PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS


BEFORE


Open the curtains When you’re outside shooting an elevation, make sure the curtains are open so that the windows will be well defined.


Take interiors from a low level


Keeping the camera at around midway up the height of the room will give you the optimal image for interiors. Try it. Rooms will look bigger and a better shape.


Keep the camera perpendicular


to the ground You’ll avoid the worst of any lens distortion by doing this. Verticals will look nearer to vertical than they would if you point your camera down into the room or up at an elevation.


Use a tripod when shooting indoors. Indoors in low light, using a tripod will help avoid camera-shake (blurry pictures). Even Photoshop can’t help with these. It’ll also enable you to use a small aperture so that you’ll get a deep depth-of-field (see our previous issue ‘Knobs and Dials’ for an explanation of what I’m droning on about here – it’s at www.propertydrum. com/articles/photomay).


Switch on Internal Lights


But especially if there are wall-lights; if there’s a dimmer switch turn the lights to a low setting. This’ll help reduce the hideous halo-effect that you often see around wall-mounted lights.


Allow more time than you used to


What’s the point of rushing when you’re engaged in one of the most important functions you have – which is to properly


34 JUNE 2010 PROPERTYdrum Learn Photoshop


There’s no such thing as a camera that takes perfect pictures without the need for some kind of post-processing in Photoshop or a similar editing programme. Photos all need sharpening for example, colours need correcting. But if you have neither the time nor aptitude for this, then send them to www.doctor-photo.co.uk to be made better. The first one’s FREE!


There’s no such thing as a


camera that takes perfect pictures without using a post-processing programme like Photoshop.


present your properties to the market so that people will want to buy them?


An elevation’s perspective improves when you stand far away from the property and zoom into it. Also Photoshop scales to improve image.


Take training


You wouldn’t expect me to write these articles with their endless wit and good- natured humour without plugging the fact that I’ll travel anywhere in the UK to teach the subject that I most love, which is how to photograph property properly. I’ll teach up to four people in a day,


anywhere in the UK and it can be just as much a team building ‘bonding’ day as an extremely useful business training day. See my site, www.doctor-photo.co.uk


for details. You’ll hear about photographing rooms so that you can see what’s outside of the window as well as the detail in the room, I’ll show you how your camera works and we’ll get hands-on experience in the afternoon in one of your empty properties. Lucky you. Take a look at my other site, www.hello-photo.co.uk for an idea of what I do with the rest of my time.


I want to end this series of articles by thanking everyone who has contacted me by phone and email to ask questions, arrange for training and to agree with what I’ve said. I want also to thank PROPERTYdrum


magazine for allowing me the opportunity to speak out and highlight my concerns for estate agency in today’s UK and for giving me the Victor Meldrew sobriquet. I’ll have to live with that forever now that my wife’s read the article. (I don’t believe it!)


The first and second parts can be found at: www.propertydrum.com/articles/photoapr www.propertydrum.com/articles/photomay


Add your own tips and techniques online at: www.propertydrum.com/articles/photojune


AFTER


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