Are you aware of the fact that the attention span of the majority of people on average is just around 7-6 seconds today? It’s not surprising given that we live in an information age and digital era where’s there just too much content and external stuff that is demanding our attention such as social media websites. Now, what does this mean for you – an individual trying to sell his/her property? This means that you only have a very limited timespan to hook your buyers in and make them interested in what you are selling. But how can you do that? The answer is: Through high-quality professional real estate photography.

Do you know that when looking for real estate people spend 60% of their time going over the photos online and 20% of their time on each reading the description and reviews? What is even astonishing is the fact quoted by the National Association of Realtors, who point out that approximately 92% of potential property buyers search the internet, looking for real estate before making a purchase and around 87% of the buyers claim that photos were quite useful in helping them get started on their journey to buy real estate.

Well, at this point you might be thinking that it’s not a secret that people tend to look up photos before visiting in person and that you too can take photos yourself, edit them if needed and put them online, after all, you have a pretty good smartphone, don’t you? Well, it is all right to think that and to be honest most people think along the same lines. However, one most important thing that you need to consider is that it is the quality of the photos that matter and that helps the potential customers differentiate between a real estate worth going to visit in person and buying. Professional listing photos generate an average of 139% increase in clicks as compared to other listings. More clicks result in more views, more views means more traffic, and more traffic, in turn, provides more leads! Hence, the result of a research study which stated that when high-quality photographs were used alongside the listings, the real estate was not only sold quickly but it was also sold for a higher price (The premium was on average $3,400) is not surprising at all.

What these facts depict is that photos are integral, if not the most important aspect when it comes to making a real estate sale and the importance of photos is such that they can make or break your chances of making a sale.

Odds are that you might have heard the two sayings: You only get one chance to make a first impression” as well as “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Now what these popular sayings point out is that not only are first impressions essential to gain the attention of an audience but also that through pictures you can capture the attention of your audience in a way that nothing else can. The bottom line is that making a good first impression is critical for you if you want to make a sale. This is because your potential clients will decide whether or not they like the property in the first few seconds and they will only go through the initial few, let’s say 3-4 photos. If those photos are not up to the mark or are poorly captured, out of focus, blur, and dark then you can say goodbye to your chances of selling your real estate.

Nothing turns off potential customers more quickly than does badly taken photos. The point worth noticing is that the property whose photos an individual might be looking at online might be the ideal one for them but just the fact that the photos are not up to the mark will give a negative impression such that the individual will not even consider taking a second look. This is a loss of both the seller and the buyer.

Let’s now move onto the part where you are doing a cost-benefit analysis of hiring a professional real estate photographer. While you do have to pay the professional photographer’s for their services and it might seem like a huge expenditure in the beginning but once you see the results you will be patting yourself on the back. This is because professional photographers capture photos in such a way that people are energized and excited by just looking at them. The photos are perfect in terms of their lightening and angles from which they are taken so much so that potential clients can see themselves living there and having a good time. This is the artistic quality that professional real photographers bring and this makes their services worth every penny.

Now, the final decision is absolutely yours when it comes to hiring a professional photographer. You can choose to take the photos yourself from your smartphone or ask some amateur photographer who is ‘good’ with the camera to do it for you. However, before taking your decision do note that while poor images can to a certain extent blacklist your real estate in the mind of the clients, high-quality photos taken by professionals can not only help in selling the real estate quickly but also at a premium price. Isn’t that just what you want?

So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with Brad Capone today and avail his services. You can view his packages/pricing here. Consider it an investment that will pay you high return in a short period of time.

Following are the five main reasons as to why you should opt for Brad Capone as your professional real estate photographer:

Brad is an artist at heart

No, Brad is not just a photographer who comes in and snaps a hundred photos and emails it to you. Brad is an artist who has a vision. He prides himself not only on his passion for photography but also on his innate ability to capture flattering, detailed, and unique high-quality photos that can each present a story on their own. Brad understands the need to capture the essence of the real estate and is well aware as to how potential clients view photos, what the things they are generally looking for and how they perceive images. Hence, he is solely focused on taking the ‘right’ photos. He brainstorms first and before shooting figures out the subject as well as the elements that need to be included. By finalizing what he is looking for, he gives himself a particular direction that allows him to seamlessly do a photo shoot that is not only effective but also meaningful. He captures an ideal mixture of both exteriors and interiors that are more than enough to hook potential clients in. Along with his one of a kind approach towards photography, you just cannot go wrong with him because of his positive attitude, passion for photography, and knack of taking perfect photos.

