Selecting Appropriate Photography for Your Website

Selecting Appropriate Photography for Your Website – Part 3

JuliaBaldwin | 27 March 2008 |

In the previous 2 days we have explored various options for purchasing photos for your website. Today we’ll go a bit more “grass roots” and talk about taking photos yourself. This can be tricky and what looks good on your small digital camera view-finder may not look very good blown up on your website.

Tips for Taking photos yourself.

This option is sometimes best for smaller properties that don’t have the budget to hire a professional; however, it can be time consuming and does not guarantee great results. Taking good photos of your property entails more than walking around your property for an hour and snapping away with the digital camera.

Make sure that you have a good quality camera. For digital cameras, make sure that your camera is at least 5 mega pixels. Many of the newer models have abandoned the old viewfinder for a large LCD viewing screen, but these can be difficult to use if you are far-sighted, and often have a glare so you cannot see what you are shooting (I recently was dismayed to find that the horizon in nearly every photo I took on my vacation was crooked because of this!). Additionally, a tripod is helpful, but not necessary.
For starters, try shooting the same subject at different times of day. The light in a room will be different in the morning than in the afternoon, and one may compliment the room better than another. Similarly, the weather may affect the appearance and quality of a photo as well. Another thing to consider is the time of year. If your high season is summertime, you probably don’t want to shoot your property in the winter when the trees have no leaves and the grass is brown.
If you’ve got the time and the interest, take a beginner’s digital photography course at your local community college, or online. You’ll learn the basics of composition, lighting, exposure and many other topics.

Making Your Final Decision

Many of our clients will choose to combine 2 or 3 of the different photography options, such as stock and hiring a professional photographer, or hiring someone and taking the rest of the pictures themselves. Baird House for instance decided to hire a professional photographer for all of their interior photos, but they shot the exterior and surrounding area of the property themselves. Mead Brown used a combination of stock photography, a local photographer and pictures they took themselves.

If you are uncertain which option or combination of options is best for you and your property, we are happy to help you determine the best route. Talk with our Blizzard Business Development team when you are ready to develop a design and marketing plan, or discuss the issue with your web designer. And remember, in this industry, having quality photos that showcase your property in the best way possible is crucial.

from Hamed Saber