Presenting picture-perfect property photos
Realtor Notebook
By Teresa Boardman, Thursday, February 26, 2009.
HDR image by Teresa Boardman.I have more than a passing interest in photography. It is a serious hobby and a big part of my life. I take my own property shots, which is something I don't recommend for other agents unless they have more than a passing interest. Most of my clients have seen my work and they expect me to take the photos.
With my last two listings I thought I would try something different to really make the photos stand out. I used a process called high dynamic range, or HDR for short. The process involves combining three to five photos of the same scene with different light values into one photo.
Most any camera can be used for the photographs, and I use a software program called Photomatix that cost about $100 to combine the images in the HDR process. There are other software programs available, too.
The end result is a photo with a tonal range that goes beyond what appears in a normal photo. The process can enhance images to show the view outside of a home's windows, for example, instead of the world beyond the window appearing as a white blob. And the technique hides nothing: Specks of dirt and dust can show up vividly in the photos, too.
I definitely would not recommend this if you are not experienced in photography -- unless you are prepared to learn a lot about photography. Check with the photographer you usually work with about familiarity with the HDR process.
I was a little nervous about showing HDR photos to my clients. They liked them, and after I made the first batch another client called and asked that I do the same with his home. I ended up reprocessing his listing photos and taking some more. He is delighted with the new photos.
It will be awhile before I know if these photos will help sell the listing. Judging from the number of showings I have had on one of them, I think the photos might be helping. The sellers are convinced that it will, and the buyers seem to like them, but I am a fact-and-figures kind of gal and need more data.
There is an issue with property photos that I have always found interesting. When I represent the seller, I do anything and everything to make the listing look as appealing as possible.
We've all heard buyer complaints about property photos they see on the Internet. Sometimes buyers say that the images are not an accurate representation of the home. Sometimes the listing looks better in the photos than it does in person, and sometimes it just looks different. Rooms become distorted when photographed poorly with wide-angle lenses, for example. A small room can look huge.
It is a given that homes do not look the same in a photo as they do during a visit, and there are no substitutes for an in-person visit to a home. Buyers are looking for an accurate representation and sellers are looking for photos that make their homes look gorgeous.
I have explained to the buyers that it is the job of a good agent to make sure that the home looks wonderful on the Internet. It's called marketing and it's what we do. Just like with the written marketing materials, we emphasize the home's positive qualities.
There is some discussion about the HDR photos going too far and presenting an unrealistic image. I have toned mine down a bit from the more artistic photos that I use on my blog, but they still make almost any room look wonderful.
Some of the photos that I find on the MLS are so bad that I can't tell for sure what they are photos of. Both buyers and sellers are in total agreement that many of the photos we use on the Internet are not nearly good enough. I would rather err on the side of photos that make the home look better.
Teresa Boardman is a broker in St. Paul, Minn., and founder of the St. Paul Real Estate blog.
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Submitted by Kristin Noll-Marsh on February 26, 2009 - 12:26pm.
Ugh! This is such a sore point for me. Great article, Teresa!
Don't agents know that buyers are making decisions on setting showings based on the photos? Yet, recently I saw a listing with 8 photos - 5 were dark and another was ALL BLACK. It looked like a photo of a black cat in a dark room. What is the point???
Another was a listing I didn't get - the agent who got this $500,000 condo listing posted FOUR photos - two were dark and blurry and a third was of a mirror-walled room and looked like a jumbled mess! What the ----????
The old school mentality that giving the buyer less will bring them through the door (remember not putting addresses in ads, etc?) is DEAD> They won't schedule the appointment, they'll say, "NEXT!" and go on to a listing with photos. I saw a post on Trulia the other day where a buyer was LIVID that there wasn't more than the exterior shot posted. She asked if agents were idiots, trying to hide something or just lazy!
My father was a trained photographer and I have a natural eye for design and composition. I finally got sick of my own photos not being to my own standards and invested in a higher end camera with backlighting features and a wider angle lens (but not "fish eye.") I also updated my photo editing program, which allows me to enhance my photos further - not faking it, just sharper, lighter, better cropped. My photos look 100 times better.
Photos mean even more than the description these days - don't take them lightly!!
http://bestmilwaukeehomes.com
http://blog.bestmilwaukeehomes.com
Submitted by Michael Brown on February 26, 2009 - 1:40pm.
Teresa, I must say that is a beautiful kitchen Photo. How long does the process take to create such an image?
Submitted by Teresa Boardman on February 26, 2009 - 1:51pm.
Michael - It takes some time to process each photo, probably 15 min. I have created some "formulas" that speed up the process. I think it is worth the effort considering how important photos are the the internet and in marketing materials. A person could hire someone to process the photos.
Submitted by Mott Marvin Kornicki on February 26, 2009 - 2:04pm.
Reresa~ I love the effect that the HDR process creates. Perhaps it is a little deceptive- but I don't see it that way.
The quality or lack of, and in many, many cases the total neglect to any photos is far worse.
Mott Marvin Kornicki, Broker
www.WaterwayRealty.com
305.935.3533 Main Line
Submitted by John Rakoci on February 26, 2009 - 2:09pm.