Brad is big on angles and lightening

Emphasizing on the best features of the real estate is critical if one wants to make the real estate look desirable. Saying that Brad is a master of angles and lightening will be an understatement. This is because he carefully chooses the best angles that can capture all the important details and then embraces lighting to produce high-quality, sharp, and bright images that grab the attention of viewers within milliseconds.

Brad is extremely careful when it comes to shooting around mirrors, shiny metal surfaces, and windows. Not only does he keeps himself out of the photos but he doesn’t let glares or reflections create any big white spots that are huge distractions in the photos he takes. Now sometimes getting the right details becomes difficult because of the way the real estate and the accessories in it are structured. This is where the know-how of angles come in. Brad knows exactly what to do in such circumstances and he changes the shooting angles whenever the need arises. In short, he is always up to the task.

Moreover, Brad is adept at creating the perfect composition through ‘proper’ lightning. According to him, the heart and soul of a photograph is the lightening and without it you just cannot get the ideal shot. If the lightening is too much then the photos get overexposed and if its not enough then the images can come out dark and blurry. Optimum amount of light is essential and this optimum amount varies from one place to another. This is where, Brads ability to balance the lightening according to the requirements come in. Adjusting the ISO and the shutter speed of the camera, adding more lightening through lightening gear, not pointing at the light source directly, and even using the flash or HDR Tone mapping allow him to take vibrant photos.

Brad does try his best to avoid using HDR because he terms it as a lazy approach that rarely offers the best results. Rather, he is an expert at manipulating light to get luminous quality photographs that present the real estate in an impeccable way.

Brad has the equipment and the skills

Brad has the top of the line equipment needed to shoot high quality, high resolution, and sharp images of the real estate. Whether it be the DSLRs, point and shoot cameras, additional lenses, lightening gear, tripod stands or drones for aerial photography, Brad has them all. He leverages the equipment and realizes the importance of unique and advanced gadgets to help shoot photos that helps the real estate stand out from the crowd. However, equally important as he points out is the need to be a master at ones trade. This means having the required skillset to use the equipment, understand the situation at hand, think on one’s feet and improvise accordingly.

Brad is an expert at staged photography

One thing that most photographers tend to forget is that they need to capture photos that can allow the potential clients to envision themselves residing in the real estate. Brad is well aware of the importance of staged photography and hence he goes the extra mile to make sure that the real estate is in the ideal condition before he begins shooting. If it is not, then he stages the places he wants to capture. Brad understands that even the minutest of detail such as a tilted photo frame, a rugged carpet, an open toilet seat or power cords in the photos can turn off a potential buyers. Thus, Brad is big on first cleaning the real estate to make it presentable, and then furnishing it as well as adding flavor through for instance things like a rack of books, bunch of candles, and vase of flowers. Adding emotion and giving a mesmerizing personality to the real estate is essential according to Brad and so he leaves no stone unturned in trying to do exactly that. Be it de-cluttering or adding the props, Brad will do what is necessary to shoot the real estate at is best.

Brad delivers professionally edited photos within 24 hours

Last but not the least, Brad takes the post-production process very seriously unlike other photographers. Not only does he delivers the processed images that are enhanced to show the real estate in the best possible light but he also doesn’t keep his clients waiting. Time is money and he completely understands it. Thus, he selects the best photos, edit them to ensure that even little things such as the sky, trees, grass, and the real estate itself is presented in a spectacular manner.

The takeaway

Brad’s extensive experience in real estate photography along with his skills as well as command over equipment has earned him not only amazing reviews from past clients but also a high reputation in the market. He offers high quality real estate and property photography in the greater Knoxville TN area. So if you need professional real estate photos for your residential or commercial listings give Brad a call today and schedule a real estate photo shoot. You won’t regret it. That’s a guarantee.

