I recently stepped out and shot a house that met the description above.  The house is located in a beautiful, new area of town.  So new, in fact, that the landscaping is yet to be completed.  In other words: no trees, no lawn, no flowers. Yikes!  Barren, desolate yards are common sights though, especially for agents who deal with listings in newly developed areas.  In these types of locations, the house needs to stand out to attract attention, simply because there’s really nothing else.

Step 1 – Focusing on the House

When I see a dirt yard, my first intention is to try and shoot the listing photo in a manner that shows as little of the yard as possible.  So I got as close to the house as I could, and took a picture:

Listing Photo #1: Close-Up Front

Boom!  There it is, the classic garage shot, with the house tucked in behind.  There’s little focus on the yard, it’s true, but there’s really nothing to see here that a home buyer really wants to see.

Step 2 – Get More “Home” in the Picture

Seemingly dissatisfied by the results of my first attempt, I decided to give it another shot.  In a moment of genius, I found that stepping away from the house helped to decrease the visual dominance of the garage. Snap:

Listing Photo #2: Front from a Distance

So I’m standing on the neighbor’s driveway and elated that I can see the front door. And there’s windows too!  Definitely some progress…

Step 3 – Use Perspective to My Advantage

Now that I know I’m getting somewhere, I’m energized to go all out.  It’s time to get that aerial angle that I have relied on for years.  Getting the aerial angle shot does require some ingenuity, but it can be done in almost any environment.  OK, so here it is:

Listing Photo #3: The Aerial Angle

I’m loving the look and feel of the house in this shot, but there’s a problem: the house is literally swimming in a sea of houses that all look too similar.  To make matters worse, there’s no trees bursting out of the background, no shrubs, no parks, no flowers, no fences – not even a blade of grass.  It looks like a construction zone, because IT IS a construction zone.

Step 4 – Utilize Perspective, but Focus on the House

Last try.  It’s time to move in for the kill.  I know I like the angle, but the lack of green space bothers me.  So, it’s time for the low angle – the classic “go to” shot when the neighborhood looks like Mars.

Listing Photo #4: The Low Angle

That’s it!  The yard shows, but the focus is on the house – not the houses in the neighborhood, not the house next door, but THE house.  There’s a good balance between living space and parking space, and best of all, the potential buyer knows exactly what he/she is in for.

If the neighborhood would have been more developed, I’d likely have stuck with the aerial angle as my primary shot to market this listing.  Every house requires it’s own analysis in order to get the best shot possible based on it’s structure and surrounding environment.

My advice: take your time, explore possibilities, and have fun!

tucked away in the back.  It’s not really such a bad idea, as lots of people (especially in suburbia) depend on their cars to get around, but it does make it more difficult for that style of house to stand out when buyers are browsing listings online.

Even a quality listing photo can get overlooked if it’s covered by 70% garage door, and as handy as a front-facing, attached garage can be, it’s arguably not the prettiest part of the house.  So how can you adapt your photographic strategy to compensate for these types of houses?

First off, let’s talk about the photo in terms of perspective.  In most cases, the garage appears much larger than it is simply because it’s closer to the camera.  It also doesn’t help when an “all garage” house is photographed from short range as it will increase the appearance of foreshortening, sometimes eclipsing the actual house all together.  Thus, the house has to be approached differently, so that we use perspective to our advantage.

Have a look at this 3D model that was exported in three different views:

The front view appears as though the car actually owns the house, and you are expected to rent the upper level.  By changing the perspective, however, the garage becomes a mere portion of the overall dwelling.  The low, side angle is the easiest alternative to enhance the “living” portion of the home, while the high angle looks even better.  Keep in mind that the high angle requires a pole aerial solution, which I talked about in a previous post.

In my next post, I’ll share a few different “real life” examples of how to shoot your primary photo of a house that’s “all garage” and you can decide what you like best.  Of course, if you have any ingenious tips or tricks that have worked for you, feel free to comment below.

Saskatoon itself has a history of tinkering.  Even here at Point2 we’ve engineered innovative software solutions for both the real estate and heavy equipment industries.  And believe me, we’ve been tinkering up a storm over the past year (perhaps due to this record breaking cold weather), and some of the things we have planned are going to knock your socks off.  Another Saskatoon company who has spent some time tinkering is the most impressive, Draganfly Innovations Inc.  Today I’m going to talk a bit more about them because for one, I love gadgets and gizmos, and two, I love photography and video.

So why would a company like Draganfly, who essentially creates radio-controlled machines, be of concern to real estate professionals?

Well, they offer, in my opinion, the best product money can buy if you’re looking to create dynamic, aerial videos and/or photos for a sale property.  Perhaps overkill for the average residential agent, but for those who transact large commercial lots, golf courses, or recreation facilities, these images will attract some serious attention.  The Draganflyer X6 Helicopter, for instance, provides you with control over the zoom, tilt, and shutter speeds of a high resolution camera so you will always get the shots you need.  The company also provides flight simulators and customer support so you can perfect your technique before the trial run.  These high-tech units are no kid’s toys – in fact they’ve been used by SWAT teams, mining operations, and even for the creation of music videos on MTV.  Draganfly‘s creations have been highlighted in a number of magazines including Popular Science and Popular Mechanics; the company has also received a number of prestigious science/technology awards.

I know if my Realtor showed up to photograph my house holding a brand new X6, I just might think he was the coolest Realtor in town.

Looking for an alternate solution for shooting aerial photos?  Have a peruse of my article on Pole Aerial Photography (PAP).

