28 Sep The Three Things You Need to Get Started In Real Estate Photography
In 2015, I was just a pizza boy
with a dream of making it in music. In early 2016, I started working part time at a local PR Firm. This taught me something I could never really thank them enough for. I learned that I was valuable and I knew enough for me to begin selling a service. WHAT???
Several months later after days and weeks of research,
I made the big leap into not only camera equipment (but also credit card debt). Luckily for me, the equipment I bought initially was enough to keep me growing and moving for two years. Until I upgraded to my beloved Sony A7SII. I am 3 years in business and growing like crazy with Apollo’s Bow & Bow Real Estate Photography.
I am by NO MEANS saying that this is the best equipment to use for commercial, residential or interior photography. But if you are just getting started in photography and want something to give you enough quality to compete, this is a great way to go.
For those who don’t like to read…CLICK HERE FOR MY REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY 101 FULL KIT
Honestly you only need three items to get started:
Nikon D5300
- The Camera – Nikon D5300 – $470 *used for cheaper
This camera saved my life when starting out. Now that I have the Sony A7SII it seems minuscule, but when it comes to real estate photography, it can do real damage. I bought this one initially for the HDR (sorry to the HDR haters).
HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It is the combining of three images with different exposure settings with the final product being an image which is evenly lit. My personal opinion is that it is fantastic for standard real estate photography.
This camera paid the bills for 2 years. ROI was EXTREMELY HIGH.
2. The Lens – Sigma 10-20mm – $399 *used for cheaper
The HDR with the Nikon was great when I didn’t know much about editing photography, but what made the photos stand out was this bad boy. You’ve got to be careful about distortion occasionally, but there’s nothing that quite makes a room feel as large as this baby (especially for the price).
For real estate photography, you don’t want to use a lens shooting tighter than 16mm. For me, I almost ALWAYS stayed on 10mm.
Side note: Also watch for making rooms seem unrealistic. Some people like it. Some don’t. Either way you want to showcase the beauty of the home in the best way possible. You don’t want to create something that doesn’t exist.
3. The Tripod – Takama Tripod – $49.99
Tripod may seem like an obvious necessity, but you’d be surprised to how many amateurs do not use them. In the beginning, they are important for two main reasons. The first being your verticals. I’ll talk more in depth at another point in time about verticals, but the bottom line is you want the edge of the camera to line up parallel to the lines of doorways, walls and windows. The second being to avoid blurriness. When shooting HDR particularly, it is taking three photos in a row. You have to be extra still to avoid blur. Trying to do this hand held is nearly impossible especially if your camera can’t handle low light very well. Just use the tripod.
So that’s it folks
when it comes to the necessities of real estate photography. Less than $1,000 (cheaper than an iPhone) and you can have killer listing photography or start your own business. Don’t talk about it. Be about it.
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