Every professional photographer has their own style and techniques for photographing.

Through these photos I am showcasing not only my work but also my own unique style and approach towards real estate photography as well as architectural/interior design photography so that you have an idea of what you can expect from me.

Following are some real estate images that I took just last month:

If you like my style and approach to real estate photography and are looking for a professional photographer then please feel free to contact me. Please feel free to view my real estate packages and pricing here.

These are my favorite 10 real estate drone pictures I took in 2018 here in the Greater Knoxville area. I hoping to have a lot more opportunities for some amazing aerial photos in 2019! I can’t wait for spring time to be here! This will be our first spring season living in Tennessee and I’m itching to get the drone up in the air over some of the stunning properties around here.

This was one of the first aerial photos I took here in Tennessee. Driving around the little area of Riceville I immediately knew that we made the right decision in moving here.

The views from this stunning property in Sevierville was amazing! I would have loved to do a video on this property but the opportunity never came. None the less, this property was definitely making the list twice.

I just loved the way the houses formed an almost perfect half circle and thought it looked cool.

There wasn’t anything really too exceptional about this property in Maryville but I was totally digging the clouds and areas where the sun was breaking through.

This was probably one of the most beautiful properties I photographed this year. What I liked most about this photo was all the fall colors in the backdrop.

This photo is all about the little white house a top the hill on the right side of the image. It pops out and almost stands alone surrounded by the beautiful rolling hills of East Tennessee.

This might not be the technically best aerial photo I took – but it was a total surprise to me… I was photographing a house directly below the drone in this photo. The property was surrounded by tall trees, and having just moved here – I had no idea where in town I was. Once I got the drone up in the air it almost took my breath away to see how close we were to this curvy river.

Again, nothing too special about the property but MAN I love the fall around here!

The architecture of this house reminded me so much of California but with a river nearby instead of the ocean.


Real Estate Aerial Photography in Knoxville TN

If you need professional aerial/drone real estate photos I would love to earn your business! Please feel free to view my real estate packages and pricing here and give me a call today to schedule an appointment!

HDR is by far the most popular style amongst professional real estate photographers. However, it is really the best solution available? Another style, though not as popular, is using flash while photographing a property. Usually, photographers have their preference as to which is best and shoot with either one or the other. Primarily, I, for example, shoot with flash but I know that there is a time and place for HDR. Hence, I use both styles often in my work.

Because it is so bright outdoors when you’re photographing a house inside (even with the lights on) it’s impossible to capture the interior of the house as well as the view outside in the same image using natural light alone. If your camera’s exposure is set for the view in the window, the inside of the house will be super dark. Alternatively, if your camera’s exposure is set to make the inside of the house appear nice and bright, the windows will all be overexposed.

Therefore in order to create a great real estate image, you will either need to add enough light inside the house to match the amount of light coming through the windows (by using flash) or take multiple exposures of the same image and blend them together in post-production.

Because using flash to brighten a room can be very complicated and there are several different software programs that will blend HDR photos together for you automatically, most real estate photographers opt for the HDR route. However, the question remains: Which style produces the best results?

HDR Photography for Real Estate

HDR photography requires the photographer to take multiple photos of the same image using different exposure settings and then combining the images into one final photo in post-production. For example, most real estate photographers will take 3 photos for each final image:

  • -3 Exposure Compensation
  • 0 Exposure Compensation
  • +3 Exposure Compensation

Though sometimes, depending on the light, a photographer might take up to seven different exposures for the same image. It all depends on how bright it is outside, and how dark the house is. If your darkest image isn’t at least showing at least perfectly exposed windows and your brightest image isn’t showing a perfectly exposed interior then you won’t get the results you are looking for.

The difference between using 3 images to just 4 images can make a big difference.

No question, HDR can be a lifesaver and create some stunning images when photographing real estate. But personally, I prefer to use this style of photography sparingly.

Problems with using HDR and why I prefer flash (most of the time)

The “dirty” look of HDR only gets worse when shooting a super dark interior on a bright sunny day. The higher the dynamic range in the photograph – the more discoloration walls and window frames will have. Notice the hallmark “black smudges” of discoloration in the HDR photograph below.