There are only a handful of reasons why anybody these days would erect a 30′ pole into the sky. It could be that they suffer from nephophobia and they’re merely protecting themselves from perceived danger, or more realistically, they might just be partaking in a process called pole aerial photography or PAP. PAP is the process of using a long, telescopic pole to elevate your camera for the purpose of shooting down on your subject. Listing photos benefit from this angle as it makes for a better view of the yard, surrounding area, and home structure. They also tend to be eye catching as it is a view most of us are not used to seeing on a regular basis. For real estate agents, pole aerial photographs can make your listings stand out in busy, monotonous marketplaces, generating more interest from prospective buyers. As the number of agents who offer this type of service is relatively small, PAP is also a great way to further stand out from the competition.

There are a number of solutions available for those looking to offer PAP as part of their real estate marketing efforts, but nothing that has really monopolized the industry as of yet. In addition, many of the solutions out there are exorbitantly expensive and intricately complicated. However, if money is of no concern to you, than by all means have a browse of some of the current providers of this technology:

HiVue – Aerial Photography Telescopic Mast Base Kit - £3995.00 ($5917.43 US)

Photo Towers – Telescoping Masts and Tall Tripods – Starting at £1580.00 ($2340.31 US)

Survey Support – HiView25 Remote Inspection System - £1795.00 ($2657.90 US)

If you’re more of a do-it-yourselfer and/or budget-conscious, there are a few ways that you can assemble your own pole aerial photographic system that’s much easier on the pocketbook. I’ve devised a couple of options here as guides, but with a little bit of research and some old-fashioned ingenuity you will likely be able to improve upon my concepts by a fair degree.

OPTION A: EASY ($420 + Camera)

The “easy” system is for those who tend to avoid high-tech gizmos whenever possible, who like to do a little manual labor, and who don’t mind learning by trial and error.

Required hardware:

1) Camera with intervalometer or time-lapse function

2) Telescopic Pole – $390.00 (approx. 30’ length)

3) Flash bracket – $22.95

4) Long thumbscrew (or wing nut), washers, and soft rubber washers

Process:

Drill a hole through the flash bracket handle and through the top end of the telescopic pole. Attach the bracket to the pole using a long thumbscrew, or wing nut so that it can be loosened to adjust the tilted angle. Consider using a couple of washers and a rubber buffer to ensure the bracket attaches more firmly to the pole. Thread the camera onto the flash bracket securely.

Set your camera to the widest angle (i.e. 18mm is roughly 70-80 ° wide), and adjust the tilt accordingly (based on lens type, height of the pole, distance from the object, and size of the object). A little trial and error may be in order for those who wish to avoid the math. Activate the interval shooting mode – the camera will keep taking pictures in succession so feel free to modify your positioning every couple of shots. Elevate the pole to the desired height, and make regular adjustments so you get your framing just right.

Further Tips:

• The heavier the camera, the more the pole will sway. Wind will also have an effect on the results.
• You may feel more at ease with a camera that does not cost a lot of money, just in case the pole falls over.
• Only raise the pole to the height you feel comfortable supporting.
• A painter’s pole will also work, but may be difficult to find over 16’ in length.
• You can try and use your camera’s proprietary, wireless remote to activate the shutter if one exists, but most wireless remotes are limited to 16’ so it may not work.

OPTION B: COMPLICATED ($1105.87 + Camera/Lens)

The “complicated” system is for the more advanced photographer who loves gadgets and gizmos. All of my equipment recommends can serve dual purposes, so consider these things as a flexible part of your gear collection. For instance, the motorized tripod head can also be used for video productions; the Pocket Wizards can also be used for off-camera lighting, etc. The package is more expensive, but it gives you way more control.

Required hardware:

1) SLR Camera with Live Preview

2) Wide Angle Lens (18mm or wider)

3) Pocket Wizard Set – $184.94

4) Manfrotto Giant Camera Stand – $650.00

5) Portable Monitor – $165.00

6) Motorized Tripod Head (Wireless) - $79.95

7) RCA Video Extension Cable (50’) – $21.99 with Coupler – $3.99

Process:

The Manfrotto Giant Tripod can be elevated to 24’ and is secured by three reinforced base legs. Use Pocket Wizards to set of your camera’s shutter via remote; Pocket Wizards use radio transmissions that range up to 1600’ so you won’t need to worry about them not working. The motorized tripod is also wireless but with a range of only 30’ – it should still work fine with the tripod suggested as the range surpasses the 24’ height. A length of RCA video cable will connect you to your camera, and with “live preview” you will be able to keep a close eye on your framing with the portable monitor.

Simply attach the camera to the motorized tripod head, and the tripod head to the tripod. Attach your Pocket Wizard receiver to the camera’s hotshoe, and connect it. Plug in the RCA cable to the video output, while attaching the other end to the monitor’s input. Elevate your camera manually, and use the tripod head remote to adjust your framing. When you have it framed just right, use the Pocket Wizard transmitter to set off the shutter.

Further Tips:

• If you already own a portable DVD player, you can use it instead of the monitor.
• You cannot control an SLR camera’s zoom from a distance so you will need to adjust it first (Wider is usually better).
• Set up on sturdy ground and avoid bad weather.

So if you’re the type that likes a challenge and loves photography, give PAP a try.  Lee Jinks over at Activerain has been tinkering with this technology for a while; you can have a look at some of his innovations here. And again, take my concepts as mere suggestions and feel free to modify in accordance with your needs. I should also mention that Point2 takes no financial or legal responsibility for equipment failures, damages, and/or injuries caused while using the recommended equipment; in other words, “PAP” at your own risk. Take care and have fun!