Minnesota is home to some of the most beautiful, crystal-clear lakes around, which is why many of the city names have the word lake in them. Forest Lake and White Bear Lake are two of these cities whose stunning lakes help to define them. The Chain of Lakes area is another picturesque place blessed with spectacular lake views.
Locals often post pictures of the areas’ breathtaking scenery online, and with good reason. In Forest Lake, the verdant scenery of Forest Park makes for striking pictures in any season, whether in the meadow or park, along Emerson Grand Basin, or in the World’s Fair Pavilion. Chain of Lakes provides amazing photo opportunities of either one of its dazzling lakes or of the lush wooded areas. Elmo Park, the historic James J. Hill House, and the quintessential ice castles in White Bear Lake are great backdrops for any photographer.
Tips for capturing stunning photos of your home to attract potential buyers
Just like pictures of gorgeous scenery, photos of your Forest Lake home for sale need to be impressive. Prospective home buyers want to see several quality photos of the home’s interior and exterior online before asking to see the house in person. Getting high-quality photographs of your home when putting it on the market is crucial, so here are some tips for getting the best photos of your home when putting it on the market.
Declutter your home
When potential buyers search for homes online, they want to see neat, clean spaces where they can imagine putting their own furnishings. When cleaning your home in preparation for taking photos, you will want to clean diligently, including appliances and storage areas.
Stage it
Whether you stage your home on your own or with the help of a real estate agent, it is important to remember the “less-is-more” rule. Prospective buyers are not interested in your decor but in the house itself. Move furniture around to make the house neutral yet inviting. Keep personal belongings out of the photos. Instead, use impersonal but elegant touches such as vases of fresh flowers or graceful but simple candles. Just make sure to keep it simple and not overdo those elements.
Enlist the help of a professional
If you are not savvy with a camera, you might consider hiring a professional photographer. Once you have hired an experienced and reputable photographer, stand back and let them do their thing. They know how to make your home look attractive and will spend time getting just the right angles and perspectives.
Purchase a high-quality camera
If you want to take the pictures yourself, it is essential to have a camera that can work in indoor and outdoor lighting, has good resolution, and sensor sensitivity. In other words, you will need a high-quality camera.
Use natural lighting
Though natural lighting sounds, well, natural, it can actually make your photos appear lackluster. The lighting you get later in the day provides a better balance for your photos. If it is too dark, using lamps with soft white bulbs can give just enough illumination for some good-quality pictures.
Show off your home’s best features
While it might seem intuitive to give an equal opportunity to each part of your house, it will be more compelling for prospective buyers to see various pictures of its best features. For instance, if you have recently upgraded your kitchen with beautiful appliances and finishes, make sure to include photos of it from different perspectives. Find the parts of your house that are most appealing, like a gorgeous yard with colorful flowers in full bloom, and play them up.
Find the right angles
Choosing the right angle from which to capture your photo can be tricky. While it is a good idea to take photos from angles that capture more of the room, it is just as important to keep the perspective realistic. In other words, avoid using such a wide angle that your small rooms appear immense, which can be misleading and look awkward.
Use the RAW picture format
Photographic RAW files are four times larger than JPG files. This is because there can be between 68 billion and 4.3 trillion color shades stored in a camera, depending on the model. In addition, the final image is more flexible than a JPG.
Post-production tips
Editing and preparing your photos before posting them is critical. Ensuring that the lighting and color are consistent throughout each photo creates a fluent picture of your home. You can ensure your pictures look natural by editing for color and lighting, and you can also make certain that any distortions are corrected. Finding the right editing tools will make the job easier.
Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is renowned for its image management capabilities. Photographers typically begin the editing process with Lightroom because it is adept at handling large volumes of images so that they can finish more work quickly. A library-like catalog facilitates organizing, managing, and finding photos.
Box Brownie
Box Brownie is an editing company used by many real estate agencies. It has the ability to enhance photos by removing unwanted objects, adjusting lighting, and balancing color. It can create a fire in an unlit fireplace, replace a black TV screen with a beautiful picture, and even change the sky from overcast to sunny.
Must-haves of photography equipment
DSLR camera
A DSLR, or digital single-lens reflex, camera is mirrorless and has terrific low light and autofocus elements. It also has a longer battery life since there is no digital screen that uses battery power when constantly on.
Wide angle lens
Using a wide-angle lens allows you to photograph a bigger portion of your room or space in one picture. These lenses also create sharper images. However, when using a wide-angle lens to photograph your home, it is important to keep the shots realistic and proportionate to the actual size of the rooms.
Perfect photographs every time
There are a lot of steps and factors involved in getting those photos of your home online. It can seem like a daunting task. However, there is a foolproof way to get the perfect photos that will captivate prospective home buyers and get your home sold. The experts at The Muske Team have the experience you want for staging your home and getting the best photos for selling your home. Contact The Muske Team to help you sell your home.