REAL ESTATE
Residential, Commercial, Interiors
LANDSCAPE
Landmarks, Cityscape, Urban, Architectural
FOOD
Hotels, Restaurants, Advertising, Editorial
PORTRAIT
Traditional, Glamour, Lifestyle, Candid
PRODUCT
Studio, Lifestyle, Grouping
EVENT
Conference, Exhibition, Corporate
FASHION
Portrait, Catalog, Editorial, Street
TRAVEL
Landscape, Cityscape, Documentary
SPORT
Basketball, Football, Golf
CONCERT
STILL
STREET
(Editor’s Note: You can read ”On the Road” columnist Deborah Sandidge’s other columns here).
When I started in photography my pictures were factual; they fulfilled the “here’s what it looked like” requirement and checked off all the familiar guides: a clearly-defined subject; properly placed leading lines; the rule of thirds obeyed; backgrounds taken into careful consideration. But they were static images, and there was no real communication of what the images were about.
I worked hard at changing that, at figuring out what I needed to do in order to creatively communicate. One of the changes I made was to consider the composition of my photographs to be purpose driven, and the images you see here are examples of how that works for me.
Big Bear
Black bears are common in Florida, and they’re not uncommon in my backyard, where, thanks to my security cameras, I usually see them wandering at the wooded edge of the property. Sometimes, though, they come closer to the house to see if the trashcans are available or the bird feeder accessible.
This guy climbed the feeder post but couldn’t get past the raccoon baffle. I composed this shot from the office-window setup I use to photograph birds, deliberately for effect by filling the frame to communicate my reaction to him—his bulk, the position of paws and claws, his concentration. The photo, taken with my 200mm lens, is not about details, subtlety, or even the story of what the bear was up to. It was all about, Wow, check this guy out!
Location, Location, Location
This image was driven by the place and what I knew I’d find there when the elements aligned the way I hoped they would. The Orlando location inspired me with what it offers in late afternoon light, when the colors are richest and beautifully reflect the buildings around the lake on a day when it isn’t too windy. I knew there were birds, and all I needed was one to give me the composition I’d pre-visualized.
This heron, though, was constantly moving, which meant I had to move with it, all the while looking for the right reflections, the right angle, constantly analyzing and evaluating the changes in composition. When the moment was right the combination of my 70-200mm, the 2X teleconverter, and a fast shutter speed of1/1,250—got me the image I wanted.
Into the Sun
While teaching a workshop in St. Augustine, the main photo op was this team hired to gallop the beach at sunrise. The composition was achieved by creating the setup and leaving everything else to camera position and continuous high-speed frame-advance. The workshop folks were shooting away and so was I, and this is one still frame of a sequence shot at 1/5,000. It’s my hero shot, so much so that I used it commercially to illustrate a story at a different website. In a sense, it’s after-the-fact composition—the single frame specifically chosen, at the computer, from all others, some which had the duo closer to sun, past the sun, and at the edge of the frame.
So why this one? Several reasons: the gesture angle of the rider’s lean; the pattern of kicked-up water; the undisturbed reflection; the front hooves clearly seen off the ground; and that the subjects are heading toward the sun, which captures my feeling that the image is both iconic and symbolic.
Bare Trees
Conditions were right—afternoon sun, clear sky, Colorado location—and I’d gone out to photograph snow. It turned out that there wasn’t much of it, so I turned to what I really liked: how stark the trees were. Their look carried the idea for the composition, but before crouching low and using my Nikon Z9’s tilt monitor to frame the shot, I set the camera’s Graphite picture control because its tones would intensify the starkness that attracted me in the first place.
The composition required two key elements: the sunburst (from an f/16 aperture) and the 14-24mm lens at its widest to tell the most interesting story. I especially like the balance and contrast of the thicker leading lines that draw viewers’ eyes up to the lacework look of the branches. The photo has been likened to a pen-and-ink drawing, and when that was mentioned to me I realized that the image is close to an art-class project.