In contrast to HDR – Flash will almost always produce a sharper, crisper image. Your whites will be whiter and your blacks will be blacker. This can actually make things actually look cleaner and newer then they are in real life.

In addition to this, flash not only produces a sharper image with more contrast but it’s also actually much faster then HDR.

True. You may spend slightly longer at the property properly lighting the house, but you’ll save all that time and more doing the post-production later on. Compiling a bracket of 4 images will take about 5 minutes in post-production for me. (And that’s with a kick-ass machine!) However, with flash I can bulk edit all of my pictures with a single click of a button. The few images that need to actually be brought into photoshop take seconds to perfect.

I spend on average about 5 minutes doing my post-production per property at the end of the day. That’s compared to 45+ minutes per property I spend on an HDR shoot.

In summary

Both techniques have their place in real estate photography. Depending on the composition, time of day, exterior and interior lighting, one technique may be easier than the other, but rarely will HDR give a better result in the final image.

There is a pretty big difference between architectural photography and real estate photography. This is primarily due to the fact that realtors have a different expectation than hotels and home interior experts. Hence, photographers have to take a different route depending on what they are shooting.

In architectural photography, you have to shoot more than just a room. Plus, the final image is supposed to portray a certain emotion to the viewer whether it be luxury, comfort or any other that marketing experts decide. On the other hands, when it comes to real estate photography, more often than not all Realtors want you to do is pretty much stand in the corner of the room and shoot as wide as possible.

Any professional architectural photographer will tell you that shooting from the corner of the room with a wide angle lens will almost never result in a great image. I think this, perhaps is the reason why so many architectural photographers look down upon real estate photographers as amateurish or incapable.

Wide angle lenses distort lines making walls and cabinets look crooked and shooting at an angle will magnify this, making it even worse. This is why whenever you see a photo that was taken from an angle of a room in magazines or other professional publications is rarely a wide angle shot. If I’m forced to shoot at an angle the widest I want to be is 24mm and even that, for me, is too wide.

Shooting wide and from the corner of the room also presents another problem. Items in the foreground of the image will appear much larger than they really are and make things in the distance appear much smaller and more cramped together.

 

One of the biggest complaints real estate consumers have regarding real estate photos is that when they view the house in person, it’s much smaller than in the real estate photos. Of course, listing agents love this as it leads to more home showings, but it does leave a bad taste in the mouth of home buyers. It would be interesting to see a study of how effective this really is for Realtors considering the home buyer’s first impressions of the property will be a negative one…

I could go on and on about poorly executed wide angled real estate photos but I digress. The point is: In real estate photography you’re trying to show as much as the property as possible in a single image. It’s a matter of documenting space versus highlighting the best feature the space has to offer.

Blending the two

Because I have experience in both fields, both architectural work, and real estate, I understand why real estate photographers do certain things and why architectural photographers look down upon them. So who’s right and who’s wrong? What is the best way to photograph a property? In my opinion – the best real estate photographers are the ones who know how to blend the two.

For example, I shoot a lot of wide angle shots during a real estate shoot sometimes even going as wide as 11mm! But I continue to avoid angled shots when possible showing a large portion of the room with minimal line distortion. This not only helps me capture the ideal shot but also helps me portray according to the likings of my clients.

One of the most common mistakes professional real estate photographers make is over-editing their pictures. Often times, professional architectural photographers look down upon real estate photographers believing them to be amateurish or incapable. This, I believe, is largely due to the two biggest mistakes I see all the time in the world of property photography:

  • Bad angles
  • Bad post production (photo editing)

I actually do very little to my photos when editing my real estate pictures. This is mainly due to the fact that when taking my real estate photos, I try my level best to get the perfect shots. Taking really good real estate photos on site allows me to start my editing process with a single image that is perfectly lit and well composed. I avoid Photoshop for real estate photography as much as possible and try to keep all of my post production in Light Room.

