thank you 

thank you

i am literally going to buy some lamps today and I am looking into finding someone at the local college that may be able to help

[Alex1485]

Happy to help! Tried to give you an idea for low cost resource; plus a guide to follow, if you cannot find an available student. 

If you have many colleges near you,  ask at them all…photography students always  struggle to find people/places to shoot…you may also find help with web design, interior design and/or, social media guru’ etc..

If you have to retake…

What time to take photos?  Noontime isn’t always the answer…

Depends on your home/ how it faces 2 sun.   the trick is to find the time of day where to sun brightens the rooms the most, without being too bright and “blowing out”.  

Tripod….is very valuable if your child is taking photos alone…that way they can look at the photo they just took and correct… move objects, Change angle etc…… 

[Deb216]

@Beatrice641 ,    Wow! What a magnificent house!

Your photos are fantastic!

I'm very impressed with your 14 yr. old's photography.

My house is tiny in comparison.  

I've heard the 3 best photography tips are:

- Turn on every light.

- 12 Noon is the best time to shoot pictures, the sun will be at the highest point.

- Less is more (you have no clutter so this doesn't apply to your home).

My biggest pet peeve whenever I look at real estate photos is ... the toilet seat is up!  This also does not apply to your home.  Good job!

Wishing you continued success.  

Best, Deb (of Cape Cod Cottage in Sandwich, MA)

[James3741]

Great tips from the others about lighting and editing. One other quick idea - you could set up your phone on a tripod or lean it against something stable for more polished shots without someone having to hold the camera. Hands-free means no blurry photos. Hope the lamps help brighten things up - have fun photographing! 📷😉

[Ivan2548]

Fui estudiante de fotografía, y mi consejo es que si utilizas el celular para sacar tus fotografías, descargues alguna aplicación que te permita usar la cámara en modo manual. Luego, con esa cámara (puedes mirar tutoriales en YouTube, sobre el modo manual de las camaras fotograficas, para entender mejor de lo que estoy hablando) y un trípode en el celular, usa una larga velocidad de obturación, y una apertura bastante cerrada, encontrando una buena iluminacion sin aumentar el ISO. Esto permite que la foto salga muy iluminada.

Es necesario si o si el trípode. Y si usas cámara reflex (Con una semi profesional que usada vale $200 USD, mejoras muchísimo la calidad de tus fotos) el método es el mismo que te expliqué anteriormente.

[Philip3527]

Make sure your photos is straighten and balance. Make sure to use as much light as possible, switch on all the lights and also open the curtains.. But the best advise i can give you is to use some editing software and change the exposure, brightness, etc until u get a decent and natural looking photo.