By Sungula Nkabinde
As a home and decor magazine, we would not only like to show you how to turn your place into a beautiful home, but we would also like to help you take pictures of your home so that you may show it to others. There are a few simple tips that can make a huge difference in helping you take better photographs of your home’s interior or design project. Whether to improve your “for sale” ad, or simply show off the work you’ve done on your home, here are a few tips that go a long way toward taking pictures that would even impress a professional photographer:
Tip #1 Get the lighting right: Lighting is extremely important when you are dealing with outdoor photography. Improper lighting can result in a great shot looking awful. Because of this fact, you should aim to get the sun shining from behind you, if possible. For exterior shots, however, cloudier days may be better as clouds can help minimise dark shadows and reflective light.
Tip #2 Do not use your phone: Your equipment will be the one tool that you will rely on most to help make your home look beautiful for your online photos or videos. Use the best camera that you can afford, borrow one if necessary.
Tip #3 Take low shots: One really important compositional consideration is how high the camera is off the ground. 40 inches off the floor is generally a good height to consider. When your camera sits lower than eye level, your photos will look more like those you see in magazines.
Tip #4 Shoot straight on: Try to set your camera straight and not tilt it up or down. When you tilt the camera, the vertical lines in the photo get distorted, which won’t look professional. For a strong composition, shoot straight onto an elevation of a room or building. To do this, you want the camera sensor to be parallel to your subject. The result is often a more pleasing photo that has a nice, graphic feeling.
Tip #5 Turn off your flash: Even basic point-and-shoot cameras are getting better at low-light situations, and your camera’s flash will never be able to light a room well.
Tip #6 Take a lot of pictures: The more pictures you take, the better, as this will keep a possible buyer engaged longer with your property instead of moving on quickly to the next set of photos. A picture is worth a thousand words and when it comes to selling your home in today’s market, good, attractive pictures are instrumental in pulling a buyer to your door.
Tip #7 Remove the clutter: Clean and simple pictures show up best online. Pictures that have too many distractions in them take away from the viewer’s focus on the home. You want them to see the house not the garbage can, seasonal decorations, children’s toys or the dogs’ bowls.
Tip #8: Use a tripod if possible: Putting whatever camera you have on a tripod allows you to steady the camera and be more deliberate in making your composition. With a digital camera, you can take a quick test shot and review it to make adjustments for the final shot.
Leave a Comment