10 Real Estate Mobile Photography Tips and Tricks Every Photographer Should Know

If you always wondered if real estate mobile photography can produce the same standards as DSLR images, then you might be right. It takes quite some preparation and tricks to maximize the ability of your mobile phone to capture stunning images. So, keep reading for these real estate photography tips.

Are Mobile Phone Cameras Enough?

The short answer is yes. Mobile phones have always heeded the call for better cameras and most companies have iterated their smartphones to cope with the continuing clamor and demand. In fact, one of the signs that we see that proves this point is the ongoing increase in megapixels of cameras, the features that are incorporated such as dual lenses, and some even have installed smarter sensors so even low light conditions will appear as if there exists a good source of illumination.

Most people are also using mobile phone cameras as a side-by-side tool to DSLRs because they provide an accessible alternative to bringing a second camera. With this, it can be safely said that mobile phone cameras are sufficient in bringing real estate images to life and can be good companions for professional photographers. Getting the right choice of phone specification also helps the cause by providing the means to capture photos easily and with better quality, but always remember that it is the person behind the trigger that makes everything beautiful, and not the camera alone.

Some Tools to Help You Out

As real estate mobile photography gained more attention, there had been businesses that saw the opportunity to provide accessories and tools to further stretch the potential of this undertaking. Real estate mobile photography now has a lot of accessories to choose from, but to focus on the need to be able to maximize the forthcoming real estate photography tips, here are some real estate mobile photography essentials.

Phone Tripods

A miniature version of the tripod exists for real estate mobile photography! This now opens a lot of doors to bracketed image taking, HDR shots, and above all, stability. Phone tripods though, might need some help in elevation with perhaps a table or a chair as their legs might be shorter than a DSLR’s. If you happen to chance upon a mobile phone tripod that will span for more than a meter then that will be of use for many shoots.

Attachable Lenses

More lenses are already available for smartphones. These are modular hence, can be attached and removed at will. The purpose of these lenses will further be elaborated in the real estate photography tips on why they could be essential.

The Top 10 Tips and Tricks

Don’t’ just keep snapping with that phone, you must remember that a phone is not a DSLR and works in different ways. Fortunately, they are simpler and can carry some nifty real estate photography tips!

Snap Horizontal or Landscape-oriented Images

Real estate mobile photography will always dictate you to shoot in a landscape view. This particular real estate photography tip is non-negotiable as a portrait-oriented image will only for for architectural shots. Using a portrait view for interiors and exteriors alike will only limit the range of capture as the height is the one that is emphasized.

Do not Zoom in!

Zooming in using your smartphone for real estate mobile photography effectively diminishes the quality of the photo. It will come out blurry and close to being pixelated and this is where a attachable lens will be of great value. So, if you are looking to get a close shot at something form the property, it is highly suggested that you physical come closer to it and grab a better vantage point rather than zooming in.

Follow the light

Ok in some form of interpretation this means the afterlife, but in the real estate mobile photography sense, it literally means to look for a good source of light and where your mobile phone can let most of it through the lens. The thing with real estate mobile photography is that the flash is very weak. It only captures a short range and so a lot of the light will have to come from a natural source.

Shoot from the corner for interiors

Where space is important, this real estate photography tip will help maximize. Find a corner in a room to take the photo so that the perspective is maximized. More often than not, it will also capture the composition of the room and makes for a great showcase shot for any listing.

Be creative with the heights

We’ve all heard to shoot form the waist, shoot from here and there. Well, real estate mobile photography breaks the stereotypes of real estate photo shoots because it can go above and beyond the creative bounds due to its portability and design. Moreover, it has features built in differently from DSLRs, making it a totally different and unique equipment.

Use the HDR function

The HDR in real estate mobile photography is much more convenient as when you select this mode, it already stitches the photo for you, presenting only one output in the gallery. This real estate photography tip will save you time and effort when it comes to editing.

Install an app for photography

Photography apps are a dime a dozen out there for mobile phones. Pick one that will aid you in helping create stable shots, filters, easier controls, and perhaps better features than the default ones in your phone.

The volume buttons can also capture images

This lets you hold the phone as an old camera. Go ahead and try it! It works!

Tap your screen to change the focus

Doing this can be cumbersome if you are not familiar, but this real estate photography tip will surely help you create dramatic shots, if not clearer ones, if you need to help your camera focus.

Snap more than one shot

In real estate mobile photography, it can be easy to check the picture you’ve taken. It comes out after you’ve snapped it, but when you come back and look at it later, it’s all blurry and ugly. We recommend taking more than 3 shots to be able to have options to choose from in post-processing. It doesn’t take a lot of time and effort, so get cracking!

Conclusion

These real estate photography tips are meant for you to maximize your mobile phone as a conduit to capture real estate images in the absence or supplement to DSLRs. Real estate mobile photography can be tricky if you do not know some of these and well, you might not be able to see what your smartphone can actually do.