The Importance of getting the right photos

Having spent the last few weekends out and about looking at houses in an attempt to upgrade from mini to massive (I wish) I have come to realize even more the importance of good property photographs. On the whole most photographers do a great job representing a property allowing the buyer to get a good idea of what it is like before they view it.  Keeping in mind, it is often up to the agent to select the photos to be used in the advertising. 
As a photographer myself, I am reasonably good at interpreting what a house is going to be like from the photos. I understand just how and what a photographer has done to capture a particular shot and can get a fair idea of what a property will be like before I view it in the flesh.  But today a few things leapt out at me. Particularly in one instance when I viewed a property and was shocked to find that the view overlooking the pool of Glenelg and the City as a backdrop had not been captured or shown on the internet.  I was not entirely sure how it was overlooked because to me it was a huge selling point of the property -indeed many at the open were marveling at the view also.
Missing a vital aspect of a property is certainly not ideal.Of course it is also important to remember that "less is more". I am not saying that it is a good idea to misrepresent and hide aspects of a property, but sometimes using a better angle can work marvels for that tired shag pile carpet or that orange and green seventies wall paper. Having searched the internet and saved the open times to my calendar I had prepared myself well. I was even ready to act maturely when it came to viewing the overwhelming 80’s tiled bathroom I had spotted. However, when confronted by it in person I was surprised to realize that it was not nearly as bad as the photo had made out. Sometimes it is better to use a well thought out angle and capture the essence of something rather than try and contain the whole in the small frame that the camera has to offer. In doing this you give the viewer an idea to expect certain furnishings without overwhelming them and exasperating an otherwise reasonable room.
Real Estate photography requires a fine balance. When photographing a home I like to capture the best aspects of a property as well as give a realistic impression to the buyers. While it is important to get people interested in a property there is little point if they come along expecting something very different.  I often like to ask the owners which aspects they love about their home. Often they can point out an angle that I may miss due to the time constraints of a shoot.  Afterall, it is the owners that bought it to begin with and have spent many years there so you would expect them to know the sweet spots.
But of course there are particular properties that just scream creativity. It is these homes that can take advantage of those arty shoots which create a mystery and lure in potential buyers by not telling the whole story.   Architecturally designed homes or those homes a little out of the ordinary can benefit from photos a little off base with a creative edge to attract potential buyers who are intrigued to find out more and surprise and delight people upon inspection. Often it takes a courageous vendor and agent to use this sales technique, and my it’s fun for the photographer.

So, if you are putting your home on the market, please remember that good, well thought out photos are important.

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