A thread for real estate, architectural, and interior design photography

^^ Awesome shot and house. I feel like a drone is a must for me since I live in the Black Hills and there are some awesome houses surrounded by forest around here.

If I had one critique of your shot, I feel like I would have shot from the left looking right at the piece of house that's cutoff. Feel like that would allow a few more leading lines into the door. Of course, it's easy for me to say this without being there because I have no idea what's out of the frame or behind you! Either way, great shot.

seaLere wrote in post #18129097
^^ Awesome shot and house. I feel like a drone is a must for me since I live in the Black Hills and there are some awesome houses surrounded by forest around here.

If I had one critique of your shot, I feel like I would have shot from the left looking right at the piece of house that's cutoff. Feel like that would allow a few more leading lines into the door. Of course, it's easy for me to say this without being there because I have no idea what's out of the frame or behind you! Either way, great shot.

I did grab a shot like that, This one before was slightly elevated since there was a huuge boulder on the lawn that I climbed up, I like the angle but the agent didn't like the cutoff either. so this is the one that they're gonna go with. There was also a huge dumpster parked on the drive way to camera left that I had to shoot around.

Boulders and dumpsters...it's always gotta be something to make it fun to shoot around lol.

I like that one much better. I would have liked to have seen one from the other side of the flower pot and slightly in front of it, but I'm guessing since it's real estate they probably wanted to show it.

seaLere wrote in post #18129003
I am also looking into the 17mm TSE, but from what I hear, it's only really worth it if you're going to use it for a lot of architectural stuff. If your day to day is real estate, I hear the 17-40 is the better route as you can get in and out quicker. Not sure if there is truth to this, I'm sure cccc and others can chime in.

Do you guys have any local rental shops? The 17mm t/s is fun, but I could never justify owning it for real estate only. I'm in Chicago so I can go pick one up for the day for about $40. It ends up being more from the online rental spots, although the actual day rate is lower.

No realtor would know the difference, and I don't think there are very many that would pay the rates I would consider worthwhile to justify using such a lens. If you can command a hefty fee for real estate, then go for it, but otherwise just tilt your camera and correct in post.

mltn wrote in post #18129395
Do you guys have any local rental shops? The 17mm t/s is fun, but I could never justify owning it for real estate only. I'm in Chicago so I can go pick one up for the day for about $40. It ends up being more from the online rental spots, although the actual day rate is lower.

No realtor would know the difference, and I don't think there are very many that would pay the rates I would consider worthwhile to justify using such a lens. If you can command a hefty fee for real estate, then go for it, but otherwise just tilt your camera and correct in post.

Nope The last one closed down a few years ago. It's a shame....a city of 120,000 people with some of the most beautiful landscape in the country (20 mins from Mt. Rushmore), and not a damn local camera shop anymore. Closest one is now 5 hours away in Denver.

I definitely wouldn't pull the trigger on the TSE though until I was doing more commercial than real estate work.

seaLere wrote in post #18129946
Nope The last one closed down a few years ago. It's a shame....a city of 120,000 people with some of the most beautiful landscape in the country (20 mins from Mt. Rushmore), and not a damn local camera shop anymore. Closest one is now 5 hours away in Denver.

I definitely wouldn't pull the trigger on the TSE though until I was doing more commercial than real estate work.

As an experienced view camera user, I'm going to agree with this. TS lenses are specialized and expensive. If you are doing a good deal of high end architectural or commercial work, they may well be a good choice if not a requirement, but, in the typical RE session, you need to move quickly because either the client or the owner (or both!) are waiting on you and your fee most likely also means you need to work quickly. In addition, carrying several fixed FL lenses instead of one UWA zoom will complicate your work needlessly. Alternatively, forcing all you images to work on a single FL will limit your photographic capability.

Most of the shift functions of a TS lens (the ones most needed in architectural work) can be accomplished by careful placement on site and digital correction in post. The tilt function is primarily used to assure sharpness from front to back of the image. The DOF of a UWA minimizes somewhat the need for this and, if needed, focus stacking can actually do a better job of extending focus than tilting a lens.

So, although the TS lens is a wonderful and fascinating tool, it may not really be needed and may actually be a less useful tool in some circumstances.

rgs wrote in post #18129969
...
Most of the shift functions of a TS lens (the ones most needed in architectural work) can be accomplished by careful placement on site and digital correction in post. The tilt function is primarily used to assure sharpness from front to back of the image. The DOF of a UWA minimizes somewhat the need for this and, if needed, focus stacking can actually do a better job of extending focus than tilting a lens.

