The first results from my "Send Me Your Worst Shots" photo contest

I've been trying to hold a photo contest to help me get some images for my website to illustrate the benefits of hiring me, a virtual tour photographer, to photograph your listings. I realize that most people think of virtual tours as a way to photograph a house with a moving image. A 360 degree or less than 360 degree real estate photograph that scans an area from left to right. I also realize that many Realtors get their own virtual tour software that allows them to do this themselves, almost for free, which allows them to provide a virtual tour for their listing clients. It's definately good to have a virtual tour, people even slightly interested in your listing will almost always click on it. More time looking at your listings! One thing you need to realize, however, is that Realtors and homebuyers can be an impatient bunch. Slow loading tours are bad! Some of them take several minutes to load, even on DSL...too long! I'm getting off subject here, sorry!

For my photo contest, I sent an e-mail to the agents in the area closest to me looking for their worst shots. You can check out my earlier blog if you like to see what I was asking, but basically I wanted listing photos that didn't show the property well. I was hoping for a challenge, those photos that are difficult to get rather than just bad photography. Now I thought this was a great idea, a win-win for both of us. I'd get marketing material and they'd get great listing photos for free! The response I got was rather dismal in numbers, but the folks I heard from sent me exactly what I wanted! I have the results from the first property I went to. I haven't asked the Realtor if she wants her name in this blog yet, I figured I'd send it to her and ask once it's written!

She sent me a few listings to choose from. The one I chose is a gorgeous house and the listing photos were pretty darn good! This is a Realtor who works hard to get nice photos and pays attention to what she's shooting while she's behind the camera. This sounds simple, but it's the most important thing to learn in photography!! I chose 2 angles I thought I could improve on. I'll start with the front of the house. The 2 on top are the ones she had, the 2 on the bottom are what I did. You can click on any of the photos to view them larger.

This really is a tough shot to do, and like I said, the Realtor did a good job! The place is well landscaped so getting the house without it being blocked by trees is tricky. The other problem is the lighting. It's south facing, so the sun hits the front any time of day, but the porch cover and the trees make for dark shadows. It turns out the photo on the top left was done by a professional photographer with a cherry picker. It's nice the way it shows the mountains in the backround, but the angle is a little severe for my taste. I do have to point out, however, that I don't think the photographer had the option of moving further back, there really are a lot of trees! I'll have to get one of those aerial tripods when my budget allows it.

The other shot I chose was of the living room. She had 2 photos of it, they're on top. I thought the one on the right was fine, I chose the one on the left because the windows are blown out. It's a tough thing to overcome without an external flash. I was also able to bring out the green in the fireplace. My photos are the 2 on the bottom.
 

I really do have to thank the Realtor who allowed me to do this. Her photos are good and quite a step above what we generally see on the MLS. I hope you like mine a little bit better! What I'm really trying to illustrate here is that when you hire a virtual tour photographer you are hiring a professional photographer, not just one to make "moving pictures!" When Realtors and home buyers are looking, it's the photos that draw them in. You really have to make them count. If you can take quality photographs like this Realtor, you probably just need me for the moving ones, but here's another option: send them to me and I'll turn them into a high quality, fast loading, virtual tour.....for only $50.00!!!

Carina Woolrich
Woolrich Photo Tours
Advantage Chatuge Realty