The photographer David Bailey, said:

‘It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the extraordinary.’

The image that will appear on the front page of your property brochure must captivate the viewer within the first few seconds of being seen. If it is done carefully and with attention to detail, even the most mundane of residential buildings can be made to appear resplendent.

Image-Capturing Equipment And Film

Use only a high-quality camera with a good zoom lens to take your photograph. If you only possess an instamatic camera, ask a friend if you can borrow theirs or hire one from the high street. Remember that this is a once-only opportunity to acquire an image that is going to work for you – it is not just a holiday snapshot!

• A 35mm variable-zoom camera using a 100-200 speed roll of film will produce good results in most light conditions.
• Digital cameras are only as good as the resolution they provide. A minimum of 360dpi (dots per inch) will be needed to take a reasonable quality photograph.
• The use of a tripod will prevent any blurred results from camera-shake. If you do not have a tripod rest the camera on a wall or other nearby object when taking your picture.
• Use the zoom facility to take narrow-framed close-up shots as well as wider long-shots – but always keep your property centred in the frame.
• Be prepared to use up an entire film taking pictures from every angle of your home. Professional photographers may take 100 shots just to obtain one that is usable – there is sometimes just as much good fortune as there is skill in acquiring the ideal image.

Preparing The Scene

The easiest way to ensure that your home is presented in the best possible way is to stand facing it from some distance, then inspect it carefully from the roof all the way down to the front door. The last thing you want to do is capture on film any defects such as a missing roof-tile, so ensure that these repairs are undertaken before photographing your property. You should also:

• Remove from the scene anything that may obscure the building or impair the photograph. These may include a vehicle parked on the drive; a dustbin; summer containers now with dead plants or weeds growing from them; children’s toys; bicycles; the family caravan; a rotary clothes-line.
• Tidy up the garden if it is going to be in the scene – cut lawns and trim the edges; remove any weeds from borders; prune bushes and clip hedges.
• Clean all windows inside and out and draw back all curtains.

Waiting For The Right Day

Be patient! Wait for a bright and sunny day before taking your photographs as this will produce the best results. Ideally have the sun striking the front aspect of your home. If it is not south-facing wait until there is a bright day when the sun is partially obscured by light high cloud, otherwise the aspect of your property being captured will be in dark shadow.

Photographing Difficult Properties

Even the bleakest of homes can be transformed into something wonderful with a little artistry. One of the best methods is to photograph the building at dusk, just as the sun is setting and the sky turns orange through to purple – but before it turns black. Ideally there should be a little cloud in the sky.

For this kind of scene you will need to obtain some tungsten-halogen lights to fill the foreground. These are not expensive and are readily available. Security-lights are excellent providing they have a 500w tube. Try to set up a floodlight at each end of the house and then highlight the centre doorway with a spotlight. Now turn all the internal lights and table-lamps on (except any florescents) and draw back the curtains.

Take one photo every 10 minutes or more frequently if things seem to be happening quickly. The sky is an important element in your picture so be certain you have some of it in the frame. The ‘magical’ moment will disclose itself on one of the resulting images after developing and you will be amazed at the dramatic effect created – and so will your enquirers.