The Boston Globe recently published an article titled, “Advice on taking knockout real estate photos from a Pulitzer-winning photographer” about how to photograph a real estate listing. The author is Stan Grossfeld, a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer in photojournalism.
In his article, Stan talks about many things that homeowners do at an open house to appeal to potential buyers. He then goes on to state that many people make a mistake by overlooking the importance of the real estate photos, preferring to do it themselves to save a few dollars.
“Because in America, everyone who has a cellphone thinks they are a professional photographer.They are not.”
This statement is true. Most homeowners and real estate agents are not professional photographers, despite what they may think. Pulitzer Prize winning Stan Grossfeld also included photos he took of a home listed for sale in Quincy, MA. Unfortunately, they are not good at all.
But, you think, he’s a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer. What could be wrong with the photos? Well, the angles of the photos are terrible. The lighting is dark. The vertical lines aren’t vertical. The compositions do not show the rooms off well. Overall, the photos are just downright disappointing.
How could this be? Stan Grossfeld is a photojournalist and takes amazing photos of war-torn areas and the effects of war on people in those areas. Those images are amazing and tug at one’s emotions. I would not do as well in this type of photography because it’s an area of photography that I am simply not good at.
Hire the right person for the job
The point is that just because a photographer excels in one area of photography – such as weddings, portraits, landscapes, or pets – does not mean they are good at all types of photography.
Photography interiors and exteriors of homes for sale requires a LOT of hours both onsite and on the computer, working on shooting and editing. This type of photography is extremely technical, requiring the use of specialized equipment and techniques. The composition and lighting have to be just right to show off the homes best features, and all photographers struggle with this when they first begin in this area of photography.
This is why it is so important that you hire a photographer who has experience in the field that you need. Would you hire a landscape photographer to shoot a wedding? Most likely not.
In other words, hire the right kind of photographer for the job, pay them whatever is needed, and get the result you are looking for.