How To Take Quality Real Estate Photos in Portland
How To Take Quality Real Estate Photos in Portland
It is possible to take quality real estate photos in the famous Portland overcast sky and rain! See how we navigate these weather challenges!
Working in the Portland area, there are some unique challenges for real estate photos. It should come as no surprise to anyone living in this area that the weather is sometimes not the best for photos - especially during the winter months when it is often cloudy and rainy. Although rare, there is even a tiny chance of snow in the region during the December or January timeframe.
When real estate agents, FSBO sellers, and property managers are looking to list homes in these months, there are often questions about taking quality photos in an area that may have extended lousy weather for days on end. Here are three ways that professional photographers can take enticing photos, even with gloomy skies.
Gray Skies Don't Automatically Mean Bad Exterior Real Estate Photos
The first thing to note is that there's a common misconception that photos need sunny skies to be great. That's not true. Indeed, with the correct settings and post-processing, cloudy skies can make outdoor real estate photography look better.
With too much sun, there can sometimes be problematic shadows and difficulty balancing the colors and exposure. However, with a cloudy sky, you can get a much more balanced photo in general - no harsh shadows or other problematic lighting elements. Professional photographers frequently use clouds as a giant soft-box and adjust their camera's f/stop, shutter speed, and ISO rating to achieve the right level of exposure. With enough tweaking, it's possible to get some stunning photos, even with clouds.
Post-Processing Is Key
Digital images are easy to put into some post-processing. Using tools like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom, it's possible to brighten up pixels and modify the white balance to achieve a warmer tone and mimic a sunny day. In other words, with the right software, it's possible to post-process the images to appear a little less gray. Viewers will still see the clouds, but the photo itself will appear bright and vibrant.
There are other ways to make these photos pop, such as playing around with the saturation to make the grass greener.
All these post-processing techniques are a way to be still honest about the home (adjusting color balance doesn't change anything about the home's exterior or condition) while making it more aesthetically pleasing to people perusing homes on popular listing sites.
Take Indoor Real Estate Photos as Normal
In a similar vein, indoor shots are primarily unaffected by gloomy skies outdoors with the proper positioning. With the post-processing, camera settings, and angles, a skilled photographer can quickly produce quality photos no matter what the weather is outside.
Having a gloomy day can sometimes even work to a seller's advantage in terms of photos. Those lovely, new blinds and curtains you just bought? You might be able to showcase them by drawing them and taking a photograph of the room. That will make the room stand out to people. Or, perhaps the natural lighting of the room on a cloudy day gives the indoors a neutral tone that accentuates your wall colors.
There are ways to get creative with indoor shots so that the focus isn't on the clouds but rather the home's selling points!
It's Very Easy To Get Stunning Photos in Portland
Despite the cloudier skies here, it's still relatively easy to get stunning photos for properties in Portland. If it's particularly dark, the shoot might have to wait. For the most part, though, with a little bit of post-processing, overcast shoots can look amazing. They can even look as good as their sunny counterparts! There are even some colors and home styles where the soft shadows of a cloudy day make it stand out better than if the weather was sunny!
If you're looking for professional real estate photos in the Portland area, please contact us! We would love to help you get the best pictures for your listing.