Multiple…
Tequesta beach at sunrise with my 14-24mm wide angle, composed to capture what captured my interest: so many sections, layers, textures, and shapes of ocean, waves, rocks, and beach. I had to have them all and there were two decisions involved in that, neither of them difficult: which lens to use and where to stand.
…Choice
With the first Tequesta image made, I changed the composition to get a more straight-on, basic look that opened up the landscape and gave more emphasis to what was going on in the sky. It’s a different story, more of a document than an emotion. To be honest, this shot was a bit difficult, not because it involved any extreme of position or even a change of lens, but because I tend to get so into what I’m doing, I could take 15 pictures from the same place. I have to remember to vary my compositions. You might prefer one Tequesta over the other, but the idea is to have a choice, and to think up interesting ways of portraying the same conditions and elements.
Summing Up
Composition is part of the imaging process, one that includes a lot of considerations and elements, including lens choice, angle of view, time of day, quality of light, leading lines, balance, gesture, even framing rate. Your best images will come alive for you, and I think you’ll find those images result from challenges, emotions and ideas. I’ve found effective composition requires all three.
Social Media Links
You can check out Deborah Sandidge’s images, ideas, and compositional decisions on Instagram, at https://www.instagram.com/debsandidge/, Twitter, at https://twitter.com/DebSandidge, and Facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/debsandidge.
Having a strong brand is essential for any business. It can help you stand out from the competition and create a unique identity for your company. But creating a brand is just the first step. You must also maintain and elevate your brand to ensure it remains strong and relevant; especially in the real estate industry. So, are you a real estate agent looking to elevate your brand in 2023?
One of the best ways to do this is through real estate photography. Professional real estate photography can help you stand out in this highly competitive field. That is because when potential clients see all the media a Realtor invests in their properties, it automatically elevates their brand. Therefore, when you market a property, in reality, you are marketing yourself.
So, here are some tips we love to share with you to make the most of your real estate photography and take your brand to the next level.
1. Invest in Professional Real Estate Photography – Professional real estate photography can make a huge difference in the quality of your images. Investing in a professional photographer will ensure that your images are crisp, clear, and vibrant. This will make a great impression on potential buyers and help you to stand out from the competition.
And remember, it is important to create consistency in presenting your listings with the most professional quality. Consistency is a critical part of branding.
2. Showcase Your Listings – Professional real estate photography will help show off the best features of your listings. Wide-angle shots are perfect to capture the entire space and close-ups to highlight unique features. It’s essential to capture both the interior and exterior of the home, as well as any outdoor amenities or features.
3. Special Editing Add-Ons – You’ll also want to invest in any editing add-ons such as green grass, virtual dusk, or virtual staging to ensure that your images really stand out on online real estate marketplaces such as Zillow or Realtor.com.
4. Video – Professional Video is one of the most powerful marketing tools out there, and it’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to use it for their branding. It’s a great way to engage potential customers, build trust, increase website traffic, improve SEO, and reach a wider audience.
Also, you may consider using Zillow 3-D tours, interactive floor plans, and Matterport to increase your client’s experience.
In fact, 20-30 second video clips are what people see most on social media. So, consider investing in real estate videography for your properties, as well as branding videography for yourself to elevate your branding as a Top Realtor.
5. Use Drone Photography – Drone photography is becoming more and more popular in real estate photography. This type of photography can help you capture stunning aerial shots, giving potential buyers a better sense of the property and its surroundings. Especially since many buyers do not live in the area; this can be extremely helpful for them. As a result, you engage with a greater number of potential buyers.
6. Leverage Social Media – Social media is a great way to promote your real estate photography and brand. Share your images on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to reach a wider audience.
By following these tips, you can elevate your brand with real estate photography. Professional photography can help you stand out from the competition and make a great impression on potential clients. Showcase your listings with all the professional real estate media tools that are there for you, and leverage social media to get the most out of your real estate photography.
Are you a real estate agent in the Dallas-Fort Worth area or San Antonio? Then book your next appointment with your favorite real estate media company and take your branding to the next level this 2023.
Here are other related topics that might interest you:
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