So here we are at another day of clouds and drizzle, not our most auspicious weather for those who have asked me to photograph their listings. However, since almost every cloud has a silver lining, it’s a great day to talk a little about Staging for Real Estate Photography and share my favorite 21 Tips For Real Estate Photography.

These are some of my best tips to guarantee that you have an awesome photo shoot for your real estate listing.

My 21 Tips To Prepare Your Home For Your Real Estate Photo Shoot are divided into Exterior  and Interior Photography  Tips.

Exterior Real Estate Photo Tips:

1. All cars need to be in the garage with doors closed. No parked cars in front of the house.
2. Remove trash cans, garden tools, hoses and sprinklers.
3. Sweep driveways, patios and sidewalks.
4. Put Deck/Patio umbrellas up in season and remove barbeque covers.
5. Pool Equipment out of the pool and out of sight.
6. All windows closed and blinds set to the same height, usually half mast is best.
7. Mow the lawn, clean up yard debris, store mower out of sight.
8. Bushes and trees trimmed to show a clear view of the house.
9. Enhance curb appeal with a front door wreath, pots of greenery or flowers.

Interior Real Estate Photo Tips:

1. All interior lights on; replace non-working bulbs.
2. Clear off counter tops in kitchens and bathrooms, removing tissue boxes, soap containers and paper towels.
3. A bowl of apples, oranges and lemons gives a nice touch of color to the kitchen table.
4. Turn on fireplace in season if possible.
5. Remove notes pictures and magnets from refrigerators.
6. Turn off ceiling fans and televisions.
7. Put away any evidence of “work” including buckets, trash cans, sponges, soap bottles and cleaning cloths
8. Remove newspapers and stacks of magazines.
9. Windows and mirrors clean and streak free.
10. Carpets vacumed and hard wood floors polished.
11. Beds freshly made; freshly folded towels in bathrooms.
12. De-clutter and de-personalize so your buyer can imagine themselves in their new home!

Bonus:   Real Esatate Photography Tip #22 – Contact me, JP Real Estate Photography, 484-431-7195. I love “Making You Look Good”!

Gingerbread House Fun at The Easttown Library – Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29th and November 30th 4:15pm – 5:15pm-Pre-registration is $10.00 a person.

The Willow’s Mansion Antique Gift and Craft Extravaganza 11/18/201 – December 4, 2011- 490 Darby Paoli Road, Villanova – Mon to Fri 10am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm and Sun 10am to 6pm -Holiday Crafts and Gifts will be featured in addition to an Art Gallery and collectibles. Admission is $3.00 484-582-1166

Wayne Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony – Friday, December 2nd – 5:30 to 7:30pm, with face painting, carriage rides and tree lighting at the Wayne Train Station

Wayne Santa Parade, Saturday, December 3rd 10am – Parade begins at the Wayne Acme and Ends at the Wayne Hotel – visit with Santa on the front porch of the Wayne Hotel until 11:30am.

Malvern’s Annual Victorian Christmas – Friday December 2nd (6pm to 9pm) and Saturday December 3rd (10am to 2pm) – Purchase tickets at the Malvern Federal Savings Bank at 100 W King Street beginning 11/16/11, featuring free horse and carriage rides, the Philadelphia Boys’ Choir. Be sure to check the itinerary for dates and times.

Devon December Christmas Tree Sale – December 2nd, 3rd and 4th and December 9th, 10th and 11th in the Devon Horse Show Parking Lot on Route 30 featuring Devon Fudge, Hot chocolate and special treats! Fridays 4:30 to 7:30pm, Saturdays 8:30am to 6pm and Sundays 10am to 4:00pm

A “Seussified Christmas Carol” Presented by The Conestoga High School Drama Club at Tredyffrin Library – Saturday December 3rd 2:00pm and 7:00pm – Admission $3.00 at the Tredyffrin Public Library in Strafford on Upper Gulph Road, or call 610-688-7092.

Downingtown Good Neighbor Christmas Parade – Saturday December 10th 1pm-3pm on Lancaster Avenue beginning at Gable Ave and going East to Whiteland Avenue/Route 113, featuring discounts by local merchants and the award winning Downingtown Marching Band and string bands.

Old Fashioned Christmas Parade in West Chester and the “Jingle Elf Run”, tree lighting ceremony at 6:15pm with a Christmas Parade at 7:15pm

A Brandywine Christmas starts at Brandywine River Museum December 3rd, 9:30am to 4:30pm, with O-gauge model railroad and charming natural “critter ornaments” made by the museum volunteers, plus a new dollhouse display. Ends January 8th.

The Wayne Art Center at 413 Maplewood Avenue in Wayne, 610 688-3553’s “CraftForms 2011” Begins December 2nd through January 21st

I have always enjoyed photography. In fact I can well remember the Christmas morning excitement as a kid when I got my first “Brownie” Camera and three rolls of film.

I do my own Real Estate Photography and also sometimes do photography work for other Realtors®. Good Real Estate Marketing begins with good Real Estate Photography.

Real estate photography has become increasingly important with the growth of social media sharing sites like Twitter and Facebook and property search portals like Realtor. com, Trulia and Zillow. 98% of all home buyers begin their home search online. Home buyers browse for homes on the internet using mobile devices like  iPhones and other smart phones.

My Best Real Estate Photography Tips:

• Tip #1 is to calculate the time of day that the sun will be shining on the front of the house.  My favorite iPhone and iPad Apps for real estate photography are LightTrac and Focalware.
• For most homes the best time of day is in the morning before noon. I like to avoid what I call the Harry Potter look of cast shadows.
• Try to plan photos to show the best angle of the room. With the Sellers permission, we might do some light “staging” to remove distractions. If I’m working for another Realtor®, I share my “21 Tips To Prepare For a Real Estate Photo Shoot” beforehand.
• Sometimes Sellers have a favorite room or view and I ask about that and I try to include it.
• A Telephoto Lens comes in handy to feature unique architectural details.
• I’m constantly on the lookout for my reflection or flashback in mirrors, glass cabinetry, glass mounted photos and windows. What not to do was etched in my memory the first time I got home and saw my reflection in the otherwise perfect photo of the Dining Room.
• Open doors, especially French Doors, should be closed to avoid that about to take off, “flying room” look
• I’m usually shooting with my Wide Angle Lens and ALWAYS straighten and correct any vertical distortions in editing.
• MLS Photos look best if a little lighter and brighter than usual. While I don’t shoot RAW photos for real estate, I do the next largest file size because I want my photos fill the screen in good resolution when viewed. 
• Sometimes it seems like the best shot involves shooting near or into a window, so I use off camera flash to equalize the light.
• Photoshop helps me put the icing on the cake. It’s where I tweak and lighten, brighten and straighten every photograph and sometimes even remove cars and trash cans! But never power lines. That’s a story for another day. . .

I still have my first digital camera, a Kodak DC4800. It was better than any of the “point and shoot” cameras for real estate photography, but it can’t hold a candle to the Nikon Digital SLR’s and a wide angle lens. The Sigma 10-20mm Lens is so good, I feel like it can almost see around corners!

Call me, Judy Peterson Prudential Fox & Roach Realtors when you’re ready to buy or sell real estate in the Philadelphia Main Line areas of Chester County, Delaware County and Montgomery County. I love “making you look good”. 

Previous Real Estate Photography Posts:

• 3 Home Staging Mistakes To Avoid
•  Photography For Real Estate Listings