As I approached retirement from my career outside of photography in 2019, I searched my brain for something to occupy my time. A former golfer and avid tennis player, my ever-aging spine forced me to find something else to do. I had been a hobbyist photographer for a number of years so I pondered the possibilities of doing something with my camera. I landed on Real Estate Photography.
Once I lined up a few regular clients who needed photos for MLS listings, I was off and running. Residential work can be relatively easy or very challenging, depending on the complexities of the property. Shooting exterior photos of a house is a no-brainer, but learning what angles and perspectives that realtors expect is a must. Shooting at least 3 bracketed images per shot gives you flexibility in post-production.
Interior house photos present a unique challenge. Off-camera flash is needed to provide not only good lighting for each shot but for good color reproduction as well. Ambient light will change the colors of walls, ceilings and floors significantly. But just enough flash to overpower the ambient light will keep the colors true.
In time, one may draw some commercial clients also. Commercial photography is often executed a little differently than residential. But the concept is the same: making images that showcase the property in a good light, hopefully helping the agent sell the property. Many commercial agents request aerial photos and/or video clips as well as the usual ground and interior shots. Becoming proficient in operating a drone will increase your favorability as a potential client photographer.
Finally, while other types of photography may entail varying degrees of complexity with post-processing, some requiring very little at all, real estate photography demands specialized skills in exposure blending, color correction, massaging highlights and shadows, and straightening distorted angles. In order to deliver the very best quality images to your realtor clients, being able to perform skilled editing raises your work to the next level and increases your worth as a real estate photographer.