How do you become a real estate photographer?

Real estate photography is fun, challenging and lucrative work. It can be a good side job or a full-time career. Taking pictures of rooms and houses might seem like a simple way to get paid but there is more to it than it seems. As a Long Island real estate photographer your job is very important to realtors and sellers.

Gear

Real estate photography requires specific equipment but can be relatively low cost compared to other photography jobs. This is because shooting static subjects such as houses or rooms may not require expensive features on your camera such as high frame rate shooting or action-tracking autofocus capabilities.

Some camera features do come in handy for real estate photography such as those with the ability to bracket multiple exposures and those with a flash trigger. Most modern cameras arrive out of the box with these features installed.

Most importantly having a proper tripod and a wide-angle lens will get the highest quality photos. As basic wireless flash is another good thing to have in any photo bag.

Image Editing
After the pictures are taken, the next step is the editing process. A good RAW processing software program is a necessary part of real estate photography specifically programs with advanced HDR abilities such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom.

Shooting Practice
Practicing taking photos will help immensely when looking for a paid job. It will also ensure quality images which will bring in more work! Looking at another photographer’s work can both inspire and instruct.

Selective Eye
Deciding what to shoot is a challenge but there are some rules of thumb. Usually there is one or two shots of each room and 3-5 exterior shots. Shooting straight ahead rather than from above or below give a more accurate depiction of a space. Understanding the dynamic range of a camera is also important.

Portfolio
Finally, a good portfolio on your web design is important and the best tool for scouting out work.