So, although the TS lens is a wonderful and fascinating tool, it may not really be needed and may actually be a less useful tool in some circumstances.

The thing you have to remember is to not tilt the camera. You need to keep the back vertical to avoid keystoning. This is how a TS lens works.
For what you would shoot as a horizontal image, but have to aim up to get it all in, try shooting wider. Keep the camera as horizontal as possible. You might have to use in a vertical format to get all of the building in & then crop the bottom off.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #18129989
The thing you have to remember is to not tilt the camera. You need to keep the back vertical to avoid keystoning. This is how a TS lens works.
For what you would shoot as a horizontal image, but have to aim up to get it all in, try shooting wider. Keep the camera as horizontal as possible. You might have to use in a vertical format to get all of the building in & then crop the bottom off.

What I said was to frame as precisely as possibly and then correct, when necessary, in post. While it may not be possible to keep the back vertical on site, there is almost never a reason to deliver images with uncorrected geometry.

That said, one of my clients insists on more floor and less ceiling. She says floors sell and ceilings don't. For her, I frame loosely and plan on digital corrections. Otherwise, I am almost always level vertically and horizontally on site unless circumstances require differently. And, if I allow lines to converge, it will be for artistic effect and exaggerated enough that it is apparent that it is intentional - and it will always be paired with a "record shot" that is more traditional.

rgs wrote in post #18130005
What I said was to frame as precisely as possibly and then correct, when necessary, in post. While it may not be possible to keep the back vertical on site, there is almost never a reason to deliver images with uncorrected geometry.

That said, one of my clients insists on more floor and less ceiling. She says floors sell and ceilings don't. For her, I frame loosely and plan on digital corrections. Otherwise, I am almost always level vertically and horizontally on site unless circumstances require differently. And, if I allow lines to converge, it will be for artistic effect and exaggerated enough that it is apparent that it is intentional - and it will always be paired with a "record shot" that is more traditional.

I wasn't disputing what you said. I was adding to it with some more fyi for the OP. Sorry for the confusion.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #18129989
The thing you have to remember is to not tilt the camera. You need to keep the back vertical to avoid keystoning. This is how a TS lens works.
For what you would shoot as a horizontal image, but have to aim up to get it all in, try shooting wider. Keep the camera as horizontal as possible. You might have to use in a vertical format to get all of the building in & then crop the bottom off.

I like the vertical then crop idea, never thought of that. I tend to forget that realtors mostly need images for web, and maybe a printed brochure, so they don't need to use all 20 megapixels my camera can offer, I'll definitely keep this in mind.

You do lose quality by tilting and correcting in post, but for any RE, the IQ loss is completely negligible. My main point is almost all realtors are have low photo budgets. I'm tempted to call them cheap, but let's instead label them cost sensitive. They would love to hear that you could bring better gear to improve the photos, but they are certainly not willing to pay more for it no matter how much it costs you. They'll go to the next guy or company with the rates they prefer, even if the images come out worse. There are certainly exceptions to this, but they are not common.

could NOT get that tree to stand still.

^^ Love the composition of that kitchen shot. I would have either moved the plant or put the camera higher...it's definitely a nice touch but a tad distracting. I would also drop the exposure just a hair on the wall and cabinets. (But that's also subjective person to person...some would probably prefer it the way you did it). The blending of it all looks fantastic though.

seaLere wrote in post #18130370
^^ Love the composition of that kitchen shot. I would have either moved the plant or put the camera higher...it's definitely a nice touch but a tad distracting. I would also drop the exposure just a hair on the wall and cabinets. (But that's also subjective person to person...some would probably prefer it the way you did it). The blending of it all looks fantastic though.

Thanks! I popped 2 rovelights on that one, 1 to lower camera left and one pointed behind camera and blended with ambient. I with you on the cabinets, but this was an for an RE listing so you know.. they want it BRIGHT. I really appreciated the staging. The curtains were like giant softboxes, here's a couple more. I think the bottom bedroom shot was just 1 shot out of the camera toned a little.

joooowan wrote in post #18130187
could NOT get that tree to stand still.

Hosted photo: posted by joooowan in
./showthread.php?p=181​30187&i=i127664010
forum: Architecture, Real-Estate & Buildings

Lovely shot, I'm trying to think of anything that could be done about that tree, that's just a tough situation. Maybe a longer shutter speed could help? Like really blur the thing.