Following are the editing actions I take with every one of my real estate photos:

  • Lens Correction – All camera lenses have a slight barrel distortion. Even if you have the best lens for real estate photography in the world there will still be some amount of barrel distortion. By applying lens correction during my real estate photo editing I ensure that all the lines are straight.
  • Add a touch of sharpness – Again, a common mistake I see often (especially for those who are learning how to become a professional real estate photographer) is simply adding too much of everything. By adding sharpening way too much during the editing process the image becomes noisy, making what could be a high-quality real estate photo a low-quality image.

Those are the two editing actions I take with every real estate image and that’s it! Obviously, some real estate photos require a bit more touch up, but those two actions are a guarantee. Some of the other real estate retouching I do depends on whether the image is an interior photo or an exterior photograph.

Interior Real Estate Photography

As I prefer to use flash for real estate photography, especially for my interior shots, I have to do very little to my photographs during my real estate photo editing process. Even when using a flash for real estate photography sometimes a certain image needs a little help. Some of the common retouching I may do in order to create the best looking real estate photo includes:Adding Contrast – Never too much, but sometimes just a touch of contrast can make the blacks blacker and the whites whiter. This can help give the image depth but it can be dangerous to use in real estate retouching if you are photographing a room that has stains on the carpet or marks on the walls. By adding contrast to bedrooms that have carpet and/or wall issues you’ll highlight the defects sometimes making stains or marks appear even worse than they actually are.Noise Reduction – Rarely do I have to use any kind of noise reduction because I shoot at a low ISO, however, occasionally, if the property is dirty, this can make the house appear cleaner especially for scratched up hardwood flooring.Bring down the highlights I only need to do this on occasions when I have to turn up my flashes to brighten a room but it causes certain objects in the image to appear too hot. Again, a common mistake I see a lot of real estate photographers do is bring the highlights all the way down and bump up the shadows. Not only will this make furniture and other objects look worn, but it also makes the image flat.White Balance – This is probably the most common action I take, especially with my interior real estate pictures. Because I shoot my interior photos with primarily flash and high shutter speed, if the ceilings and/or walls are not truly white in color then the light that bounces around the room will carry the paint color around the room. This is why the best real estate photographers always shoot in raw format – never jpg. Shooting in raw format is real estate photography 101 and it allows me to correct the white balance regardless of what colors the walls and ceilings are. Even if I don’t use shoot with flashes and only use natural light for my interior photography, the same rules will apply.

Exterior Real Estate Photography

When retouching my exterior real estate images I’ll often make the following edits:Add Vibrance – This makes blue skies darker as well as bluer and grass along with trees greener. This can be dangerous however especially if the grass is yellow or the swimming pool in the backyard needs to be cleaned as it will just exaggerate the colors.Crop – When taking real estate photos it’s critical to keep the camera perfectly level so walls and lines are straight. This often means, when shooting the front of a house, that I have a lot more foreground then I’d prefer. In those cases I’ll still take the shot – knowing later in post-production I can crop the image to remove the foreground or other unwanted items that appear in the image.


Things I do not typically do

I’m not opposed to doing whatever the client asks. This is not photojournalism – its real estate photo marketing. Some real estate photography companies will outright refuse to do certain things based on some moral principle. That makes no sense to me, I’m a professional who was hired to create amazing real estate photos for the client. So when I take photos for real estate agents and get asked by the realtor to make some minor change to the image to improve the photo, I don’t hesitate at all.

With that said, here are a few things that are not a part of my standard real estate packages, but that I can do for an additional fee:Remove Carpet StainsRemove any holes in the walls and/or floors and ceilingsRemove marks such as cryons, patch work… etcChange paint colorsFix landscaping such as adding grass or removing problem areas.


In summary

In general – my real estate photo editing and retouching are very subtle. I think the difference between good real estate photos and great real estate photos is being light handed with the post-production.

The best real estate photos are the ones that require very little touch-up. I’m not one to use a ton of Photoshop actions or filters because I prefer to get things right while photographing real estate.

