How to tell if your Maui Real Estate Pictures are good enough?
There are so many real estate photographers. How can you tell if their pictures are good enough? Here are five basic quality check points:
1. Vertical Lines
When shooting with a wide-angle lens, typically 17-18mm, the image will somehow be distorted. The photographer should be aware of straightening all the vertical lines of the image in post production. Check if the lines in the image are parallel to each other.
Alignment: Make sure the photos are in perfect horizontal axis - Photo by FLOCUS Studio
Below are pictures from the MLS: Distorted images are not very appealing. When shooting from a wide angle view, photographers should avoid objects in the foreground or middle-ground (like back of sofas, coffee tables) and avoid dramatic angles. Shoot more floor than ceiling. The photographs should have a natural look.
2. Vignetting
Vignetting is a reduction of an image's brightness or saturation toward the periphery compared to the image center and it shall not appear in property photos. Vignetting is caused by light hitting the lens aperture at a strong angle - an internal physical obstruction. This effect is often noticed in images taken with wide angle. The photographer shall be able to remove the vignetting effects to give a clear edge of the photos by applying lens correction function. Property photos shall be bright and clear, images with vignetting could appear to be amateur.
3. Multiple exposure
In Maui, the ocean view is a selling point. Simply say, the photos need to highlight the view out from the window. This can only be done by some form of blending multiple exposures. You may have heard of HDR technology. It stands for High Dynamic Range which means in a final image it balances off all the lights from the brightest window spot to the darkest shadows. You can tell if this technique is being used or not simply looking at photos that have big windows. Is the interior look too dark and the window is overexposed? Check out our other blog post about photo quality.
All of your interior images showing a window should be bracketed. 3 shots of bracketing images.
When the property was properly lit, you could see the interior and external views very clearly and evenly lit.
4. Height of tripod
Tripod shall be used in shooting interior photos. It shall be set at medium height to avoid any axis distortion. We suggest setting the camera on a perfect horizontal axis 1m20-1m (about hip height to chest height). Your photographer shall make sure to shoot on perfect horizontal axis and avoid shooting too low or too high.
5. The right file size and enough amount of photos
Your listing site requires specific photo file size. Your photographer shall be resizing the image to meet your specifications instead of sending you random sizes and leave it to you to adjust the files. Maui Hawaii MLS listing allow up to 50 images. If your photographer is providing too many duplicates of similar angles, you simply won’t have much choice to pick through the photos. Ideally, you want to have some interior photos and surrounding complex images as well as beach photos if a beach is nearby.
Show off the ocean views as much as possible from different angles. Photo by FLOCUS Studio
Highlighting the views and lighting.
Photo by FLOCUS Studio
3 different angles of each bedroom
3 images for kitchen
3 images of living room
at least 2 photos of bathroom
at least 2 photos of the house or condominium exterior
2 images of garage / washer-dryer features
2 images of yard
1 image highlighting the view
5-6 images of condo complex facilities and nearby beach
Showing the views from Lanai.
Photo by FLOCUS Studio
Showing the kitchen island.
Photo by FLOCUS Studio
Among all of the images, you want to pick out a cover image as your listing first image. It has to be the most eye catching image that shows off the selling point of your property.
These are some of the basic elements for a quality real estate photoshoot. Check out your existing listing photos now and see if they have met these criteria. If you are not sure if your photos are professionally taken or not, send us a link, we will provide complimentary review of your listing photos and suggestions.
Check out our Real Estate Photography Service or Contact Us for a quote.