I've received a number of emails asking about my real estate photography. I'll start by stating that I am a fair photographer. Most of what I've learned over the past few years is the result of spending time with and learning from professional photographers and graphic artists. Many thanks go to Glenn Johnson for his personal guidance and mentoring.
Let's start with my equipment. My primary camera body is a Nikon D40. This is an entry-level Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) body. It works fine but if I had it to do again, I would purchase a Nikon D80. The primary difference for me is that the D80 will do auto-bracketing for HDR. With the D40, you have to do it manually.
The lens is the most important piece in my opinion. The D40 kit comes with a Nikkor AF-S 18-55mm zoom. The 18mm setting will produce acceptable photographs. My personal choice is the Sigma 10-20mm Super Wide Angle Zoom. The 10mm setting produces great interior photos.
Next you need lighting. The on-board flash is useless for any serious work in my opinion. You need a high-power flash unit. My primary flash is a Nikon SB-600. It has enough power to fill most rooms without any additional strobes or lighting. I do own a lighting set with 2 lights and umbrellas but it is not used often.
When using the wide angle lens you will need a diffuser for the flash. I use a $20 STO-FEN diffuser. It works like a charm spreading out the light and preventing hot-spots.
Post-shoot processing is done in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Professional. In my opinion, Photoshop sets the standard. It's expensive at over $800, but it is simply the best.
The photo below was a new construction townhouse we listed. They construction crew dropped a Port-A-Potty in front of the house about 30 minutes before I got there. I simply took the shot and removed the "potty" later. This is not a quick task so try to get the best possible shots while you're on-site. I often take over 100 shots on each listing. I'd rather not have to go back out later. Note I've provided both raw and post-processing images.
Since I don't shoot HDR, I try to shoot on overcast days, just before sunrise, or just after sunset. This allows me to avoid harsh shadows outside and blown-out windows inside. The problem with that is the skies are not blue. Not a problem. I have several stock sky shots that I simply drop into the photo.
Want to capture a tall ceiling? Lay on the floor with the camera at floor-level. Tip the camera up to capture the ceiling. The wide angle will produce a trapezoid effect that will have to be corrected in post-shoot processing. The shot below was done with this technique.
I've invested about $2000 in equipment and about $825 in software. Each listing takes about 2 hours on-site and another hour or so in post-shoot processing. Personally, I enjoy photographing my listings but it's not for everyone.
Tom Branch and Gina Branch, The Branch Team with RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs, service the greater North Dallas suburbs including Dallas, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Lewisville, and Carrollton. While Gina concentrates on traditional listings and buyer/tenant representation, Tom specializes in assisting distressed homeowners to avoid foreclosure. Tom and Gina have published two books (Achieving Rock Star Status and The Field Guide to Short Sales) and are available for speaking engagements in the greater Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex. Subscribe to The Branch Team Blog.
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Very nice pictures and impressive post-shoot processing. Do you recommend any good guides or resources for using Photoshop CS4? I have it but barely use all the functions.
My partner an I are looking into upgrading our cameras. Informative post, thanks!
Ardy,
The key to Photoshop is "selections." Once you have that figured out the rest seems easy. I've taken a class and have several DVD training guides, but the best way for me was to find a mentor. Glenn Johnson is my mentor. Glenn is a great photographer and was able to walk me through lots of things in Photoshop that I might not have figured out on my own.
Tom
Having a good camera is half the battle. Having a good eye might be the other half!
Margaret,
I would agree with your comment. Having a good eye helps or you can take my approach which is to take lots of photos and sort through them afterwards!
Tom
Thank you for the input on cameras, I will try to put it to good use!
Some good photography there, Tom, I read earlier about a new camera from Sony, α NEX-5 with 16mm Lens, that might make a better choice for most agents.
Workable camera but it would not be my first choice for interior work. I agree that it might be a good choice for agents balancing price with features.
Clcik here for details.
Tom
Thanks, Tom, a thorough review; the other one I read earlier said the same thing about price and features.
It has some really cool features including auto HDR. Two limitations for me personally are the 16mm lens and the lack of a traditional flash hot-shoe.
The difference in the lenses can be viewed at http://www.thebranchteam.com/real_estate_photography.php. The second photo was shot with an 18mm lens, the third with the 10mm.
I like the way they added bounce-flash into the NEX-5. Bounce flash avoids the shadows that can appear behind people when using direct flash.
My only concern with the on-board flash is if there is enough flash to fill a large room. The larger traditional flash units such as the SB-600, SB-800, and SB-900 offer high flash power ratings. I still need to use additional lighting from time-to-time. Take a look at this photo:
Notice how dark it is towards the top left. The SB-600 did a nice job filling the primary room, but there was not enough flash to properly light the top of the hallway. I probably should have set up an additional light at the bottom of the hallway but I was tired and near the end of the shoot.
Tom