Settings Breakdown
Sharp focus from foreground to windows is essential. f/8 maximizes lens sharpness; f/11 provides slightly more depth if needed. Avoid smaller due to diffraction.
Low ISO for clean walls and detail. Tripod makes this possible in any light. For quick handheld work with flash, ISO 400 is fine.
Wide angle makes rooms feel spacious. 14-17mm is standard for real estate. Don't go too wide — extreme distortion looks unnatural and misleading.
Flash is daylight-balanced. Use Daylight or Flash WB for consistency. Mixed ambient (tungsten lamps) may need color gel on flash or post correction.
Interior/exterior brightness range exceeds camera's dynamic range. Bracket exposures and blend in post, or use flash to fill shadows.
Shooting from chest to eye height gives natural perspective. Lower shows more floor, higher shows more ceiling — match what the room's selling point is.
Pro Tips
Turn On All Lights
Every light source on creates warmth and makes spaces feel alive. Mixed color temps can be adjusted in post. Dark lamps feel wrong in property photos.
Stage Before Shooting
Remove clutter, close toilet lids, fluff pillows, straighten everything. Small details matter — viewers notice when things look off.
Shoot Twilight Exteriors
Properties look best at dusk with interior lights on and sky still blue. This "hero shot" sells the property. Schedule shoots accordingly.
Vertical Correction
Keep camera level to avoid converging walls. Fix remaining distortion with Lightroom's lens corrections and manual transform tools.
Window Pull
Expose for windows and blend with interior exposure in post. This shows the view rather than blown white rectangles.
Use a Shot List
Capture every room, details, and exterior angles systematically. It's easier to delete extras than reshoot missed spaces.