How To Get Started In Real Estate Photography – I have been photographing real estate for ten years now, and as dry and uninteresting as photographing buildings can sound, I find this to be a very rewarding field in the photography world. Sure, the days are dull, boring or repetitive, but sometimes you walk into a house and thank your lucky stars the real estate agent called you.
Every day you have to fight the light, your camera and your talent, and if you’re good, you win that battle every day. In this article, I’ll give you the inside scoop on what it takes to be successful as a real estate photographer these days, and what I think you need to do to be successful.
How To Get Started In Real Estate Photography
Let’s go through the boring stuff first to get them out of the way. It’s good to know if the market can support you before you start throwing money at the gear. In general, the bigger the city, the better. If photographers’ schedules seem busy, there’s probably room for some new faces. But if you live in a small town or see all the companies dropping their prices, you might want to reconsider.
How To Become A Real Estate Photographer: The Ultimate Guide
When evaluating other photographers in the market, also look at their prices and what they offer to their customers. Maybe you want to be under them because you are the new guy and you need to make a name for yourself. I will not totally undervalue the market because it will only hurt everyone in the market and indeed it will not last too long even if you think you are getting a lot of money.
Now let’s look at your actual expenses. You have insurance, business licenses and many other things that you probably haven’t considered yet. You need phone, internet, hosting fees, gas, adobe tax and many other things to get started. Oh, and taxes! Uncle Sam wants his share too!
To get a real idea of all these prices, go to Nick Adam’s price calculator. Fill this in honestly and see what you need gross and net for a month or year to survive. How do these numbers compare to what your pricing schedule allows you to earn? Can you make it work?
You need to plan to be out of business for at least six months – can you survive that long? If not, consider working for someone else while you level up your skills.
Easy Ways To Improve Your Real Estate Photography Compositions
It can deliver images around 2000px wide, so you won’t need to buy a Nikon Z9 or a Canon R3, making it a real estate photography rock star. Some of the best shooters in the industry rely on Sony APS-C cameras and 12mm Rokinons.
The initial investment in gear is not huge, especially when you consider that you can use the frame you have now. If you insist on buying a new one, I recommend switching to mirrorless. But when it comes to the brand – Sony, Nikon, Canon or Olympus – it’s all up to you. Most modern systems have a very affordable 16-30 f/4 (APS-C 10-20mm) lens; it’s all you need to get started (most shoots are f/6.3-f/11, so paying extra for f/2.8 is a waste of money for a beginner!).
If you want to splurge, do it on a three. A solid and stable platform for most guns. Although it can be hard to wrap your head around, a big spend on Gitzo or RSS will save you a lot of money in the long run because you won’t be buying 2-3 cheaper tripods again down the road. (And with the money I saved by NOT buying that 14-24 f/2.8, you can have the Gitzo!)
The best head for installation is a toothpick. Ball heads flop a lot and are very hard to level. Benro’s and Leofoto’s are good places to start, and the Arca-Swiss Cube is a real estate photographer’s dream.
Photography That Launched An Empire: How Airbnb Transformed Their Business With Professional Photography
A good tripod is important, for example, when shooting in the darkest areas and when taking multiple exposures for composite lighting.
Flash. Start with simple flashes… and every few works, also invest in your business by adding more and better flashes. I recommend using Godox (AKA Flashpoint).
Start with two flashes and the R2 wireless flash system. Add the Godox AD200 when you can – this is the flash I use most in the field. I think using a Magmod ball on it will give better light quality. For larger projects, I also keep a few Godox AD600s around – no need to pay extra for TTL as everything is shot by hand.
Extra batteries. Get backups of all important gear in your application. Nothing is more stupid than not having the equipment you need.
Real Estate Photography Pricing
Depending on your business model and what you want to do, you should consider purchasing at least three accessories. I would like to
Consider all of these… but you may also want to put them on hold until your business is more established.
The first has a 3D camera, and while Matterport is the most well-known, there are other options. For example, the Ricoh Theta Z will set you back a thousand dollars and can be used on the Matterport platform. The Theta is also faster than the Matterport camera, but the Matterport camera blows away in terms of quality. (The full Matterport camera takes up to 3 grand, and also requires an iPad). Other options include full systems like iGuide (also based on Theta Z) and editor/demo sites like Eyespy360 and 3DVista.
Another activity you want to add is drone photography. My favorite drone is the DJI Mavic 2 Pro – very stable base and top-of-the-line camera. With the recent release of the Mavik 3, the prices of the 2 are coming down, which is a real plus for those who are just starting out. And the 3 doesn’t add any needed functionality, not really worth the price. If you decide to shoot drone photography commercially – still or video, you need an FAA license. DO NOT try to get around this… this is the law and you have to obey the law here. You also benefit from the fact that the standard commercial photographer insurance package includes drone insurance.
Basic Types Of Real Estate Photos — Tdc
Finally, you almost have to consider adding video to your list of services. There are so many options that you should write a separate article for this topic. But if you are still thinking about shooting video, consider a video stabilization system… either as a standalone unit (Osmo) that your camera can be attached to (Ronin) or to stabilize your iPhone.
So now that you have a lot of material, what are you going to do with it? Let’s start by working on your basic skills. You can – but I don’t recommend – just hit the ground. I think it’s best to go and know at least something about what you’re doing.
The first thing you need to learn is photography composition. Framing is a skill that goes back a thousand years, so there’s no shortage of places to learn a good lesson. You can start by looking at how photographers write. Then you can see how your favorite TV show or movie is based. They all use the same basic rules…or
Now I’m not going to go into that and I’m not even going to mention the rule of thirds because that’s not what this article is about. You want this job, here’s one of your homework: research and learn about composition.
Dmd Real Estate Photography
Join real estate forums on Facebook and read reviews in real time. Also send your current photos. Now is the time to learn! So wear an asbestos suit, submit your test photos and let the experts help you heal for free.
This is also a good time to start learning to work with fire. In your own home, photograph your living room in the morning and then in the afternoon. Look at your portions carefully. What has changed? What works? What doesn’t work? Do you get a black spot? Add flash and see what happens. I highly recommend doing this and viewing your shots immediately to see how different flashes and exposures make or break your images.
Get used to fire by shooting in different weather and at different times. Ask your friends, parents or even people you may know who are selling their home. Start small and increase your knowledge base in any way you want.
The first time it’s possible already: just draw. It doesn’t take long to realize that this is not cut in real estate.
How To Get Into Real Estate Photography And Unlock A New Market
How to get started in portrait photography, how to get started in digital photography, how to get started in photography career, how to get started in fashion photography, photography how to get started, how to get started in photography, how to get started selling real estate, best way to get started in real estate investing, how to get started in wedding photography, how to get started in travel photography, how to get started in photography business, how to get started investing in commercial real estate