Online listings give a far fuller picture of a property than print advertisements ever could. Recall the semi-focused, black and white photos in the newspaper of yesteryear? These days, an online real estate listing gives multiple views of the outside and grounds and interior of a house or apartment. As a result, real estate photographers resort to strategies to make a property appear extra attractive in order to reel in potential buyers.

Profiled in the Wall Street Journal, David Paler is one such real estate photographer. Operating in the New York City area, Paler photographed 10,000 properties over his entire career, doing approximately three per day. Because photographs can significantly help out an agent, he considers a real estate listing akin to a dating profile – honesty is the best policy, but a few improvements can draw in more interest. About photographing difficult properties, he said:

“The majority of the time, you’re going into apartments that weren’t designed to be photographed. And you have to make them look really appealing, which is a skill.”

Much like fashion photography, attractive pictures of real estate depend on light, furniture and décor, and a bit of image-editing software. Natural and artificial lights, claims Paler, are both used and a few well-placed pieces of décor and furniture alter a space’s look. The camera’s angle is also necessary, but in some cases, this can make a room appear larger than it actually is. Software, additionally, won’t totally change a space’s appearance, unlike in fashion; it helps, however, in color correction, sharpening images, and taking out blemishes, such as scuffs. He went on to explain:

“It’s a tricky business because we have to shoot what’s there. [The property] can be utterly stunning or just awful and we have to really make the best of it.”

Tags: real estate listing photography, real estate photography