Photography Tips

Wait for a sunny day before you pull out the camera. The best time of day to photograph your home will depend upon which direction it faces. You’ll want the sun behind you, shining on the front of your home. Try to avoid areas of shade on the house and make sure that the view is clear with no cars or children’s toys in view.

The following are general guidelines that you may find helpful:

Which direction does your home face?

WEST: Take photos in the evening, within two hours of sunset.

EAST: Take photos in the morning, within two hours of sunrise.

SOUTH: Take photos in the afternoon, when the sun is no longer directly overhead (sometime between 1pm and 4pm is a safe bet)

NORTH: Watch for the time of day when the sun shines on your house. If your house doesn’t get any direct sunlight, try to snap the photo on a bright day when the sun moves behind a cloud.

Interior Photos

When it comes to taking interior photos of your home, you don’t necessarily need to include photos of every room in your house. Choose the rooms that are special or unique, perhaps your kitchen has a breakfast nook or a unique alcove or you have a beautiful view. If you have built-in features such as bookcases, a fireplace, or a window seat you may choose to feature them. The rooms that most people want to see are the master bedroom and the family room.

Make sure that every room you choose to photograph is clean, tidy, and well lit. Once you've decided which room you're going to photograph, spend a little time styling it by straighten and making sure electrical cords and other personal items are cleaned up.  The easiest way to photograph a room is to use natural light. However, regardless of whether you have daylight; turn on the interior lighting in the room. Take photos from several angles and select the one that best represents the features or showcases the dimensions of the room.

How to take better home photos?

Use natural lighting. Illuminate a room with natural light when possible as opposed to always relying on the flash.

Make the room look inviting. Set fresh flowers on the dining room table, plump cushions, and straighten rugs.

Showcase what is special about a space. You don’t have to get all of the room in the photo. Instead, focus on specific aspects of a room that make the home special.

Remove the clutter. Take out all your clutter and personal belongings, especially whatever is hanging on the refrigerator. You want the space to look lived in but you want the person looking at the space to envision what it would be like if they were to live there as opposed to looking at someone else’s things.

Don't be afraid of the shade. Gardens look richer when they aren't shot in the blazing sun.

Research. Start looking in magazines and at realty websites and determine what you like and what you don’t like, what works and what doesn’t.