3 Tips For Attractive Virtual Staging Photography

Are you a real estate agent looking to make sales on listings? In the real estate market, a picture is worth a thousand words. We all understand the importance of showing the buyer the potential of the home you are trying to sell. That is where the importance of photo staging comes into the picture. Virtual staging photography is a complementary element related to real estate photography, as you are trying to capture the essence of your listing.

In an ideal world, all real estate agents can hire virtual designers or real estate photographers to help stage and capture the listing attractively. But that is not always the case. You need to have detailed knowledge about photo staging so that you can play multiple roles while making the sale, should the occasion arise. There are several tips and tricks to keep in mind, and in this article, we shall delve into 3 valuable virtual staging tips and their subsets, to learn how to set the perfect background and staging for that sale-making snapshot!

Tips for Perfecting Virtual Staging Photography:

1. Essential Equipment:

Before you set up, there are some essential equipment you require to make sure you click that perfect snapshot. Some of them are listed below.

• ‍DSLR camera or a smartphone camera: Most photographers use professional DSLR cameras, as a good camera with high resolution is the best tool to get 360-degree photos of the home and capture all its elements and focal points. You can always use a powerful smartphone camera, provided you can ensure stability and clarity.  ‍
• The right lens: The right lens will allow you to adjust the focal length, zoom in and out, and capture a wide range of the surroundings, according to your needs. The 16-28mm range is the most popular range for lens’ focal length. A wide-angle lens like this can be particularly useful for capturing images of a listing. If you are trying real estate and virtual staging photography for the first time, try not to go for a lens that is too wide as that might distort the dimensions of the room you are staging.‍
• Tripod for stability and consistent framing: A tripod is an essential tool to keep the camera stable to minimize the chances of blurry images. There are different types of tripods available, from lightweight to heavy models. Heavy tripods can support heavier cameras and lenses, and lighter tripods are suitable for smartphones as well and are easy to carry to remote locations. ‍
• Lighting equipment like softboxes, reflectors, etc.: This is an optional portion of photography equipment you need to click the perfect snapshot of your listing. Usually, photography of listings is done in natural light to highlight the features of the home. But you can even use lighting tools like reflectors, LED lights, and soft boxes to aid you while staging photography, to soften natural or artificial light and distribute it more evenly.

2. Setting the Stage for Photos:

Now that we have our essential equipment locked and loaded, let us look at how we can set the stage to ensure that we capture the essence of the home we are photographing.

• ‍Decluttering and depersonalizing the space: You can start by decluttering the space and removing any personal items such as photographs or highly specific decor. Clearing away excessive clutter allows potential buyers to focus on the listing's features and focal points and visualize their belongings in the space. Clean the surroundings as if the customers are about to step into the home, and make it as de-personalized as possible, as furniture can be added using virtual staging photography applications later.‍
• Utilizing natural light whenever possible: As mentioned before, always try to utilize natural light as much as possible. Open up curtains, blinds, and doors to give off maximum appeal when you are preparing for the photograph. Well-lit spaces tend to appear larger and more inviting for the buyers and will pique their interest.‍
• Repaint the walls: Once the room is cleared of dirt, debris, and unnecessary clutter, get rid of minor imperfections, such as faded paint and cracks and chips in the finish. Enhancement effects can cover up the flaws during the editing process, but you do not want to disappoint potential buyers who visit the listing at a later date. So, it’s better to paint now and worry later!‍
• Adjusting furniture placement: Try to strategically arrange furniture and decor to showcase the listing's 3 F’s- flow, focal points, and functionality. Position the furniture according to these 3 points, so that you can create an inviting atmosphere. Additionally, complete your photo staging by using neutral colors for decor and arranging items in a visually pleasing manner.

3. Mastering the Photography Techniques:

Now that you have set the stage for the perfect snapshot, it’s time to capture it! Here are some tips to keep in mind when trying to master virtual staging photography.

• ‍Capture every photo with the highest possible resolution: The higher the resolution an image is shot in, the better! Doing this makes the images far easier to edit. When virtually photo staging listings, the more flexibility you provide photo editors to play with levels of brightness or tone, the better it is to harness and exhibit the full potential of the home.‍
• Use a wide-angle lens: Always use a wide-angle lens! Try using a lens that is no less than 12mm in width, and no more than 16-18mm, to ensure the image doesn't get crimped or warped when doing room staging photography. The whole point of capturing the images is to give the potential buyers the most realistic and real-time image of the listing, to ensure that there are no false expectations or disappointments when seeing the listing in person.‍
• Keep everything at eye level: Always shoot images from eye level, as that will be the perspective of the potential buyers when they see it in person. Try shooting from corners or entryways to capture all parts of the room. But, if you shoot at too high an angle, you risk making the space seem small and dingy. Conversely, if you shoot at too low an angle, that may warp the actual dimensions of a room and make it seem distorted or overly enlarged. In photo staging, just like in real estate sales, it's all about the potential angles!‍
• Keep it professional: Keep your images professional! Whether you are using the help of a staging designer or a real estate photographer, or whether you are clicking these images by yourself, make sure that the images are clean, clear professional, and up to par with industrial standards and the other quality images in the market. You don't want anyone to think you are an amateur, do you?

Now that we have come to an end in this journey about virtual staging photography, we hope that these helpful tips have aided your understanding of the real estate staging process. You can always hire a professional photographer, or a virtual staging service like Styldod to help you along the journey of capturing that perfect snapshot for your listing. Let us help you show the maximum potential of your listings to your potential clients, enjoy the benefits of hiring the #1 virtual staging service in the USA, and reap the rewards!

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