So you think your iPhone can take decent pictures of real estate? Sure, phone cameras have come so far in recent years. They can take some beautiful images. That doesn’t mean they can replace professional real estate photography though.
Not sure you believe us? That’s ok, we are going to give you 4 examples of a home that was taken by an amateur with their phone and then by a professional photographer who specializes in real estate photography.
Kitchen Photography
Right away you will notice that the iPhone image has that signature yellow tint that camera phone images have. When you compare it to the camera image it becomes obvious that the yellow is not an accurate color for the kitchen.
Another common problem is the harsh light coming in from the sliding glass doors in the background. The iPhone struggles to balance the light coming in from the doors with the light fixtures located in the kitchen. This is something you won’t see in professional real estate photography.
The other big difference is the camera is able to capture the entire expanse of the space. Notice how you can see a majority of the stove on the right side of the image. Then, on the left side of the image you see the majority of the dining room area.
Potential buyers will see the kitchen ass a larger space in the camera image.
Bathroom Photographs
The first thing you will notice is the stark difference in the light in the two images. The iPhone image has two harsh light spots, the fixture
This leads to the iPhone picture looking like the bathroom is a dingy brown color. But if you notice in the camera image, the bathroom is a completely different color.
The other big difference is how much of the space is captured in the image. Obviously, the more of the room you can see, the bigger the space will feel. So in the camera image you can see more of the ceiling at the top and more of the toilet and counter at the bottom.
The final differences are thanks to the professional photographer having an understanding of angles. The camera image has a slightly different placement that is a step to the right from the iPhone image. This creates a better angle and more expansive view of the bathroom.
Living Room Images
Take a moment and look at these two images. Which one would you want to hang out in? This is what potential buyers are thinking when they are looking at home listings online.
Obviously, we would all choose to be in the brighter room. This one looks more inviting and comfortable.
What you might not nice right away is how much bigger the professional image make the room look. This is because the placement of camera allows for more of the room to get included.
This means that all of the furniture in the room are now in the picture. This gives you a much better idea of what can fit into the room.
Bedroom Photos
Right off the bat, these look like two different bedrooms. The iPhone image makes it look like only one bed fits in the room. When in reality, the room can comfortably fit two beds.
That’s a game changer when it comes to selling the home.
Let’s move on to the lighting, in the phone picture, the light of lighting is highlighted by the fan lights. This is focusing on a feature you don’t want to bring attention. Instead, the camera image makes the entire space look bright and inviting.
Moving on to color, would you even realize the room is blue in the phone image? Probably not. Where in the camera image we can see that the walls are blue and the carpet is tan.
Professional real estate photography is doing this room justice. While the iPhone photography is only going to hinder your efforts.
If You Must Use a Phone
At this point, we hope that we have convinced you that you need to hire a professional real estate photographer. Whether it is the beautiful historic homes of Seminole Heights or the modern construction of Wesley Chapel, all real estate benefits from an experienced photographer.
We know that there will still be some of you will say, nope, I’m doing it myself. Ok, we respect that. We have a few tips to help you so that your phone images come out better than the examples we have here.
Get a Tripod
If you aren’t using a tripod you are already set up to fail. Everything else you do will not matter. There is no way you can take professional looking real estate pictures without a tripod.
You don’t realize it, but your hands shake and move, no matter how still you think you are. This means that your image will never be as clear as when it is on a tripod.
You also need a tripod for proper placement. We’ll talk about it in a bit, but it is vital that your phone camera have the proper placement so your images don’t come out looking warped like a fun house.
Get a Wide Angle Lens
One of the big differences we talked about between the amateur iPhone and professional real estate photography was the width of the images. You can see so much more of the home with the images taken by the camera.
To sort of replicate this you need to buy a wide angle lens for your phone. There are a bunch out there, so be sure to buy a quality one.
Avoid the Flash
Don’t use the flash on your phone. Seriously, never ever use it. It will create uneven and harsh unnatural light.
Instead work with as much natural light as you can create in the room. You may also need an app to work with the required different levels of light needed to effectively light the entire room.
Try to choose a bright sunny day so that you can get the most amount of light in the home. Do not take your pictures on a cloudy, stormy day. Thankfully we live in Florida, so taking real estate pictures here in the Wesley Chapel or general Tampa Bay area is easier. You’ll have plenty of sunny days to choose from.
This is really where having a professional photographer with a camera beats out a phone image every time.
Avoid the Warp
This is the biggest problem that
If your phone is not perfectly horizontal then the vertical lines in your image will not be perfectly straight up and down. This will cause the entire room to look “off”.
The best way to combat this is to always use a tripod. This way you can make sure the phone is perfectly horizontal. You can also make sure that it isn’t tilted forward or backward.
Hire A Professional
Using professional real estate photography for your homes is well worth the time and effort you save by not having to take them yourself. It also makes your homes stand out among the competition.
Remember that these images don’t just represent the home, they also represent you and your thriving real estate business here in the Tampa Bay area. You want people to take you seriously as a professional.
To do this, you need to put your home’s best foot forward. This means having quality professional photography for your homes.
Looking to have your real estate inventory photographed? We can help! Schedule your session today with one of our knowledgeable real estate photographers.
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