To be a successful real estate photographer you need to invest in the right equipment. The most important requirement for our trade is a camera. A good digital DSLR with interchangeable lenses should be your primary purchase and investment priority after that, depending on how much cash flow you have leftover, other investments can include: lighting gear, memory cards, backdrops/props, and more. This isn’t an exhaustive list but it’s just giving you some ideas of what your next priorities should be so get investing!

DSLR camera

To get started, you’re going to need an interchangeable lens camera. However, if your camera doesn’t allow for a wide-angle lens like those found on DSLR’s then it might not be the best option for photographing large spaces. You’ll also want to make sure that your camera is able to trigger external flash units as well and has manual mode capability so you can control shutter speeds, aperture settings, exposure compensation values, and more.

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A Wide-Angle Lens

You need a lens that has an effective focal length between 16 mm and 24 mm. Preferably a zoom lens to give you more flexibility in varying situations. When it comes to wide-angle lenses, size matters!

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A sturdy tripod

A tripod is an essential tool for shooting brackets. Without it, you will have to take the time to manually adjust your settings each time you shoot a bracket, and if there is any movement between brackets then the images won’t line up pixel for pixel.

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Light Stand

One of the most important things you need to remember when shooting interiors are getting your flash off of the camera. You will not only have better quality light, but there are more options for bouncing the light off walls as well, which is essential in this type of setting. One stand that has proven quite useful is a light stand like this one because it can be used with a very small footprint and can be configured high or low depending on how you need to use it.

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Flash Unit(s)

The process of using a flash to light your subjects is not as hard as it seems. You don’t need hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of equipment to do this technique. All you need is a camera that has the capability for manual mode on the flash unit, which can be triggered by your camera.

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Flash Trigger

If you want to get your flash off your camera then you’ll need a way to trigger it. One of the best and most convenient ways is with infrared remote control.

Bracket Processing Software Application

As a result of interior lighting issues, real estate photographers now have the option to use bracketed images in order to solve these problems. They can shoot several images at different exposures and then process them with specialized software.  The output needs to be more creative and engaging!

Post-Processing Software

The post-processing of your images is an important step in the process. There are many different options to choose from, but Photoshop is best for real estate photography. It is an essential part of the process if you want to do more advanced techniques, like replacing skies and masking interior windows. 

Accounting Software

The world of business is hectic. One thing that can help simplify the process and organize your business is some kind of software like QuickBooks. Another alternative to keeping track of things would be to hire a bookkeeper, but either way, you’ll need to keep accurate records for taxes and make sure clients are paying on time. 

Business Name 

The first step for starting a business is to come up with the name of your company. This should be something that you can easily remember and relate to you or your services, and preferably have a domain that fits with what people are looking for when they search online. You could compare some of the top searches in Google Trends to see which words people are typing into google most often to get an idea of how popular it may be.

Domain name

The next step is trying to find out what kind of domain names might work best for you. If you want customers who are searching by keywords on Google, then make sure that both your website’s name, as well as its URL address, fit those keywords. This ensures that more people will be able to find their way.

It’s understandable that you want to have a domain name that reflects your location and what the company does. For example, if you are doing real estate photography in Bangkok then choosing a domain like “BangkokRealEstatePhotography.com” will allow potential clients to find your site more quickly than “JbPhoto.com.” Therefore, it is much better for you to choose a company name of Bangkok Real Estate Photography rather than Jb Photo.

Business Insurance

When you’re shooting inside someone’s house, it’s important to protect yourself and your gear. Equipment insurance will help protect against damage that could happen when you accidentally damage a homeowner’s property. But should something unexpected happen while you’re on-site, like say if one of the homeowners slips and falls in their own home because they weren’t expecting company or an animal escapes from its cage? You’ll need liability coverage too.

Business License

In order to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to stay on top of local and federal laws. These include business licenses which are sometimes required by your city or county government in order to collect all taxes that are due. If your state, province, or country requires businesses to collect sales tax they will need to register with their respective government entity for the right to do so.

Legal Protection

It’s important to separate your personal assets from your business assets for a number of reasons. If someone were to sue you, they would only be able to take the profits from your company rather than taking all of the money you’ve saved up over the years.

Reliable Vehicle

A few important things you should be aware of when it comes to your real estate photography business is showing up to the shoot location on time. To do this, you’ll need a reliable vehicle that can sustain the wear and tear of travel. Keeping your vehicle in good shape will keep it reliable and dependable for all those miles.

Smartphone

You’ll need to be available by phone. Real estate agents have a lot of responsibilities and they spend most of their time on the phone with other people coordinating deals and communicating what needs to happen for them to do their job. They expect you to respond immediately when they call so that you can schedule a photoshoot sooner. You need to be able to communicate quickly with them–either through email or by using your Smartphone.