Interior of Home for Sale

I am thinking of getting started photographing homes for RE agents.

Looking for feedback on the photos/technique.

Setup: 7D, Sigma 8-16mm, Bounced flash, P mode.

Processed using Photomatix defualts to HDR from one RAW file/scene.

EDIT: link to gallery http://danastasia.smug​mug.com/Portfolio/Home​s

pics not showing for me

You have really bad perspective in your images. All your vertical lines are crooked, which is a major sign of an amateur. Vertical lines should be parallel to the sides of the image.

We have a thread where we discuss all our techniques and show plenty of samples. I suggest you read through the pages if you want to break into this area and make it.

https://photography-on-the.net …973&highlight=r​eal+estate

Here is one of the shots I have done:

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I am not nor pretend to be an expert at RE photography but TG is correct... your photos just aren't pro quality yet... do some research as he suggested then go and try to put it into practice... criticism is hard to take sometimes but if you stick it out the POTN forums will make you a better photgrapher... good luck

Let me clarify what I mean by perspective....I am talking about the lines in the image. They make the image distorted. You composition isn't bad, you just need to work on getting your lines straight.

There are two ways to do this well. One, buy a TS lens, which I don't have buy many swear by then. Two, lower the level of the camera and make sure the vertical lines are all parallel with the sides of the frame. Here's a tip, if the ceilings are 8 feet tall, then placing the camera around 4 feet tall would give you a nice balance between ceiling and floor. If you have the camera at 6 feet high and you are level, you will get too much ceiling. I typically prefer to keep the camera between 4 and 5 feet for smaller rooms and at head height for larger rooms.....most of the time.

I wasn't trying to be harsh on you, just point out one thing to work on. If you get those lines straight your images will immediately take on a whole different look.

Thank you for all the comments. They are helpful. I can particularly see what is meant by perspective.

Is the lens I am using too wide? Should I use a tripod and set it for a lower height? In these images, I handheld which means the camera is about 5'. This home has 9-10' ceilings.

I shoot with a 1Ds2 and the 17-40, so I'm at a true 17mm. To be honest, that is too wide for a lot of rooms. If you are shooting with the 8-16, then you are at 12.8mm, which is really too wide. That may be contributing to the problem. Try zooming in to about 12mm and see if that doesn't make it easier to straighten things out. I know at 8mm there has got to be some barrel distortion going on too. That is just an assumption, but when you straighten those lines up you will see. Even my 17-40 will give me just a tab of barrel distortion at 17mm. Yeah, its a quick fix, but I'd rather just zoom in to 19mm and get rid of it in camera.

We have a guy from San Diego that posts quite a bit on that thread I shared. You may want to introduce yourself and see if there is an opportunity to meet up and talk shop. It is so much easier to have someone show you what to do than to try and figure it out through trial and error like I did. LOL Luckily, I am in a town where I have very little competition for good photos. That will not be the case in San Diego. You are going to have some very good photogs there, I'm sure of it.

I lost a lot of clients in the beginning because of the errors I made. Many of them came back once I got the hang of it, but quite a few did not. One in particular would order about 30-40 shoots a year. That one hurt! Get the basics down, straight lines (vertical), good lighting, good composition, and focus on the 'features'. This is where my background as a Certified Residential Appraiser really helps me. I can walk into any home in my market and I know the noteworthy features, I know the differences in the woods, the cabinets, the granite, etc. I make sure to showcase that in my photos. The buyers are out shopping for homes, it is your job to show they why this particular home is better than the others. I would suggest that you ask you client this very question 'Would you mind showing me all the noteworthy features of this home so I can make sure to photograph them?" You don't have to say 'noteworthy' it is a term I used often in appraisal reports. You can use 'selling points' or 'best features' as well. What this does is it immediately tells the client that you are there to help them sell this house. You are focused on capturing the best this house has to offer. It makes you an asset instead of an expense, and that will result in repeat business.

Dan C wrote in post #12647006
Thank you for all the comments. They are helpful. I can particularly see what is meant by perspective.

Is the lens I am using too wide? Should I use a tripod and set it for a lower height? In these images, I handheld which means the camera is about 5'. This home has 9-10' ceilings.

Keep in mind that just because you're handholding doesn't mean anything about camera height.... crouch down whenever you need to, get a step stool if you need to. It needs to be the right height for the shot not just the height your eyes happen to be at. Tripod is rarely a bad idea but tripod alone is not going to answer the question of camera positioning.

Anything with lots of vertical lines you're going to have to shoot with the camera perfectly level. Maybe get a hot-shoe bubble level if it helps you keep an eye on it. The wider the lens, the more the verticals distort with even the slightest tilt to the lens.

The exposure, composition, colors, etc all look good, it's just the verticals converging that are throwing everything off

I don't want to sound like I'm lecturing or anything since I'm no pro or anything, just adding my 2 cents.

What others have said. Also, keep an eye out for the little things...your reflection is showing in the mirror in one of the bathroom/powder room shots, there are repair marks on one of the walls at the top of the landing, the staircase looks to be a mile long due to the focal length that was chosen, etc.