Types of Real Estate Photography

Types of Real Estate Photography

Real estate photography isn’t just about taking pictures of a property. It involves a wide range of techniques and styles to capture a property’s unique features and showcase it in the best possible light. Different types of real estate photography serve different purposes, from interior and exterior shots to aerial views and virtual tours. Real estate photography includes:

• Residential photography
• Interior photography
• Exterior photography
• Architectural photography
• Drone real estate photography
• Commercial real estate photography
• Real estate video tour
• Real estate virtual tour
• Twilight photography

Before diving into each of these, let’s see what factors differentiate these types of photography styles to understand their differences better.

Differentiating Factors in Real Estate Photography

Real estate photography is an essential aspect of marketing properties, whether it is for sale or rent. A well-executed real estate photo can showcase the property’s best features and attract potential buyers or renters. However, taking great real estate photos requires carefully balancing several factors.

Lighting

Lighting is the most crucial factor in real estate photography. When photographing a property, natural light can give the photo the most natural and pleasing look. However, if the property has poor natural light or if you are taking pictures at night, it is essential to bring flash or external lights, depending on the situation.

Composition

The composition of a photo is how elements are arranged within the frame. In real estate photography, composition highlights the property’s best features. The rule of thirds is a helpful guideline when composing a photo. It involves dividing the frame into thirds, horizontally and vertically, and placing the subject along the lines or at their intersections.

Equipment

The equipment used for real estate photography can significantly impact the final result. A high-quality camera with a wide-angle lens, a tripod, external lighting, remote triggers, and polarizing filters are the leading equipment in this sector.

Timing

The timing of real estate photography is essential to capture the best lighting conditions. Natural light is best captured in the early morning or late afternoon, known as the golden hour. Additionally, the midday sun can cast unflattering shadows.

Post-Production

The final step in real estate photography is post-production editing. This involves adjusting elements such as exposure, contrast, and color balance to enhance the photo’s overall quality. While it is important to make necessary adjustments, it is also essential to avoid over-editing, which can result in unrealistic images.

Residential Photography

Residential photography involves capturing photographs of homes, apartments, condos, townhomes, single-family homes, and sometimes even multi-family buildings. The focus is on visually appealing images showcasing the property’s unique features and selling points. In a residential shoot, it is common for real estate photographers to provide around 20 to 30 edited images.

Main factors of residential photography

Exterior shots

Capturing the property’s exterior to showcase its curb appeal, landscaping, and surrounding environment.

Interior shots

Capturing the property’s interior to showcase its layout, design, and features.

Lighting

Using natural or artificial lighting to create mood and highlight design features.

Equipment

Using specialized equipment such as wide-angle lenses, tripods, DSLR cameras, and mirrorless cameras.

Post-processing

Adjusting color, brightness, sharpness, contrast and removing unwanted elements, straightening vertical lines, correcting color balance, and adding sharpness and clarity.

Benefits of residential photography

• Attracts more potential buyers/renters
• Helps stand out from the competition
• Improves representation of the property
• Speeds up sales/rentals
• Boosts sale/rental prices

Examples of residential photography

Front view of the house with landscaping

Photos of a living room with a fireplace and natural light

Photos of a kitchen with modern appliances

Set of photos of bedrooms with unique features like a balcony or large windows

Photos of bathrooms with luxurious amenities like a spa tub or rain showerhead

Interior Photography

Interior photography involves capturing photographs of indoor spaces, such as homes, offices, and commercial rooms. The focus is on creating visually appealing images that showcase the space’s unique design, features, and details.

Main factors of interior photography

Lighting

Using natural light or flash and positioning the subject to take advantage of the light sources

Composition

Using techniques such as framing, leading lines, and symmetry to create visually appealing images.

Equipment

Using wide-angle lenses and tripods to capture the entire space and maintain sharpness and detail.

Post-processing

Adjusting color, brightness, and sharpness and removing any unwanted elements.

Consider the angle

Take photos from a lower angle or a higher angle.

Focus on details

Capturing exciting details, such as unique architectural features or stylish décor, creating a sense of warmth, coziness, or spaciousness.

Remove clutter

Removing clutter and unnecessary

Camera setting

Experimenting with different camera settings such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to achieve the desired effect.

Benefits of interior photography

• Improves real estate listings, hotel and restaurant promotions, and design portfolios.
• Showcases design
• Documents spaces before and after renovations

Examples of Interior photography:

Photos of a modern, stylish living room with comfortable furniture, vibrant colors, and a unique layout.

