Light Modifiers for Real Estate?

Greetings All!

I'm currently learning how to do real estate photography since my father is a Realtor. I currently use the equipment in my signature (Plus diffusers/umbrellas/et​c...), but I was wondering if there was any other gear that someone would recommend. I know right now it's all about me and setting things up, but if I'm learning how to do stuff now, I'd rather learn it with the proper gear. I'm not looking for the best gear, ie tiltshift lens, full lighting system, etc...

Unless I'm missing something there is no gear listed in your signature.

Weird.. Typically it's there... But I have a 60D, Canon 10-22mm, Tamron 17-50mm, YN-560 III's

It looks like you're pretty capable with what you already have. I've never attempted real estate photography, but I would think a Stofen-type diffuser might work well for it when you're just trying to get everything lit up. Your second flash could be used as a slave to highlight certain things or light dark corners.

You probably need to learn how to bounce light, maybe with the addition of a reflector as you want big soft indirect light for real estate interiors.

Glad you started this thread.

I've been doing some interiors recently and have stuck with bouncing off walls behind the camera when ever possible. But, long dark rooms, or bigger rooms in general, call for a little more creativity.

What I have come up with is to use more speed lights at lower power rather than try to blast the scene with just a couple of lights. Hide them behind furniture throughout the room and bouncing them off white foam core helps increase the size of the source. Don't tell anyone but I've even used my stofen.

Fwiw, you sig line isn't showing up in the original post but is there in your next post. Must be a glitch with the board.

Natural light and use the fake light from the house. Hdr also

hes gone wrote in post #16981836
=he's gone;16981836]
What I have come up with is to use more speed lights at lower power rather than try to blast the scene with just a couple of lights. Hide them behind furniture throughout the room and bouncing them off white foam core helps increase the size of the source. Don't tell anyone but I've even used my stofen.

Sadly I even resorted to carrying just like a clamp on desk lamp with a natural light light bulb and my flashes for situations like those. I may just have to get another flash and try doing what you said and power down a little. I just don't want to get in the habit of "oh if I had just one more"... soon enough I'll have 8 speedlights.

BobDawg wrote in post #16981863
Sadly I even resorted to carrying just like a clamp on desk lamp with a natural light light bulb and my flashes for situations like those. I may just have to get another flash and try doing what you said and power down a little. I just don't want to get in the habit of "oh if I had just one more"... soon enough I'll have 8 speedlights.

But to do it right, that might be what it takes. Your original post has a conflicting statement "'I'd rather learn it with the proper gear. I'm not looking for the best gear, ie tiltshift lens, full lighting system, etc..." It might be that 8 speedlites is the proper gear. If you compromise on the necessary gear, then how do you expect not to compromise on the results?

BobDawg wrote in post #16981863
I just don't want to get in the habit of "oh if I had just one more"... soon enough I'll have 8 speedlights.

Google the Sunpac and Minolta flashes I use, hell even the Nikon is pushing 15 years old. It is damn near as good as my 580. It eve has an automatic mode where it regulates its own output. If I have to use it on camera as a substitute for ttl it does a great job. Light, cheap, well, cheap if I hadn't bought it over a decade ago. Lulz.

Architecture and real estate photography requires attention to detail.

This picture took about 3 hours and includes about 50 separate exposures.

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What lens, David? 17-40?

Heya,

Instead of buying tons of lighting gear, you're shooting a stationary subject, you can exposure via tripod to allow for long shutter, long exposure, to gain tons of light. This means less requirement to have lots of artificial light. Bracket, do 3, 4 or 5 exposures, and blend them (like HDR). Just don't over-cook it so it looks like a circus tent. The 560 III's are great, you can set them on low power and bounce from different places.

Photomatrix should do it.

Very best,

I was looking at the HDR vs Flash argument and I see the points on both sides. Like you sald MalVeauX, I just don't want the pictures to turn into paintings/fake rep of the house. I feel like some people abuse the HDR to make something look like what it really isn't because they can't capture what the house really looks like, and I don't want to be one of those people.

Would Photomatrix Essentials work? or is it better to get the whole thing?

I think DM Ward has the best option listed. You could with the use of a tripod use one flash/light source and light up specific area one shot at a time and blend them together to get the exposure you want. I think there are quite a few examples in the car forum of how they light vehicles with a single speed light and then combine the exposures to get a perfectly lit car.
May want to check out that side of the threads as well. But I also like the idea of long exposure. You can really use minimal lighting and get great results with long exposure as well.