Creating Excellent Property Photography

Creating Excellent Property Photography

By: Mike Miriello

IntroductionWho am I?

IntroductionWho am I?

Topics We’ll Be Covering

-The Importance of Interior Photography-Case Studies-Tips for Taking Photos for Yourself-Hiring a Professional Photographer-Opinions on Web-Presence and Photography in the Apartments Industry-Q and A (think of questions as we go)

The Importance of Interior Photography

Photojournalism vs Commercial Photography-Documenting vs Story Telling-Documenting allows viewers to think for themselves-Story Telling dictates what viewers should be thinking-Images must elicit an Emotional Response

Case-in-Point: Want to Vacation Here?

Case-in-Point: Want to Vacation Here?

I’ve decided:-What to show -What to hide-Time of Day-How ‘intense’ the effect is-Nothing not to like

The Importance of Interior Photography

Images Must…-Capture the viewer’s attention-Be in-control of the narrative-Elicit an emotional response

Case Studies

Our Experiment:-Two Washington D.C.-area ‘B’ Properties-Have them professionally photographed-Bring them to AIM 2011-Talk about it

Case Study #1

Case Study #1

Case Study #1

Case Study #1

Case Study #1

Case Study #1

Case Study #1

Case Study #1

Case Study #2

Case Study #2

Case Study #2

Case Study #2

Case Study #2

Case Study #2

Case Studies Summary

Behind-the-Scenes

Behind-the-Scenes

Lights Turned ‘on’

Darker than foregroundMatching ‘color’, varying degrees of exposure

Behind-the-Scenes

Minimal Staging

Cropped ceiling

Behind-the-Scenes

Behind-the-Scenes

Exposure set so we can slightly see the surroundings

Morning light is not ‘blown-out’, but instead detailed

Cropped wide, also cut lampshade in 1/2

Behind-the-Scenes

Two-flash setup using walls/ceiling corner for diffusion

Behind-the-Scenes

Separation distance is gained by standing outside of the room

Behind-the-Scenes

‘Ambient’ light is minimal

Behind-the-ScenesTwo-light Setup

Lights triggered by pop-up flash

Behind-the-ScenesTwo-light Setup

Lights triggered by pop-up flash

Behind-the-Scenes

This illustrates just how much light is being added to any given shot

Behind-the-Scenes

This reiterates the positioning of lights and distance-to-subject

Tips for Taking Pictures Yourself


Height-Eye level is far too high-Chest-to-shoulder height is good for large spaces-Waist-to-chest height is good for small spaces


(not my photo)


Straight Lines-Don’t look ‘down’ into the room-Look ‘straight’ into the room instead-Lenses are circular and are the weakest in the corners-If you point ‘down’, walls bend at the corners


(not my photo)


Turn the Flash Off-‘Direct ’ Flash is awful-It ‘flattens’ spaces and removes depth-It also creates harsh shadows where shadows don’t belong-If you know how, use off-camera-flash


(my photo, intentionally bad)


Turn the Lights On-Lamps, Ceiling Lights, Recessed Lighting, Under-Cabinet Lighting, etc.-It looks odd when these are off-These small details make a difference


(not my photo)


Don’t over-do it-HDR (High-Dynamic-Range)-Easy way to capture more dynamic range-Can easily be over-done-Will scream ‘FAKE!’


(not my photo)


Wide-Angle-Lenses Cause more harm than good (usually)-Very, very weak corners-Images become stretched-Small focal-lengths, forcing one to get close-Bad combination


(not my photo)


Learn how to do Basic Image Editing-Exposure, Contrast, Saturation adjustments-Learn how to Crop an image-Learn how to Straighten an image


(this kitchen was built on a hill)


Learn how to do Basic Image Composition-What are you taking a picture of?


(not my photo)

Exterior Photography



Hiring A Professional


What to expect:-$1K to $1.5K/day-Travel costs (hotel, fuel, meals, etc.)-If hiring from an Ad Agency, expect 2x-3x the price-Negotiation is almost always available


What to expect:-Why so expensive?1.The added value to your business2.Skilled service3.Production + Post-Production


What you should demand:-Digital and Print rights to the images produced-No limits or expirations-Rights/limits/expirations are non-negotiable-Discuss spaces, not numbers of images

Opinions on Web-Presence and Photography


The value of Web-Presence-Your online presence is more important than your print presence-No duh-How positive is your web-presence’s impact?


Social-Media-‘Very little to gain, a lot to lose’-Can be very useful, often times misused-Don’t annoy your audience-Fun-facts, Announcements, etc.


-People read differently online than offline


Words vs Images-Many of the websites I see are dominated by text-Photos are buried and a chore to find-When Photos are found, they are often small and poorly presented


Words vs Images-People aren’t interested in reading unless you have their attention first-Great images get attention-Images should be the primary focus, text second


Images vs Video-Online attention span is finite-It’s also very, very limitedQuick Poll-How many here have tried to load a media-rich webpage or video and become frustrated with how long it takes to load?


Images vs Video-Video can be helpful-Often, it’s under-produced, cumbersome, drags, and loses the viewer’s attention-It’s also more expensive than still images


Images vs Video-Video is an added layer of depth viewers want later, when they can’t get enough info-I may be biased towards still photography-However, I’m 26, part of the millennial generation, and I don’t like waiting for sites/video to load, I have things to do

Wrap-Up

-The Importance of Interior Photography-Case Studies-Behind-the-scenes-Tips for Shooting Interiors Yourself-Hiring a Professional Photographer-Opinions

Q and A

-Ask anything!-Please share your own experiences

The End

-Thanks for having me

Real Estate

Creating Excellent Property Photography