Frequently Asked Questions:

 

Q. What should I do before the photoshoot?

 

A. The following:

• Call the homeowners multiple times to make sure that the house is perfectly clean (if you are a realtor).

• The garage is a good place to keep extra furniture.

• Clean the kitchen countertops. After you are done, empty it some more.

• Many homeowners usually skip on cleaning the basement and backyard.

• If there are tenants living in the basement, they must know when the photographer is coming and have the basement ready in pristine condition.

• Staging is recommended if there is no furniture in the house.

• For best results, ask the photographer for recommended photoshoot time. It depends upon the direction in which the house is facing and weather conditions.

• For commercial shoots, the best time is when there are no customers present. This is usually 30 minutes before opening time.

 

Q. How long in advance should I book an appointment?

A. The sooner, the better. Booking 2-3 days in advance is highly recommended. However, I understand the urgency of getting the photos online on MLS and will try to get your photoshoot booked at the last minute if my schedule is free.

 

Q: How long the photographer stays at the property being shot?

A: The time taken varies with the size of properties. A 4 bedroom house can take anywhere between 90 minutes to 2 hours on location. Studio apartments might get completed in 40 minutes.

 

Q: When will my pictures and tour link be ready?

A: Your pictures and tour link will be e-mailed to you within 24 hours of taking the photos.

 

Q: What is the best time to take photos?

A: The best exterior photos turn out on a sunny day 2-3 hours after sunrise or 2-3 hours before sunset, when the sun is a little below 45 degree angle from the horizon, also known as the golden hour. Booking when the sun faces the front side of the house is also highly recommended. So, if the house east facing, you might want to book in the morning. If the house is west facing, you might want to book in the evening. Yeah, I know it’s a bit technical, but the photos will turn out absolutely fantastic!

 

That being said, shooting at noon time or when the weather is cloudy also produces decent photos. Additional twilight/night time photos are highly recommended for high rise apartments with nice views or for properties above 1 Million in value. Lastly, you might want to avoid booking during dark clouds, rainy, snowy or foggy weather.

 

Q: Do you retouch the images?

A: Absolutely! Retouching is a big part of what I do as a photographer. Every listing gets around 2 hours of retouching.

 

Q: What all is done while retouching the photos?

A: All images are individually color corrected; contrast and brightness levels are adjusted, noise reduction is done, tone curves are adjusted on a picture by picture basis. Distortion is also removed from every image, verticals lines are corrected. HDR is used for some images where required. The goal here is to make the picture look as natural as the eye sees without over doing the editing. 

 

Q: How long do you keep the Virtual Tour active?

A: A virtual tour will remain active till the property is on the market.

 

Q: Can Private Home Sellers get a Virtual Tour?

A: Absolutely! Private Home Sellers can get Virtual Tours too.

 

Q: How do I pay you?

A: Payment can be made by cash,or via e-transfer.

 

Q: Which areas do you cover and are there any travel charges?

A: There is no travel fee in London area. There may be a $30 - $50 travel charge for other areas outside London.

 

Q: Will I get a discount if my property size is small?

A: There is a standard rate for all property sizes under 4,000 sq ft.

 

Q: What equipment do you use for real estate photography?

A: Top of the line full frame Canon DSLR. A variety of wide angle lenses,  wireless flashes, tripod, shutter release and that creative photographer’s eye!