As a real estate photographer, I’m sure you’re already aware that real estate photographers work in all different kinds of conditions, sometimes making their job incredibly challenging. One of a photographer’s biggest challenges is figuring out the lighting when they get to the job. Since lighting and weather can change constantly depending on location, photographers have to manipulate images to get the best results.
However, it can be difficult to know what exposure settings need to be used to capture the best images. Getting high-quality images is more than snapping your camera and a few editing skills; it’s knowing how to capture high-quality images right at the moment. You’re going to encounter obstacles when it comes to taking photos; maybe the way that the light hits the flooring isn’t perfect or one corner of the room isn’t getting enough light. It’s your job to know how to work around these obstacles.
Sometimes HDR is needed to recover detail in shadows or highlights, and sometimes it’s necessary to use flash to add light to a scene. In this article, we’ll discuss the differences between the two and the benefits of both in your photography.
Flash In Real Estate Photography
If natural light doesn’t seem to be enough when you’re working, it may be necessary to bring your own light in. Now, your first thought might seem that, on top of what you already do for your photography, adding flash to your photos will be overwhelming. But once you get the hang of it, adding flash to your images isn’t that difficult. If you master the art then it can be hugely beneficial to your real estate photography business!
Advantages and Disadvantages of Flash
Using flash for your images has both pros and cons. The biggest advantage of using flash is that you can change the entire lighting of a room by using it. If you find yourself in a house that has the worst lighting then you can whip out your flash and create some light of your own. It’s a bit magical to be able to change an entire photo with just a few tweaks of your camera.
Although using flash in real estate photography is hugely beneficial, it also has a few disadvantages. Using flash in your photography can be costly and for the new photographer attempting to start a business, it may not be the easiest to afford the equipment. It may also be more time-consuming since the setup can take a while. This means that many spend hours on what could’ve initially been a quick project due to the setup.
HDR In Real Estate Photography
HDR in real estate photography is a simple concept. It’s the process of a photographer taking multiple images and changing the exposure in between each click. This is called bracketing and at the end of production, all of the images become one. With HDR, you can get detail in both highlights and shadows, creating a high-quality image.
Pros and Cons Of HDR
The biggest advantage of using HDR is the time. Although you may spend hours if you use flash in your photography merely on the setup, HDR requires minimal extra time or effort. You can set up as you normally would and vary your shutter speed. The process is easy afterward as well since all you have to do is use software and let it do its job with the bracketed images.
The biggest disadvantage of using HDR for your photos is that you’re at the mercy of the light. Besides adjusting the lights in the room you can’t do much more to change the lighting for your images. And if you’ve been in the photography field for any period of time then you already know that sometimes, the light just isn’t on your side. This is where you may have to include your own lighting using strobe or flash.
Summing It All Up
Overall, HDR and flash are two useful skills to know when it comes to photography. Being able to change photos into what you need to is a valuable skill to know as a photographer. Both HDR and flash have pros and cons when it comes to photography and we’ve listed those above. To know what they are and when you should use HDR and flash, check out the information above!
