Anatomy of a Great Interior Photo

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What makes a great interior photo?

Read on to learn what goes into creating a great Interior Photo for Real Estate.

Ever wonder how good your interior photos present your listing? Whether you're looking for a real estate photographer, or are working with one already, these four photography checkpoints will help you better present your clients' homes and they'll love you for it!

1. Dynamic Range

Dynamic Range (DR) is how well the lightest areas of a photo and the darkest areas of a photo are rendered. Typically, in real estate photos you'll have windows whited out due to the limits of DR in your camera -- you don't want this. To get around this a photographer has to take multiple exposures; either in a bracket (High Dynamic Range photogrpahy) or an ambient exposure, flash exposure, and window exposure (Flambient photogrpahy). If you see any windows blasted out, ask your photographer to see if they can fix it.

 
 

2. Perspective

Quickly, look straight on at a corner in the room you're in. Now look up, and then down. Notice anything? Probably not. This is important in properly rendering an architectural or interior photograph. While looking up and down the vertical lines in the room never start converging. However, when shooting with a camera if a photographer tilts the camera up or down they'll start to see Keystoning or a distortion in correct perspective. This can easily be fixed in post-production, or can be corrected for in camera with the correct lens. If any photos delivered from your photographer have converging lines, ask to see if they can correct the keystoning or perspective -- it really shouln't take too long to do it right the first time.

 
 

3. Color Rendition

Color rendition can be tricky because, on some level, it's subjective. However, with digital photography we have tools that can help us balance our colors correctly. Some cameras lean on cooler colors while other lean on warmer colors, what you're looking for is a nice natural balance between the two. You want your whites white, and your blacks black. After that, I like to adjust the color balance to render a bit warmer to help give each photo a much more inviting, welcoming feeling (this is the subjective part). If the photos coming from your photographer are wildly out of balance in color rendition, ask them to see if they can adjust them to render the colors naturally.

 
 

4. Lens Distortion

Interior photography tends to be on the wider side of lens focal length. What this introduces is something called lens distortion; the widest of which is called fisheye distortion. All this is a bowing in the center of a photo and a stretching of the corners. This distorts reality and should easily be fixed in post-production. If your photographer is delivering photos with a mild or strong lens distortion, ask them to fix the distortion.

 
 

Understanding how these four factors effect your final photos will help you better advocate for your clients. Better photos lead to more qualified clients and leads. On average listings with professional photography sell 21 days faster than those with smartphone snaps (according to a 2016 RedFin study).

Photography 101: Camera Basics

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Photography 101

Camera Basics

So, you’ve just taken the plunge into the world of photography with your new Dslr or mirrorless camera and you’re not sure where to start. Well, I have a few tips to get you started on your budding photography career. After reading this entry, you’ll leave with a better understanding of how your camera works so you can have fun capturing what you want.

DSLR or Mirrorless; does it matter?


Let’s breakdown the differences of a Dslr and a mirrorless camera.

DSLR: As it says in its name, it is a digital single lens reflex camera. This means there is a mirror that retracts when the shutter is pressed to allow the image sensor to collect light and capture your photo. Before the shutter is pressed, the mirror allows you to compose your photo as it reflects the scene into your viewfinder. Because of this, you’ll likely never have an electronic viewfinder (evf) or live view on a Dslr. Because of the Mirror, Dslrs tend to be bulkier than their mirrorless counterparts.

Mirrorless: Again, as it says in its name, there is no mirror reflecting the photo into a viewfinder. In this case you have the image sensor exposed at all time to incoming light. This allows manufacturers to offer live view and evf on their cameras. Live view gives you immediate feedback when you adjust any setting of the exposure triangle. Because of the lack of mirror, mirrorless cameras tend to be more compact as there is no other mechanism needed to expose the image sensor to light.

Well, does it? For me, no. But you’ll get different opinions from different people. As they say, different strokes for different folks. To me, it’s all the same technology in a different package. What gets the job done is what gets the job done. The tools don’t make the artist, the artist makes the tools.