Photos of a bedroom with warm lighting, comfortable bedding, and decorative accents.

Set of photos of a kitchen with high-end appliances, sleek cabinetry, and a large island for cooking and dining.

Photos of office space with natural lighting, stylish decor, and comfortable seating.

Interior photos of a spa room with soothing colors, soft lighting, and luxurious features such as a Jacuzzi or sauna.

Exterior Photography

Exterior photography is the art of capturing images of the exterior of a building, such as a home, commercial building, or public space. This type of photography is often used in real estate, architecture, and tourism industries to showcase a property’s unique features and curb appeal.

Main factors of exterior photography:

Lighting

Choosing the right time of day, like golden hour, and utilizing artificial lightings, such as flash or strobes, can provide a more evenly lit image.

Composition

Using composition techniques like the rule of thirds, leading lines, and symmetry to create a balanced and visually pleasing image.

Perspective

Using different perspectives, such as a low angle, high angle, or bird’s eye view, adds interest and conveys a specific mood.

The benefits of exterior photography

• Showcases the properties’ unique features
• Creates a good first impression
• Highlights the neighborhood
• Increases online visibility
• Attracts more potential buyers

Examples of exterior photography

Landscape photography

Photos of property features such as a swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, or fire pit

Aerial photography

Street view photography

Seasonal photography

Architectural Photography

Architectural photography is the art of capturing images of buildings and structures to highlight their design, form, and function. Architects, designers, real estate agents, and other professionals often use it to showcase and promote their work. Architectural photographers use specialized techniques and equipment to capture buildings’ unique features and characteristics, including their lines, shapes, textures, and colors. The resulting images can be used in various contexts, such as advertising, marketing materials, publications, and art galleries.

Main factors of architectural photography:

Composition

Arranging the elements of a photograph. In architectural photography, it’s essential to consider the building’s lines, angles, and symmetry to create a balanced and visually appealing image.

Lighting

Considering the time of day, weather conditions, and the direction of light to capture the building’s textures and details.

Perspective control

Using specialized lenses and techniques to ensure that vertical lines in the building appear parallel in the photograph rather than converging. This is particularly important when photographing tall buildings.

Post-processing

Correcting perspective distortion, adjusting exposure, and enhancing colors and textures.

Equipment

Using wide-angle lenses, tripods, tilt-shift lenses, filters, and strobes or reflectors to capture the building’s full scale and detail.

Timing

Shooting during the “golden hour,” the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset, to capture warm, soft light that enhances the building’s features.

Benefits of architectural photography

• Showcases the design
• Enhances marketing and advertising efforts
• Documents building’s design and construction
• Increases property value
• Improves portfolio

Examples of architectural photography

Aerial shots of a luxury waterfront property

Exterior shots of a historic mansion

A commercial building’s lobby and common areas with a modern and sleek design.

A newly constructed apartment complex with spacious layouts.

A suburban home’s backyard and outdoor living space

Rustic cabin or cottage with a cozy and intimate atmosphere.

Drone Real Estate Photography

One of the modern types of real estate photography is drone photography which involves capturing photographs and videos from an aerial perspective using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones. The focus is on creating unique and visually stunning images that showcase properties, landscapes, and other features from a different perspective.

Main factors of real estate drone photography

Composition

Capturing the property and its surroundings from different angles, heights, and perspectives to create visually appealing images that showcase its features.

Camera settings

Adjusting camera settings such as exposure, shutter speed, and aperture.

Image stabilization

Using equipment such as gimbals to maintain a steady image while the drone is in motion.

Integration with other marketing materials

Integrating the images and footage into other marketing materials such as virtual tours, brochures, and websites
Post-processing: Adjusting color, brightness, and sharpness.

Benefits of real estate drone photography

• Creates unique perspective
• Shows advanced property features such as size, landscape, and proximity to other amenities.
• Provides a unique perspective of the property, highlighting its location, surroundings, and other features that cannot be seen from ground-level shots.
• Grabs potential buyers’ attention and increases the likelihood of a sale.
• Provides a comprehensive view of the property
• Saves time
• Reduces costs
• Provides versatility and flexibility
• Enhances the property’s marketing and advertising efforts

Examples of real estate drone photography

A video showcasing a property’s exterior features, such as its size, location, and surroundings.

A photo of a property’s landscaping, highlighting its features and natural elements.

A video tour of a property’s interior and exterior gives potential buyers or renters a comprehensive view of the property.