When you rent a property, do you take your smartphone snap a few piccies and then throw them out there?
Most private landlords, especially those with bigger properties, understand that high quality; professional images will show a property at its best. If you want to maximise your ROI for your property, it has to stand out among other properties available in that area and within that budget.
Therefore, when I’m engaged for this type of photography I ensure that I work with the landlord to capture both external and internal images, dressed rooms – i.e. rooms that are tidy, have everything in place, may have added flower arrangements, etc to show the room in its best light.
High end properties want images reminiscent of the lifestyle shots you see in magazines. This allows a potential tenant to imagine the property and how they might feel within it- so they will book to view.
The images do have to be authentic though – it must show off a property in its best light without ‘lying’ about it. So if it’s near a busy road, or opens out on to a street, or has no garden – photographs can be used to show those aspects, again in their best light so that no one feels deceived when they turn up to view. The aim is to focus on the best and acknowledge anything which may be seen as ‘negative’. That way those who come to view will be serious about the property and not time-wasters.
Things I have to consider as a professional photographer:
- Dressing shots: Sometimes, I dress a property, and sometimes, the client who I’m photographing for, has very clear views themselves, about how they want their property to be viewed. Either way, the room or space will need setting up before the shoot. You don’t want rubbish bins, or errant ‘stuff’ in the background.
- Lighting: The light in a room can create many different atmospheres and moods, therefore, if the room is meant to be cosy, having small lamps on around the room, rather than a main overhead light blasting everything beneath creates that cosy effect. I therefore have to use the correct light balance when I’m shooting the image. I have to ensure that any lit lamps, are clear and show that they are lit and don’t become a ‘blown out’ blob of light with no shape.
On occasions you also want to capture the view outside the window from inside the room you are photographing, which means taking light readings that will work to marry the two different light sources together successfully. - Angles: Taking images from different angles can give an idea of space, or give you the chance to focus in on specific lines and structures in a property. For example, shooting an image along the top of a range of kitchen cabinets and drawers always looks inviting and shows off the workspace well.
Sometimes you want to take photos with doors into adjoining rooms, shut and at other times leave them open slightly, so you can give an inviting glimpse of what lies beyond. - Style: It’s important to create the image to match the style of the property. For a very modern space, then uncluttered, clean lines match that style. Often very modern furniture looks good, in a space on its own, without being able to see too much around it. Whereas, photography a cosy cottage interior, you need to use cushions, intimate lighting, showing window dressings and comfy chairs to give the feeling of comfort.
- External shots: Like internal shots, it is important to make sure the area around where you are shooting doesn’t have anything visible that will detract from what you are trying to photograph. Again, like taking photos from inside to include the view outside, sometimes you want to capture the opposite – the outside in. Again, this is a matter of knowing how to take light readings to capture a perfect image of both.
My ultimate goal when shooting properties, is to make my clients property stand out from the rest, and also, to show potential customers that their property is somewhere they to want to visit again and again.
If you have a rental property that you’d like to stand out from the crowd, please get in so that I can book in a photoshoot for you and your business – neil@moore-photographics.com