I prefer Photoshop Elements. Just upgraded to version 7, cost about $75. Plan on buying a book or getting other instruction to be able to tap into even a portion of what it offers.
Submitted by Andy Capelluto on February 26, 2009 - 2:23pm.
Great information Teresa. Superior quality photography is of prime importance today as the overwhelmed buyer is faced with massive inventories. In my opinion we should be focusing on prioritizing marketing the home in this order.
#1 - Amazing photography
#2 - Great Crub appeal
#3 - Well staged interior
Without a doubt it is the photograph that initially attracts the interest of the buyer. Photography is a skill well worth cultivating. As we struggle to cut costs we turn to ways in which the 'best' agents can eliminate additional expenses. The more great services you can offer your buyers, the better an agent you will be...
Submitted by Dawn Darner on February 26, 2009 - 2:30pm.
Thanks, Theresa for the great post.
One of my pet peeves is awful photos with no notations below them to at least tell us in what room the corner we're viewing in the MLS is located! Although, at times they do provide comic relief as we laugh hysterically at some of the photos and or comments. Listings with one photo become very suspicious in today's market - what don't they want us to see? Often my buyers will skip right over them because they have so many listings to choose from.
My partner and I have worked hard to provide good photos. While we think we've done a pretty good job, because photos are so important today, we recently decided it is best left to professionals - we'll certainly ask about this process in the future.
Thanks again!
Dawn M.Darner, Realtor, GRI, AHS
The Darner Peterson Team
"Old Friends Helping New Friends"
CARDINAL REALTY
Located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota
E-mail Dawn@DawnDarner.com
Cellular - 651-295-8495
Submitted by Deb Agliano (DebOnTheWeb) on February 26, 2009 - 2:35pm.
Wow Teresa - I wish houses in my market area had kitchens like that! I don't use HDR on all of my listings, but for those that aren't fixer uppers, I use Dynamic-Photo HDR. The program is $55 from www.mediachance.com
Deb Agliano (AKA DebOnTheWeb)
ERA Andrew Realty
www.DebOnTheWeb.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DebOnTheWeb
Submitted by Diane B Aurit on February 26, 2009 - 2:36pm.
Diane Aurit
After seeing your photos on your blog I am so happy to have found this explaination of the process you use to create such interesting photos. You are so talented! I couldn't agree more with you regarding professioal photos for listings. I use a professional for all of my listings no matter what the price range. It is so horrible to see a new listing on MLS with no photos are really bad ones. You have taken it to a new level
Http://BestRealEstateLakeNorman.com
Submitted by Laurent Saint Jean on February 26, 2009 - 3:12pm.
re. Showing "pretty" pictures is helping sell a house
ABSOLUTELY ! IF, and ONLY if you respect the # 1 GOLDEN RULE:
" Take the most beautiful image possible, BUT, make sure the prospect will find the place even prettier once there in person. "
That's 9 out of 10 photographers, even the pros, 1st and worse mistake.
5 basic systematic errors encountered, even among pro photogs :
1 - Shooting with a wider angle than 24mm; once on site, the prospect will be seriously pissed off landing in a shoe box when he/she thought she was viewing a palace
2 - making the room look super bright, when it's actually as dark as a bat cave, all day ! Here we do have an issue however, is that we must set he light in the middle of your histogram, as there is too much variation with viewers monitors being often too dark or bright themselves. So keep it in the middle.
3 - Boosting and saturating colors, when in reality, the walls need a complete redoing... way too tempting hey !
4 - staging the room for the photo. Ok, nice move, clear all that junk out of the way, even remove some small furniture etc... then once the pretty photos are made, put all the junk back in place. Guarantee to piss the prospect, again. Home staging is 90% of the hard work for photography, but once a room is staged, it should remain the same when your prospects arrive on site. oh, good luck trying to convince the owners !
5 - hide dirty facades, rooms and parts of a place. Don't hide, show a little. Overexpose bad looking views by 2 stops, at least, the prospects won't say you didn't show that railway track next door.
and most of all, you'll have them trusting you. Even if that house isn't for them, they'll like you for being "true-full", and they'll stay with you.
HDR will kill your shadows, and boost your luminosity and colors... great looking pictures indeed, but IMHO, too far from reality.
I've seen very, very few photographers master HDR for real estate... when it's done properly, the result is excellent. Try blending for exterior shots, and use fill-in flash and ambient for indoors. You'll get lovely images.
All the best !
Laurent
www.flickr.com/photos/laurentsj
Submitted by Kevin Tomlinson on February 26, 2009 - 3:46pm.
T-
So, it's complicated, huh?
Arrgh. ok...hmmmph.
Miami Beach Real Estate Resource
South Beach Real Estate Blog
About Miami Beach Florida
Submitted by Merritt Noel on February 26, 2009 - 4:25pm.
I think HDR photos look fantastic. I notice that those that use them when listing on my site tend to have a higher visitor times per listings as well as more inquiries.
While this is slightly off topic, I have noticed agents are not taking advantage of virtual tours. I don't know if it is do to the cost associated with virtual tours however IMHO a good quality virtual tours gives the best representation of the property.
