Good Photos and Not-so-Good Photos

Tips on how to make your photos work for you

Beautiful flyers start with good photos.   Even if your new real estate listing isn't a professionally decorated and landscaped million dollar home, you can still take photos that will emphasize the positives and play down the negatives. There are several things to consider as you take those most important photographs, and following a few simple guidelines will help ensure all your pictures will enhance, and thus help sell, your new listing.

Setting the Stage

Clutter is distracting.  Remove everything from counters and tables, store toys in a basket or bin, and stuff all that bathroom clutter into the nearest drawer. Focus on counters in the bathroom and kitchen, for nothing ruins a great photo more than a can of hairspray sitting in plain view.  Consider replacing the clutter with fresh flowers in an attractive vase, setting the table, and closing all closet doors. Despite what you're heard, it IS the little things that sometimes do make the biggest impact- good or bad. 

The pan in the sink, pot on the stove, TV in the foreground, magnets and papers on the refrigerator, all of those things distract from the beauty of this kitchen.	This kitchen is gorgeous and everything on the counter makes the photo more appealing.

Find the Best Angle

Digital cameras are great because you can instantly see whether or not the picture you just took will appeal to your buyers or repel them.   Try standing in different spots, turn the camera sideways, avoid making the television the central feature, don't stand right behind the couch - these are a few pointers to keep in mind. You can always delete any photo, so take more, not less!

This television and couch dominate the room and distract from the fireplace. The living room is large, but it appears smaller due to the angle of the photo and the large furniture.	In this small room, the unique square windows, angle of the couch, and furniture placement all make the room appear larger.

Remove the Date Stamp!

Turn off the date stamp feature on your camera.  Yes, the date can be removed by someone who has the software to do so, but most people don't. If you post the photos online, your potential buyers see when you took the picture, and what if the house has been on the market for months?   Plus, the bright yellow or orange numbers can ruin an otherwise nice photo.

Hmm..this photo was taken back in September 2006, I wonder how long this house has been empty?	Much better. No distracting, bright yellow numbers, and nothing to indicate how long this house has been on the market.

Open the windows, Turn on the lights

Natural sunlight is the best lighting for any picture. People want houses that are bright with sunlight, but turning all the lights on in a room (if it's dark outside or the room has little natural light) can achieve almost the same results.   However, if the only light source is the window, and you don't use the flash, then the only bright spot in the photo will be the window.   So, turn the overhead lights on, turn on the lamps and any other light source you can find.  The more lights, the better your photo will be.

This is a lovely room, but you can't see the corner built-in cabinet, or the glossy hardwood floors. And there's the orange date stamp!	With better lighting and no date stamp, the room's appeal is easier to see. Unless you have the software to correct these types of mistakes, you will miss showing the room to it's best advantage.
Can you see the fireplace?  The built-ins?  The flooring?  No, but you can see the back of the couch and the date stamp.	A designer can often correct lighting mistakes, and remove the date stamp, but there's no way to get rid of the couch. Still, better lighting does make a difference.

Choose the Best Rooms & Features to Highlight

Not every room in a home needs to be photographed. There are some rooms that should be seen only in person, and after a new coat of paint, a massive clean-up, and maybe even new furniture. Why take photos of rooms that will turn potential buyers away?  Instead, focus on the house's best features, and drop a few hints to the seller, like, "I know this great painter...."

Children's rooms are usually colorful, but sometimes, you can really have too many colors.	Black, red and purple, with pink accents?  Who is going to see the architechtural details of this room?

Make the Photo Count

There is a limit to how many photos you can post online with your listing, so make all your photos show something good, make them work for you, and not against you. 

Would this room make you want to buy this house?	Is there something in the corner a buyer needs to see?

Outside Photos

The front of the house is probably the most important photo of all, and for outside photos, the best thing to do is check the weather report. Bright sunlight, maybe some fluffly clouds in the sky, that's the ideal setting for any outside photo.  Don't take pictures at dusk or at night, unless it's for a special effect, for drama.  Unless the house has great outside lighting, it will just look gloomy.

The overall effect of a picture taken late in the day, with no extra lighting, is quite depressing.	Notice how the grass looks greener, the house looks welcoming - that's the effect of sunlight.

And the Coup de Grace...... no explanation needed by now

Can you spot the problems?

We apologize to anyone who recognizes one of their photos and is offended by our illustrative use of them.  We know that sometimes, a bad photo is better than no photo at all, and we thank you for understanding that our intention is to inform, and not to hurt anyone's feelings.