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Exposure Triangle

The exposure triangle refers to the three settings you are able to adjust to get a properly exposed photo. They are as follows; ISO, Shutter Speed, & Aperture.

ISO

This is a carry over from the old film camera days. It was a standard for rating a films sensitivity to light. Typically from 100 and on; with higher numbers being more sensitive to light (better for indoor photography or night photography). Lower ISO produces cleaner, noise-free photos. Higher ISO produces grainier, noisy photos.


Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is how quickly the image sensor is exposed to light. Generally, you’ll see it as a fraction like 1/60 or one sixtieth of a second. Max shutter speeds are set by each camera manufacturer for each model. Shooting at a faster shutter speed allows you to freeze motion, while a slower shutter speed allows you to capture motion blur.


Aperture

The aperture is the only setting independent of the camera. This setting is adjusting the iris of the camera lens. Each lens is built with an iris to adjust the amount of light that will be transmitted to the image sensor. Shooting wide open (lower f stop number) gives you a shallower depth of field for that creamy bokeh you usually see on portraits. While shooting stopped down (higher f stop number) gives your a deeper depth of field, allowing you to have more in focus in your photo.

5 Major Benefits of a Google Maps Virtual Business Tour.

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You may or may not know about Google’s My Business virtual tour (GMBVT). Along with their Streetview venture, Google is working to digitize local businesses so people searching for new spots to eat, explore, and shop can have a better sense of the local businesses in their area. You may not see the benefits of a virtual tour now, but by the end of this article you'll be convinced.

So, what is a Google My Business virtual tour? A GMBVT is an interactive 360 degree imaging of a business, building, or home. You can look left, right, up, and down with full 360 degree freedom. By connecting multiple 360 panoramas you can "walk" through the business in the comfort of your own home. Try out the example below:



1. It Builds Trust

When customers are searching to a new business to spend their hard earned money, they are looking for well-established, transparent companies. By showcasing your business on a trusted platform like Google Maps, you build trust with them even before they set foot in your business. Adding a GMBVT adds to your social clout and social credibility as a business. Show potential customers you're a well-established, forward-thinking business that's here to stay.


2. It builds SEO

Because it's a Google product, the GMBVT helps to optimize your search engine ranking. Inline with building social credibility and clout, a GMBVT helps also to cement your business as a well established business in online search rankings. And in doing so, you help increase your visibility and online presence.


3. Show them what you got (as the Cromulons would say)

How do you ingratiate yourself with a customer that never sets foot in your shop? Show them what your business has to offer in the comfort of their own home. A picture is worth a thousand words, but an interactive tour of your business allows them to take in the atmosphere, decor/style, and feeling of your brand and business. This way, you'll gain a friend without even lifting a finger to welcome them. Take this charming little cafe in San Jose, California called the East Bay Cafe Depot. It's filled with nostalgia and americana, but you'd never know if you didn't walk in. Since I've captured it for Google maps, now the world has the chance to experience this warm little cafe.


4. You out pace your competition

Tech savvy customers are keen on whether or not businesses are on the latest social media. Like it or not, their judgement of whether or not to patronizes a business is tied heavily towards a businesses social clout. The more avenues you pursue, the higher the scales tip in your favor of being patonized. By being forward-thinking and accepting new technologies like GMBVT you show that you're ahead of the competition. You are keenly aware of a customer that does their research online before entering a shop.


5. Engage with customers without lifting a finger

Virtual tours can serve another purpose if customized to meet your needs. By having a standalone custome tour you can add newlayer of engagement for customers. Add interesting details about your business, add pricing for items show in your showroom or checkout counter. By capturing an online market through a customized virtual tour you can add a new stream of revenue along side Google pushing your GMBVT when you're searched online to obring more potential customers to your shop!


Now you know how a GMBVT can benefit your business and brand, let me take care of capturing your business in it's best light, and in the highest of quality. When you're ready to make the jump and have your business captured for Google's My Business Virtual Tour give me a ring at 916-832-7845, email me at: hello@georgemoua.com or commission me here.