Real estate photography is my bread and butter work. It’s rather technical and involves the use of up to four flash units controlled by radio signals sent from a device mounted on my camera. This enables me to light one room while simultaneously lighting other rooms in view of any particular shot: like the view over a dining table though to the sitting room. It also allows me to add a cosy warmth to a shot when photographing the exterior of a home, lighting the main window in view from the outside. When it comes to composition, I mount the camera relatively low so that the wide angle of the lens does not distort furniture and walls too much. The exception to this rule is photographing kitchens, where you need to see the counters, or a room with a view when you need to see outside. Often, I will use separate exposures for the interior, say of a large living room, where I need to open up the aperture and allow in more light; the trouble with that being the outside view is blown out meaning I need a second exposure for the windows. The two exposures are then stitched together in photoshop, but not by me! If I shoot on a gloomy day, we drop in some blue sky. More appealing! Of course, one of the most rewarding aspects of real estate photography is seeing the inside of so many different types of properties. You see some funny stuff!
SCRIBBLESNZ – photos, writing, recipes from New Zealand 