Better photos with little effort

Unless you contract out for photo services, taking pictures is part of a Realtor's or Stager's job functions. Good pictures are a significant element in marketing a home. Who hasn't heard "A picture is worth a thousand words"?

Some pictures speak volumes; like a listing photo of a house covered in snow and still on the MLS in July. It says "This Realtor doesn't really care about the listing". I bet I can find more than one snowy picture in our MLS right now (not to worry, none of the photos used here are from the MLS). If a listing gets stale, refresh it with new pictures every once in a while.

                                       Summer listings often have pictures that show more greenery than house. It looks like a green screen and the viewer wonders what's being hidden.

If the home owners won't prune the trees and shrubs, then take a close-up photo of a smaller segment of the building, rather than taking a picture of nothing but trees.

Close-ups draw the viewer in. Too many objects, colors and layers are distracting. Create a clear focus for more impact.

Other tactics to draw the viewer in are to either create a frame around a picture, or to fade out the edge of an image to draw attention to the center. Especially pictures that have little color delineation, like this white kitchen, need to be defined.

Unfortunately not every kitchen looks this neat and clean. But before you take pictures, please make sure the dirty dishes in the sink, groceries on the counter and the overflowing garbage can are not visible. Clearing off the counters and closing all cabinet doors will go a long way in getting a good kitchen shot.

                                                         Find a unique perspective

How many photos are out there with frontal shots of the fireplace with mantle and of the couch with a picture above it? Any larger shots of rooms always seem to be taken from the door. Go for the angle and seek out the corners of a room to take a picture from. It will show more of the space and will add more interest to the photo.

View taking pictures less as documentation, and more as creating art. Form a pleasing picture for the eye by playing with balance, symmetry, light, angles, color, positive space (objects) and negative space. Have fun with the features of your camera. Zoom in occasionally, especially on architectural details.

And when you pull up to the house on picture taking day, remember not to park in the driveway, or at the curb in front of the house. Cars in real estate photos should be avoided. This might seem like a lot to remember when taking pictures, but luckily there are fairly intuitive computer programs available that help you manipulate and improve your photos.

Forgot the car in the driveway?  Erase it.  Too much green, not enough focus?   Crop it.        There you go.

Wasn't that easy?

Sandy Nelson
Realtor for Olympia Area Real Estate
www.sandynelsonrealestate.com

Riley Jackson Real Estate Inc.