From the monthly archives: January 2010
Orange County Real Estate Photography by Dave Keys.
These stairs grace a custom built home in La Cresta, CA. The wood floors in this home were indeed beautiful as were the stairs. I used Photoshop and the FX Dream Suite to add some warmth and glow to the photograph.
See my other Orange County wedding photography website too.
Limo at Laguna Beach
The limo arrives in Laguna delivering Kelly to her wedding on the beach – 2006.
More Orange County Wedding photography
Sunlight, a Boy and His Train
Playing with a toy train in the sunlight streaming through the open front door on Christmas day. It was a warm day and a perfect opportunity for a photograph. Un-retouched original. Photographers face a challenge to get the right exposure in high contrast environments. High lights and low lights.
Orange County Photography by Dave Keys – This needs no description other than the title. Photoshop applied effects: FX Dream Suite, high pass filter, levels adjustment, vignette technique using feathered oval selection. Crop and removal of wall on right.
Orange County Photographers kind of view- a snowy view and green palms surround this Orange County real estate.
Snow Covered View, Surrounded in Green and Blue
Orange County real estate photography taken by Dave Keys. Shot Bracketed at 2 f-stops and photoshop processed using HDR techniques.
visite my Orange County Wedding photographers site.
Here in Southern California, Orange County photography is a year-round outdoor venue. I noticed yesterday that spring has arrived. Trees suddenly appeared decked in new white blossoms. Last night’s rain ensured a fresh coating of snow on the San Gabriel Mountains so I stopped this morning to take a shot of the view. This is that time of year that Orange County photographers take all those college campus shots with the snow covered mountains behind green lawns.
Spring In January | Orange County Photography
Orange County Real Estate Photography
For Orange County real estate photography: In small spaces, especially in bathrooms or other rooms with larger mirrors, you always need to pay attention to a number of factors.
- Reflections. Ensure that mirrors don’t catch an unwanted picture of the photographer or the flash, at least not directly, a halo like the one on the side of this photo might provide a desirable effect. This shot has lots of mirrors, any of which may reflect something unwanted. Awareness of what you’re photographing is key.
- Lighting. The lighting in such a small space, especially with flash added can be very dynamic. You may need to take several shots to get the right balance. Some cases may need bracketing and/or post-processing in Photoshop.
- Composition. Don’t forget, after getting your lighting and reflected parts of the picture to compose well. Use the rule of thirds or the golden proportion in your composition for the best appearance.
- Focus. What is the desired focal point? Sometimes the best focus might be placed on what’s in the mirror instead of directly on the objects in front of the mirror- a subtle difference. Keep your aperture setting appropriate for the depth of field you want. A few shots at different aperture settings might be a good idea.
Dave Keys provides real estate photography in Orange County and surrounding areas.
How Important Are Real Estate Photos? What about a $22,000 higher Closed NET Price? Is that important to your bottom line? Then, read on…
Photography can make all the difference in your sale. Anyone involved in selling real estate should be familiar with the point2.com study showing a clear inverse relationship between the number of photos on a listing and DOM.
Not only that, but the same study goes on to point out that the number of photos can affect the selling price by several percentage points!
From the Point2.com article
Point2 (point2.com) conducted a study monitoring listings over a 30-day period which clearly showed that properties which feature just one photo generated approximately five views and 1.37 leads, while listings displaying 21 or more images received over 77 views and close to 11 leads. Clearly, the listings that added 20+ photos generated nearly 10 times the number of leads and over 15 times the number of views. Another study relating to the number of photos a listing posts compares photos to the number of Days on Market (DOM). The findings show that listings with more photos sold faster.
This is the shake down on the photos to Days on Market (average) analysis.
- 1 photo = 70 DOM
- 6 photos = 40 DOM
- 16-19 photos = 36 DOM
- 20 photos max – 32 DOM
And listings with fewer photos sold for less. The Closed NET Price as a percentage of the Original Price also showed a direct correlation. (These findings are based on 2006 numbers and are again estimates.)
- 1 Photo = 91.2% of Original Price
- 6 or more = 95% of Original Price
According to these findings, a $600,000 home, sporting only one photo, could sell for as much as 3.8% LESS or a loss of over $22,000, just because there was only one photo accompanying the listing. More amazing is the fact that only 12% of agents posted the maximum 20 photos.
Read the article: The Successful Combination of Photography and Real Estate | Point2 Newsroom
Portraits of the Bride and Groom taken at a Chino, CA Park between the church and the reception hall. 2008. More in the portfolio at Pennycafe: Orange County Wedding Photography
