Why does good photography matter?

We live in a visual world, intensified by the Internet. From your local MLS and Realtor.com to your own brokerage, buyers can search every area listing for their next home. But sameness can set in. Great photos stand out in a crowded marketplace.

As your photographer, my emphasis is to create engaging and attractive photos that draw viewers attention to the merging of architectural and interior techniques. This approach offers a sense of not only how the home is laid out, but also the experience of living in the space.

Can you shoot a home with an iPhone?

You can, and many people do. And, under right circumstances, your iPhone can produce an acceptable image, but it will be severely limited in scope and lighting. To shoot an entire home, inside and out, and capture color range, details or special angles requires a robust professional camera with specialized wide-angle lens and expertise in shooting techniques like flash/fusion.

Can you Photoshop out that crack in the wall of my client’s property?

I sure can. But I won’t. For obvious legal and ethical reasons I cannot and will not use photography to erase a permanent physical feature of the property, including outside items like a telephone pole. Buyers expect photography of the home and the actual home to match. Misrepresentation is a slippery slope. Your brokerage manager or the local real estate association are excellent sources for guidelines, if you have questions.

Who pays for the Real Estate or Rental Home Photographer?

In Real Estate:  
   Typically, the listing agent pays for the photography, but that’s not always the case. It may depend on the agent’s marketing plan for the property. Of course, a seller can always request professional photography.

In Rental Homes:   
   Most of the time, the Rental company pays or will work with the Home Owners to come up with an agreement. For a VRBO Home, it will be upto the Home Owner.

What’s the difference between the MLS and Print Size files?

The MLS files are quite small JPEG files that have been sized specifically to match common MLS standards and compressed to load quickly on the web.

Print-size files are much larger JPEG files that are roughly the same size as the original captured image in the camera. The flash/fusion technique, along with regular photo finishing techniques, often requires moderate amounts of cropping. But finished files are always large enough to print extremely well on an 8.5 by 11-inch piece of paper.

Do you upload the photos to the MLS?

Unfortunately I cannot. I am not a licensed Realtor and do not have access to the MLS.

 

Is Real Estate Photography expensive?

Expensive is a relative term, so it must be measured in the context of what it’s worth to present your listing in the best possible manner. While there are certainly less expensive photographers in our market, and taking your own photos is the least expensive option of all, I guarantee with every job that if you are not completely  satisfied and felt you’ve received your money’s worth in professional photography that you are due a full refund.

 

What should we do to prepare the home for the shoot?

At a minimum, the house should look clean and organized. De-cluttering mantles and countertops of personal items go a long way to making a home look open and inviting. Smaller things like removing visible garbage cans can also make the house look cleaner. Bright, artificially colored packaging, like on cereal boxes and shampoo bottles are also very distracting to the eye. Perhaps most important, check to ensure every (and I mean EVERY) light fixture in the home turns on with a working light bulb. It can make a huge difference.

Here are a few guidelines to help you prepare a home for photography:

Interior

  • Turn on all interior lights
  • De-clutter or organize mantles, shelves and tabletops
  • Remove or minimize personal photos and memorabilia
  • Clear off counter tops in kitchen and bathroom areas
  • Remove photos, notes and papers from the refrigerator
  • Turn ceiling fans and televisions off
  • Make all beds and tidy bathrooms
  • Remove piles of newspaper and magazines
  • Tuck trash cans out of view in a closet or cupboard
  • Point out valuable or recognizable artwork that should be edited in post
  • Contain pets in the garage or out of sight

Exterior

  • Remove all vehicles from driveways and from in front of the house
  • Remove all garden tools including hoses and sprinklers
  • Mow and rake yard
  • Move garbage cans out of sight
  • Sweep driveways, sidewalks and patios

 

 

Will professional real estate photography guarantee a better sale?

I wish it was that easy. But there are so many variables involved in what it takes to sell a home that it’s almost impossible to say what closes the deal. I have seen first hand of a home sitting with one Real Estate Agent for well over a year. The seller switched Agents, the new agent used rushphotos.net and sold the home in just over a week(Full asking and additional for furnishings). Was it the Agent, was it the photos, or a combination of things? 

 

What other photography do you do?

 Even though Photography is my full time job, I still consider part of it a hobby/passion. I enjoy living in the area I do, there are so many picturesque spots in North Georgia. I love to capture landscapes, anything to do with water, sunsets, old buildings and barns.  Have an idea of a great shot, but haven't seen a photo of it? Just ask, maybe I can make it happen.

Terms & Conditions

Scheduling

  • Please contact Rush Photography at (706)455-2913, rushmb@gmail.com or  the "Contact Us" Link at the top of the page
  • Locations outside the Fannin county area may be billed for travel expenses and subject to minimum order requirements depending on location. Travel expenses can be waived with a certain amount of photography jobs at the location.

Payment

  • Payment is due on delivery of photos
  • Cash, Check, Credit/Debit Card or PayPal accepted.

Shoot

  • Unless specified, the standard shoot will include the front and back exterior and the major rooms such as living room, dining room, family room, kitchen, master bedroom, master bath and bedrooms. Multiple angles of the same room or area may be considered in the count of finished photos. Powder rooms, small bathrooms, utility rooms or garages are not a shooting priority unless you give direction otherwise.
  • All properties will be shot AS IS. If the property is not properly cleaned or staged, the Photographer will make a reasonable effort to create the most aesthetically pleasing and uncluttered photographs possible.

Post Production

  • Photographer will have sole discretion to select the images for finish and delivery.
  • Only the selected photos will be processed for finished delivery.
  • Digital photo manipulation (i.e. “photoshopping”) is not included.

Delivery

  • Images will be delivered within 2 business days, unless otherwise specified. (Typically within 24 hours)
  • Finished photos will be delivered in 2 JPEG formats. The 1st format is sized and optimized for the MLS, and the 2nd format is at the full resolution of the final master file.
  • Files can be loaded to Dropbox.com, but will be deleted after 72hours.

Photo Rights and Usage

  • All images are copyrighted Photography. Images produced for an agent or broker (referred to as Agent) may be used by the Agent and Agent’s Parent Company, in accordance with local MLS rules, exclusively for the marketing of the active listing property. Any usage of the images beyond these purposes by the Agent, Agent’s Parent Company, Homeowner or any third party is strictly prohibited unless approved in writing by the Photographer.
  • Rental Home and Real Estate Companies can make arrangements through the photographer on a rental home being listed for sale