I came across an article recently that covered things the writer thinks your photographer needs to know before hiring them, and I thought I'd give my take on this list.

1. Factor in the time of day when scheduling a photoshoot. This is a big issue that a lot of businesses, and photographers, don't give enough consideration to, but it’s worth considering the time of day for when you book a shoot to ensure that the sun is in the best position for taking your ‘hero shot’ outside.

Having said that, my experience with businesses in various industries, and I've heard this from a lot of photographers as well, is that it's usually the clients booking the shoot who aren't interested in making themselves available for a photoshoot at the time that best suits the location.

A lot of business owners expect the photographer to do some magic and create wondrous images in any situation, and they don't understand the important role that the light plays when shooting outdoors. A truly professional photographer will do the best they can regardless of what's happening, but they can't truly replicate what the great big light in the sky can achieve.

2. Drone shots aren’t always the best shots. I totally agree and I think this is important, especially with the rising popularity of drone shots (no pun intended). Now don’t get me wrong, elevated shots really can work well. Having said that, drone shots can sometimes make things worse, not better. You can check samples of different drone shots below.

The reason why very high exterior shots don't always work, especially when shooting homes in high-density residential areas, is because they'll show the roof and the yards of surrounding homes, and that's a look that is not necessarily appealing, especially if it makes the home we are shooting seem closer to neighbors than it really is. I have discussed a brief snippet for using drones for listings here.

3. It takes skill to make a twilight shoot work well. A lot of buildings look their best either just before sunrise or just after sunset. However, what's important here is the choice of photographer. A photographer with very little experience or the skill to shoot twilights will not necessarily create an amazing image.

A twilight shoot is something that takes a lot of work because the timing is so limited. The photographer will have maybe 10 to 15 minutes when the light is just perfect, and in that time they'll need to get enough exposures, and often multiple angles. That takes planning and a knowledge of what lighting is needed. Only the best photographers should be trusted to do this with a high degree of skill. You can also check my previous writing about adding a twilight photo to your listing here and on this feature property article.

4. Say no to excessively dramatic skies. The skies in your photos should look good, but they shouldn’t be too dramatic, such that they draw attention away from the focus of the image.

When an inexperienced photographer learns how to do a sky replacement in Photoshop (where they remove the sky that was there on the day and replace it with a different sky) they can get a bit too excited. That's when they go crazy, bringing in the most dramatic skies they can find.

What they forget is that the real estate agent or the business owner is not selling the sky, but the home or the business. The attention then needs to be on the building, not what's going on up above.

5. Don’t edit the images too much. As a professional photographer, I've had clients ask me to remove all sorts of items from a photo, and on many occasions, I've had to explain to them that it would be against the law to misrepresent a home or business in that way.

A good photographer should be familiar with the rules regarding editing an image in Photoshop, or they could get themselves and their client in a lot of trouble.

6. Have extra lights available to photograph indoors. A photographer should have some lights with them when taking interior shots and in a lot of situations, multiple lights are very helpful like this set-up or a simple one can be handier at certain times.

Sample shots with the help of extra lighting are shown below.

Having said that, some photographers can create wonderful images using purely natural light. However, even then it can be a good idea for them to carry a few lights with them so they are prepared for any situation. There are times when only an extra pop of flash will fix the situation.

7. Use a wide-angle lens when appropriate. Any experienced architectural photographer will have a wide-angle lens in their kit bag. We need to talk about the photographer or the client who feels that every photo needs to show the entire room, no matter how wide that might be.

This is a big problem for two reasons:

Firstly, showing an excessively wide room will make the room seem larger than what it really is. That kind of thing can be very damaging to a client’s reputation. In fact, I've had quite a few conversations with consumers who express their frustration with businesses, and photographers, who shoot far too wide.

Take for example these photos we’ve seen online, they may be fine coming from customer’s reviews but not necessarily ideal for real estate photo listings. We wouldn't want to mislead people about the real size of the space by using the wide-angled lens inappropriately.

Secondly, a wide shot is not necessarily the best shot to use in a marketing campaign. For example, a beautifully composed photograph that looks like something from a styled magazine photoshoot may do far more to attract customer inquiries than a wide shot with no soul. The goal, after all, is a sale, so the images need to be focused on that goal, not just on showing as much as they can.

8. Have a booking confirmation if you have a contract or at least something in writing that makes it clear what the photographer will be delivering so everyone knows exactly what’s going on. This contract or list of services could include:
- How long will the photographer be on site, and are there time limits?

- What will incur extra fees?

- Will the photographer style the room in any way, or will they shoot it exactly as it is presented?

- How long will it take to deliver the completed images?

- What kind of additional services / technology the photographer can provide?

Those are all important questions, but a signed contract is not essential. Most photographers I know will include these details in their pricelist (so that the client is aware of these things before making a booking) or will communicate those issues in an email to their client before the shoot to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Be aware also that a photographer is trying to run a viable business and as such, they do need to charge more for doing extra work. A business that respects its photographer as a professional and is willing to pay extra when more is being demanded from them, will be better placed to ensure a successful photoshoot and marketing campaign.

Contact us today for your next photoshoot project.