As the moving season winds down, Connecticut’s newest homeowner’s will soon settle into the seasonal tasks of fall cleanup. There are just a few more weeks of summer and before you know it you’ll be carving the family turkey in gratitude.
Despite limited inventory in the area we’ve spent 2024 showing excellent properties to prospective buyers. I’m encouraged by signs that lending rates are beginning to wind down just as the nightly temperature drops.
New England has a typical 3 season real estate market. If you’re thinking of migrating to a new location in the New Year, now would be a great time to take a few exterior photos to jumpstart interest in your current offering. Your home is probably abuzz with Indian summer activity. Today would be ideal to document the live status of the grounds before the snow starts flying.
If you’re “on the fence” 😅 anticipating which real estate broker to choose, take advantage of our free home estimate. I will provide you with an accurate market value for your home.
Home frontage are the first photos potential buyers consider when looking to relocate to a comfortable setting. Who you hire truly matters. If you choose Fairfield County Realtor to sell your home I have professional photographers and videographers ready to showcase your property. If you’re still haven’t made a decision to sell, be prepared to post your listing at a moment’s notice.
Just about everyone today carries a mobile phone capable of creating pleasing exterior images right in their pocket. You have the ability to take stunning exterior images that can catch someone’s attention and make them want to see more. Below I’ll suggest a few tips to capture satisfactory photos for any upcoming listing in the near future.
- Make Sure the Grounds Are Ready To Shoot
I know you wouldn’t have your smiling portrait taken with food stuck in your teeth. So why would you photograph your home with a yard full of tools and containers cluttering the frame. Make sure your yard is tidied up. Groom the lawn and trim the bushes that may hide the siding and trim. Put your landscaping equipment away and pull the cars into the garage.
- Choose the Best Natural Light
While capturing your home-site photo/video, lighting is everything. Your best source of light will be the sun. The feel your images evoke will be based on the cloud cover at the moment. A cloudy day will act as a giant soft box for even lighting overall. A bright and sunny day will make colorful buildings and plants pop with vibrance.
In every case you want to present a well lit setting. On those sunny days avoid harsh shadows by shooting with the sun at your back. Whenever we schedule a shoot I’ll check on the buildings shadow profile in the Shademap App. It will show me where the light is falling on the current address at any time during any day.
- Consider Shooting During the “Golden Hour”
There’s special benefits of taking advantage of the warm, soft light of the golden hour. This time falls one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset. That twice daily opportunity provides a soft Illuminance because the light is even and has a beautiful golden hue. The angle of the sunlight is diffused as it filters through the longer distance of the earth’s atmosphere. Shooting at dusk with the interior lights turned on displays the home in a new light and provides an additional showcase the viewer may not have imagined.
- When it’s After Labor Day, Bring The Colors.
A lot of the in-ground flowers and foliage have shed their summer blooms. It may fall on you to keep the look interesting. Consider a colorful porch flag or eye-catching wind chimes. Lay out contrasting mulch beds. Choose seasonal potted plants placed randomly around points of interest. These are inviting touches that transform the look of a house into a welcoming home.
- Get Sufficient Coverage
We’ve found a minimum of 3 location scenes form a satisfactory amount of shots for minimum property coverage. I try to grab a wide and full frame of the property frontage and a wide shot of the rear exposure. Starting at the top of the driveway or fence line I will take a picture from a street line viewpoint. From that same viewpoint I will zoom the camera in to fill the frame with the home only. Try to position your initial vantage point to avoid any blocking obstructions.
Once you get your foundational wide shot it’s time to move around the home to get a few more expressive angles. Creative perspectives give the viewer the opportunity to focus on the beautiful lines that make up the building’s design.
- Additional Coverage Will Attract More Interest
Video and Aerial Drone captures have become commonplace when showcasing a location. We maintain contracts with professional videographers and drone pilots when you hire us as your realtor but you can still acquire insightful imagery with a tripod post and a 360° camera. Stay with the full read and I’ll give you drone tips in the end.
Meanwhile, take the time to shoot the dining patios, sun-rooms, fire-pits, pools and outbuildings. These external property features are the places homeowners depend on to unwind.
I don’t suggest hanging a $500 mobile camera on a $5 selfie stick. I use the Insta360 3m 9.8ft Extended Edition Selfie Stick. You can trigger the camera shutter via a bluetooth connect remote without touching the phone. Just extend the post to the height you need and take the action.
Time To Get Snapping, Minolta
- Use a Tripod and Camera Timer
Keep your images as sharp as possible by using a steady tripod and internal shutter timer. Taking an image between 4 and 5 feet of the ground gives a first person point of view. We prefer a three leg tripod as opposed to a selfie post foot. Phones are flat devices that can act as a wind sail. That tri-leg stand gives extra stability to your phone if a slight breeze happens to kick up.
Using the internal timer setting. It’ll cut down on camera shake when triggering the shutter.
- Keep the Camera Level with the Horizon
It’s a good practice to keep the phone level while taking images. Your mobile phone camera may have level orientation hints or a grid overlay while framing your shot.
If you find yourself straightening the horizon in post production edits, you risk dropping image resolution to attain post leveling.
- Review and Retouch, Use Color Filters and Photo Editing Tools
Today’s mobile phones include some nifty editing capabilities right in the camera or photo app. A recent option in artificial intelligence gives today’s photographers the power to remove distracting objects in a photo. Google Magic Eraser is included on Pixel phones and is also available on Apple IOS. Apple has future plans to release their own AI edit feature called the Clean Up Tool for the Iphone camera roll. But for now your options are with the latter, on-device Google solution or a subscription to “Photoshop On The Web” for masking fixes.
I mention Artificial Intelligence masking capabilities with the obvious caveats. DO NOT, and I repeat, do not post images that mask deficiencies in the real-world scene that would mislead a potential purchaser of a property. Misinformation posted online will be construed as a bait and switch move and there would be legal liabilities in the event a sale. People, movable or temporary items that can be withdrawn from the final sale are the only candidates for magic erasure.
- Consider Hiring a Drone Videographer
Your home-site can turn out to be expansive and a bit much to take in all at once. When you live on a beautiful lot in a great community and it shows. How can you help prospective buyers understand the value of the location?
That’s where an establishing video drone shot comes in handy. A licensed drone pilot can use video to set an initial view of the home in seconds. Utilizing the common jib boom shot videographers go from a frontage reveal to an encompassing property scene from above.
Chances are your home is part of a larger community. From that elevated height a camera tilt up is used to reveal the overall neighborhood.
Video Drone footage courtesy of DanKanePhotos.com
We spend a large amount of time in spaces that nurture family, friendships and fun. No one is more equipped to capture the scenes that make up a life story. First impressions mean a lot. The good vibes will come across in your photos.
Of course we provide the complementary photo service upon signing a sales contract with us, here at Fairfield County Realtor. At the end of the day, beautiful images can help sell homes faster.
We’re the local RE/max agent just around the way. Don’t hesitate to Contact Me.
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