Photography contest
For years, we have taken a strong stance against subpar photography in real estate marketing, especially in the MLS, and have shared tips and tricks on finding quality professionals for photography listings as well as how to improve photographs for the DIY types. We have taken multiple listing systems to task for having low standards.
Another way we promote quality photography is to highlight the Photography for Real Estate global photograph contest that features the “Best of the Best” in an effort to elevate expectations of real estate professionals on photographers. The contest is voted on by real estate photographers based on a theme and submissions sent to the PFRE Flickr pool.
We share these winners not only to introduce you to real estate photographers in your area that you should know, but to insist that the first impression all buyers get is now the lead MLS photo, so we endorse high quality photography for the industry as a means of raising the bar. Many agents take their own photos and they’re not all bad, but we want to see higher quality images like the one above which is ultimately why we share the “Best of the Best” with you, so you have an idea of what you’re looking for when you hire a photographer (plus, we encourage you to reach out to the winner if they are in your city).
This month’s winner
This month’s winner voted on by her peers is California real estate photographer, Briana Gray who also won in May 2011. Of the above, Gray said ”
This was a beautiful 5,000 square foot home located on a 1 acre lot in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. It was a fun shoot because its layout and landscaping provided a lot of opportunities for great shots. I love symmetry and I really like to look for at least a few strong, straight-on shots when shooting a house. I think this shot highlights what I like about straight-on angles.
“The amount of windows on this house worked really well, too, because it allowed me to contrast the cool twilight light with the warm inside lighting. When shooting a twilight it can be difficult to capture the romantic feeling that contrast provides. Because twilight shoots come with such a limited window of time, I like to bracket my shots to make sure I capture all the right exposures. This allows me to layer my images in Photoshop and make sure everything is evenly exposed.”
To see more quality real estate photography, check out the submissions from the PFRE Flickr Pool.