I would be curious about the process and ability to incorporate HDRs when creating a virtual tour.
Colorado Real Estate Listings
Homes For Rent
Denver Homes For Sale
Submitted by Daniel Bretzke on February 26, 2009 - 4:36pm.
I have wondered how people have made these great photos. I learned photography when light in the photo had to be added at the time of the photograph. I have looked at photos like these and could never figure out the light sources. A lamp in the photo looks like it baths the room in light. A window would shed more light than would be normal on a Seattle winter day.
I use Microsoft Digital Image Suite, where I can change the contrast, color balance, which can improve the photo, but I have never heard of HDR. I will definitely look into this. Thanks for telling us your secret.
Daniel Bretzke
http://danielbretzke.blogspot.com/
Submitted by David Sherfey on February 26, 2009 - 5:17pm.
I use HDR on everything. Maybe it is overkill, but it's my hobby so what the heck. I don't want to spend the money on lighting and HDR provides better exposures than most real estate photos get. I am one of those wide angle transgressors, because I want as much of the room as possible in one shot. On every property site I do I make it very plain that the lens makes it look larger and deeper.
Just for fun, here is a HDR set of photos I just shot for the curator of our local historical society. The house is the oldest one in the village, 1744 I think, and it was all ambient light with HDR. some of the colors are too intense, which is what you can get with Photomatix when you batch process and your settings aren't right for all the shots. Still pretty decent photos, shot at 31 degrees F.... Everything in the house is being moved out for a restoration, and we wanted to know where most of the stuff was before it went into inventory.
http://www.zenfolio.com/saison/p138748583?slideshow=1
David Sherfey - Associate Broker
http://ResidentialPropertyMarketing.com
Submitted by Victor Schultz on February 26, 2009 - 5:18pm.
We have been using photomatix for years for the "money shots" and when we need a lot of help due to lighting contrast. We have kept the knowledge of this software very quiet as our photos can really stand out from the competition. But now that you let the cat out of the bag, I guess I will give a great tip.
One of the hardest photos to shoot is an exterior front of a house that faces North. The sun is always behind the house and it really puts the camera at a disadvantage! We put the camera on a tripod, and usually take 3 photos, with a -2 0 +2 spread. The photos must be taken with zero camera movement! Rock solid tripod. I use a remote control and take 3 shots in 1 second. If outside and there is cloud movement, you must take them all in just a second or two. Inside photos do not have this restriction.
The first photo is to capture the blue sky. It is very dark, The next photo is brighter and you can see most areas, but the sky is white and there are still some black areas like recessed doors or the plantings. The last photo is very bright or as we say "blown out" the sky is all white, the regular areas are very washed out, but what we are picking up are all the heavily shaded areas. All the dark browns and dark greens are available for the software to work with.
So if you were to take the best of each photo...the blue sky, the normal areas and the darker colors, you get the results that HDR is all about. Most people think it is a camera issue...nope it's a software issue. I would say that HDR is not for the beginner, but you do not have to a pro like us either. We use it on maybe 10-20% of our shots.
See exactly what I mean here:
http://www.hdrsoft.com/examples.html
And try before you buy it here:
http://www.hdrsoft.com/download.html
Victor Schultz
President
VTGlobe
www.vtglobe.com
Jax Virtual Tours
www.JaxVirtualTours.com
Submitted by Heather Rankin on February 26, 2009 - 10:30pm.
I as well use HDR for everything. I live and work in the Lake Powell area with astounding views. One home I have listed has incredible red rock and Lake Powell views from almost every room and the shots ended up breathtaking.
One thing I've found with doing interior HDR is I like the results better when shooting with only natural light during the day. There are rooms where this will not work but it seems to be easier to process without lights on.
I also used Digital Photo Professional to sharpen them up a bit. While I have other programs that do this as well, I really like the ease and quickness of DPP.
One thing I watch while processing HDR's is how easy it is to "over do" it and then photos can end up looking almost cartoon-ish. There is a delicate balance but wow, it is so wonderful when they are right. Both my sellers and my buyers love the HDR's.
Heather Rankin, Realtor
ERA Utah Properties
928-691-6444
Submitted by Teresa Boardman on February 27, 2009 - 10:30am.
Kevin - it isn't that it is complicated. I have just found that people that don't have a huge interest in it don't like it well enough to practice until they get it right. You know me, I love photography. I am happy to spend my off time learning new techniques and practicing. Any one can learn it but they have to be motivated.
Ro those who are saying they use HDR for everything. I get that. I am trying to resist the temptation and I agree that it can be over done.
Submitted by Kristin Noll-Marsh on February 27, 2009 - 3:59pm.
Wow, after investigating more, this is a great option. Simply stunning!
OK, I have to figure out how to use my new camera beyond the auto settings and backlit feature! I figured out how to do it on my photo software, but I have no clue how to take different exposures with my Lumix! Now, where's that darned instruction manual...LOL!
http://bestmilwaukeehomes.com
http://blog.bestmilwaukeehomes.com