Let’s cut to the chase. You own some real-estate and you want to sell it. Cash is hard to come by these days and you cannot afford to hire a professional to take photos for you. What do you do? You know the fact that listings with photos sell faster and listings with high-quality photos sell even faster as well as for more money. Hence, you absolutely want to take photos and now you may just have to do it yourself. If that’s the case then buckle up and get on with it. Don’t worry. With the following tips you just cannot go wrong:

Get your hands on the right camera

While you might want to use your smartphone to take photos because that’s just way cheaper and convenient, it’s a big no-no. If you don’t have a DSLR, then ask some friends or relatives – every other person nowadays walks around with one so you might just be in luck. If you still can’t get one then just rent one. Opt for a camera with a wide-angle lens (28mm lens on a 35mm camera) so that you can capture the entire room or even home (exterior) in one shot. Moreover, do prefer the camera with optical zoom rather than the digital one because that will allow you to focus on specific features of the real estate.

Get comfortable with it

Learn the basic features of the camera. Understand why, when, and which features/settings you should choose depending on your setting and subject. Take some random photos, try out the different features, and then analyze the photos.

Brainstorm

So one of the most underrated aspect of photography is thinking before shooting. You need to grasp the fact that you just cannot walk in and snap away. Take a look at the lighting, de-clutter, stage the room if needed, understand the main subject, and figure out a way to maximize the appeal to the viewers. Go through the different possibilities through which you can provide a virtual tour to the audience.

Compose

Take advantage of the viewfinder of the camera you are using. Monitor the changes that occur when you move closer, backwards, and sideways. Ask yourself what position is the best? How can I capture the perfect shot?

By visually composing your image before taking the actual shot you will be well on your way to getting a good enough shot.

Note than it even might be worth the effort to take photographs while standing on a ladder or a stool. This is because not only can you snap photos from a higher perspective, which will be unique in itself but you can also focus on what’s more important (the room itself) rather than the ceiling.

Use a tripod or even a monopod

Nothing ruins pictures more than blurring does. When you are not used to taking photographs or when you are shooting using the zoom feature and even when you are in a badly lit setting, this problem of images getting blurred worsens even more. Taking still/stationary shots is way harder than it looks. However, there’s an easy way out of this. You can use a tripod/monopod and comfortably eliminate this problem.

Ensure adequate lightening and use angles to your advantage

Lightening is the most essential part if you want to get ideal shots. Focus on it. While shooting interiors, apart from using thee flash, switch all the lights on and if possible bring additional lightening gear to ensure that the images come out bright and visually pleasing to the eye. Also, leverage daylight as much as you can.

You may have to be particularly careful when the background is bright as in that case the subject will get lost in the shadows. When you are out in the open you can avoid this problem by tightly framing your subject and when you are inside you can turns the blinds on.

While this might seem bizarre to you but getting the right photos can be a quite difficult especially when the structure and setting of the real estate is such that you cannot position yourself properly. Shoot from an angle whenever there are shiny metal surfaces or mirrors. This will help you avoid the big white spots that appear in photographs.

Shoot more and do not leave before you get it right

Professional photographers are so skillful at their craft that they take only a handful of pictures. You, however, will need to take a lot of pictures. Improvise, move around maybe, and take pictures with and without flash. Moreover, before leaving check out the photos that you have taken. Ensure that you have got the required photos and that there is nothing wrong with them. You wouldn’t want to know later on that you forgot to take photos of one particular room or that the majority of your photos were dark or blurred, or do you?

Master Software

Once you are done taking photos, you should delve deep into the post-production process. This is where you improve your photos and prepare the end products. Be it organizing photos, cropping, adjusting exposure, brightening, or pulling out details from shadows you can do all that and much more with various softwares that are available in the market. However, do note that you should not make way too many changes in the images such that when potential buyers come in to view the property in person, they are left shell-shocked because of the difference in the images and the reality. Windows Photo Gallery for Windows users, IPhoto for MAC users, Adobe Photoshop, Pixlr, Picasa, and FotoFlexer are just some of the tools that you can use for image editing.

The gist

It is highly recommended that you avail the services of a professional photographer to get high-quality photos that can capture the attention of viewers and help your real estate sell quickly at a higher price. If you cannot do so then use the above-mentioned tips to give yourself the best possible chance of taking photos that increase your chances of making a sale.