You have probably read about it on the web. The hot thing right now in real estate is taking aerial images with UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). Some times they are referred to as “drones”. Where do you begin when trying to put a camera in the air? Do you focus on aerial photos, aerial video or both? Let’s see what might be the best RC helicopter with video camera for real estate...
Not all properties have a perfect view from the street. Various things can be in the way that block the view of the home. Things like landscaping and fencing can make it difficult for buyers to see the front of the property. Pole aerial photography allows us to put our camera higher up in the sky to be more eye level with the property. Additionally it enables us to avoid obstructions that might be right in front of the camera. Let’s take a look at some examples of where pole aerial photography improves the end result. This first example shows some landscaping bushes surrounding the walkway to the front door of the property. Putting our camera higher into the sky, we can shoot over the bushes closest to the camera. Buyers can then see more of the front of the property itself. As you can see from the example, pole aerial photography may not result in a drastic change. However the higher vantage point allows us to deliver a more pleasing image to our clients due to our attention to detail and superior level of service. Here is an example of a home on a farm that had a white metal fence directly in front. Using a pole allowed the camera to get above the fence, removing it completely from the image. Sure we could have photoshopped the fence out, but ethically the more honest photo is created by shooting over the fence so it is not in the picture at...
Real estate twilight photography has many advantages. It can help you build your business and client base, and it can add a high-value product to your services. Let’s first take a look at some of the pros and cons of twilights for real estate photography. Then we’ll look at a video where I show how I edited a recent twilight photo for a...
Have you seen the video with a naked guy walking around a property filmed in black and white? Or the home owner selling her ranch because of a sickness she was diagnosed with so she has to give up her dream property? These are examples of lifestyle real estate videos – videos that show buyers what it’s like to live at a property. They tend to draw on emotion more than showcasing the property itself. While you and I may never produce something so extravagant, we do have options on providing this type of service to our client...
Question: I’ve been asked a couple of times about the usage of contracts in real estate photography. As a real estate photographer, how do I protect myself from an agent that may not pay for the services I provided? What about exclusivity or maybe agreeing to reserve a day of the week for an agent on retainer? Answer: The new Copyright Act for Photographers came into force on November 7, 2012. Given that the legislation is subject to certain exceptions, and that it is quite complex to enforce, CAPIC still recommends that its members continue to use standard agreements and other tools made available to them to protect their copyrights. The Canadian Copyright Act was amended on November 7, 2012. In Canada, copyrights are protected by the Copyright Act, c. C-42. Since November 7, 2012, the Canadian Act finally grants ownership of the copyright to professional freelance photographers for work created in the course of their employment. The Copyright Act was amended in the Spring of 2012, under Bill C-11, rectifying the injustice that prevailed hitherto, while the copyright of photographs that were ordered belonged to the client by default. Canadian photographers are now, by default, the first owners of the copyright of the images they produce, as are illustrators, musicians, painters, and writers with their respective work. This applies to both photographs commissioned and paid by a client, and to photographs taken for non-commercial purposes. Therefore, photographers no longer have to sign an agreement with their client stating that they are the first owner of the copyright; the Act now guarantees ownership by default. However, it is still recommended...
Why Upload My Virtual Home Tours to VirtualViews.com Why to include a virtual home tour with your listings in Virtualviews.com? Better asked, why not? Nowadays, potential buyers don’t even look at online listings if they don’t include a virtual tour. Did you know that? Virtual tours take you inside the home and show you a 360-degree view. With Tour Hosting platform, you can build interactive virtual tours with your own 360-degree photos and still photos. The virtual tours provide full screen display, enables viewers to drag the scene to view the ceiling, the floor, the walls and every corner of the home. What’s more, you can add descriptive text to tell the story of each scene. View sample virtual home tours. Uploading the Virtual Home Tour Link to Virtualviews.com Virtualviews.com gives visitors the option of displaying only the listings with featured tours. Have you been wondering how to get the spinning red house on your listing for Realtor.com? With Tour Hosting platform you can create your own virtual home tour and upload your virtual tour link to Realtor.com. What’s more, linking tour to a Showcase Listing is free. If you do not have a Showcase enhanced listing you will be charged one Virtualviews.com Posting License per upload, costing $25 each. We only upload virtual tours that are hosted in Tour Hosting system. After you create a virtual tour online in Tour Hosting platform or upload a virtual tour created with Tourweaver, and publish it, you can find the Posting to Realtor.com link besides the tour ID in Tour History list. When uploading virtual tour link to Realtor.com, make sure the...
