10 Steps To Better Real Estate Photography – Step 4
Shoot Horizontally

Photographed for Becky Budke, Reece and Nichols

Shoot Horizontally

So step four to better real estate marketing photography is short and easy. Resist all temptation, no matter how great, to shoot vertically.  Don’t even think of tipping that camera into the up-and-down position you would use to take a picture of your friend/spouse/mother/pet.

Leave it horizontal.  As in sideways.  Even for bathrooms.  If a room is too small to be photographed horizontally, don’t photograph it.  Just don’t do it.

Why do I feel so strongly about this?  Because the MLS is friendlier to horizontal photographs.  Because even if Matrix does handle your vertical shot, most of you are syndicating out to other real estate portals that won’t (very gracefully).  Because slide shows and virtual tours are not easy to watch when there is a mixture of horizontal and vertical shots.  (And by all means, choose the full-screen slide show with zoom and pan.  Jerky little virtual tours are quickly falling out of favor with consumers.)  Because we see horizontally.  And because most houses (and spaces within the house) are designed horizontally.  For starters.

Are there exceptions?  Maybe.  A detail shot used , for instance, as in inset on a flyer might be nice in a vertical crop.  In a printed piece, (where the viewer is seeing many images at once, as opposed to each image individually, one at a time) a vertical crop can break up the monotony of all horizontal images.  It adds design diversity.  A magazine cover would also require a vertical crop in most cases.  (This is me resisting the temptation to add “…if there is still anyone out there doing print advertising in magazines.”)

So shoot horizontally.  You’ll be a better person for it.  (Or don’t.  If you’re the only agent photographing your listings completely in a vertical format, they might stand out so much that everyone will want to see those tall skinny houses!)