Real estate aerial photography is a step ahead of standard property shooting as it involves using drones that can capture a building in a more spectacular manner. In addition to basic angles, using a drone, you can show potential buyers/tenants how a real estate looks from above, highlight its proportions and size, so no wonder this direction develops so fast.
Top 15 Real Estate Aerial Photo Tips & Techniques
Finding your place in a highly competitive sphere of high end real estate photography can be an arduous task. That’s why you need to have a solid theoretical and practical base to offer drone photography services to homeowners, real estate agents, and other clients. I have prepared a rundown of 15 effective aerial real estate photography tips, learning which you can surpass your clients and take amazing images.
1. Earn the Remote Pilot Certificate
If you want to grow your real estate photography business with the help of real estate aerial photography, you have to learn how to fly a drone. There are specialized centers where you can undergo training and then choose one of 700 testing centers in the US to take an exam. You will definitely be asked to pass the exam called FAA Part 107 Airman Knowledge.
Usually, this is a test with 60 multiple choice questions and if you get the passing score, you’ll receive a Remote Pilot Certificate. Such training is obligatory because you must know the rules, restrictions, and standards of piloting a drone. If you are interested in commercial real estate photography, it is forbidden to get down to work without a pilot certificate from the FAA.
2. Get Proper Equipment
Choosing a drone isn’t that simple, because you need to pay attention to different aspects. First of all, make sure an aerial photography drone you are going to buy has a high-res camera for real estate photography. Anything lower than 12MP will only cause frustration. DJI Mavic 2 is currently the most powerful drone for real estate photography.
Those interested in recording footage, have to invest in 4K drones with a frame rate of 30fps or higher. It is also a nice idea to invest in a device with a built-in drone gimbal, as you can expect a smooth flight and stability.
Be attentive to the flight range. This refers to the distance your drone can fly to without losing connection with a control device. I recommend buying a drone capable of covering a mile as the minimum. As for the flight time, an average model can stay active for half an hour. Pro-level drones operate longer. However, every extra minute comes at its price.
3. Register Your Drone
If you’re from states of the USA, the first thing you need to do after buying the equipment is to visit the Federal Aviation Administration’s website to find out about the drones for real estate legal regulations in your area.
Next step, if you plan on using your drone commercially, is registering it there. You need to do this, regardless of its size. All registered drone operators get one official identification number that must be undisputedly written on every registered drone.
4. Get Your Drone Insured
Equipment for drone real estate photography is rather expensive, so it makes sense to get insurance, which will cover possible expenses if something goes wrong. You can choose hull insurance (protecting owners in case of device loss/damage) or liability insurance (protection against claims made by third parties) based on your needs.
Drone insurance is like a guarantee you can maintain your business if you face unexpected financial obligations. If you work in an area with luxury houses, getting good insurance is a must.
5. Practice Your Skills
Before attaching your camera to the drone, find an open space to practice flying and master drone filming. Here are some of the exercises you need to practice: Taking off, Hovering, safe and slow Landing, Side to side movement, Draw square and complicated circles in the air, and Rotation.
6. Address Professional Enhancement Services
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7. Plan the Shoot
Not only the process of shooting, but also the preparation stage defines how successful your work will be. There are 2 key factors you need to consider – time and weather. To get high-quality aerial real estate photos that don’t require much processing, you should organize a photo session in nice weather.
Besides, calm clear days are more suitable for flying drones. Keep tabs on the weather forecast to be on the safe side. As for timing, it is better to take images of a property when the surrounding is as uncrowded as possible.
If a building is located on a busy street, choose a weekend morning for your work. If there is a beachfront nearby, check when it is less populous and try to take images at that period of the day.Not only the process of shooting, but also the preparation stage defines how successful your work will be. There are 2 key factors you need to consider – time and weather. To get high-quality aerial real estate photos that don’t require much processing, you should organize a photo session in nice weather.
Besides, calm clear days are more suitable for flying drones. Keep tabs on the weather forecast to be on the safe side. As for timing, it is better to take images of a property when the surrounding is as uncrowded as possible.
If a building is located on a busy street, choose a weekend morning for your work. If there is a beachfront nearby, check when it is less populous and try to take images at that period of the day.
8. Consider Time of the Day
There are no universal shooting angles as much depends on the time of the day you take images at. While sunset and sunrise light adds drama to property photos, noon is an ideal time to take top-down and low-angle shots because shadows will be less harsh. However, if you plan to photograph when the sun is high in the sky, you need to monitor the light so as not to get ugly shades.
Sometimes, you can use ND filters to keep colors as natural as possible. Besides, such accessories help control the amount of lighting reaching the sensor, which, in the long run, prevents overexposure and glare.
9. Set the Scene
No matter what object you photograph, you need to prepare it for shooting. For instance, product photographers always think the arrangement through: iron clothes, complement the composition with matching props, etc. You need to follow the same approach while practicing real estate photography.
First off, study the territory you have to take images of and define whether there are any elements that may distract attention from the building itself. These can be lawn chairs, items near the pool, vehicles, and whatnot.
Ask a real estate agent to bring everything in order. Sometimes, you have to address other specialists, e.g., a gardener, to make the area look neat. Thus, when you start taking photos, nothing will be out of place.
10. Choose Which Property Parts to Highlight
Before taking aerial property photos, you need to choose a focal point. This is the highlight of the real estate that you will focus on during shooting. You can draw viewers’ attention to a nice backyard swimming pool or a beautiful terrace that is bound to stand out from the rest. It doesn’t mean that there are unimportant elements of the property.
The main idea here is to incorporate the whole house in the frame but accentuate its most interesting feature. You can easily grasp what element to focus on experimenting with popular photography composition techniques.
For example, you can use leading lines or increase lighting in a specific area. Consider what methods work in your case and don’t be afraid to try something new. If you need to capture the interior of the real-estate property in addition to taking aerial photos, you may outsource this task to professional Dubai-based photographers who specialize in contemporary interior photography and know how to take top-level shots to improve your listings.
11. Adjust the Settings
Doing drone photography for real estate, you should be very accurate with the settings. Primarily, you need to adjust shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and exposure. Actually, you need to configure these parameters based on your current shooting conditions.
A good rule of thumb is to start with ISO set to 100, shutter speed – 1/60th, and an f-stop of f/4.0. To avoid a blurry effect, keep shutter speed rather high. If it is possible, set the aspect ratio to 3:2 to take images at max resolution.
In case your device doesn’t allow it, settle for 4:3. It is also a great idea to active an AF. A manual focus isn’t suitable for this type of shooting unless you’re OK with too soft images.
12. Save Photos in RAW Format
If you want to earn money practicing real estate aerial photography, it is advisable to take images in RAW format. Some drones save RAW files with a .dng extension, so keep this in mind. RAW files are more suitable for advanced photo processing as the amount of info you get in this case is significantly larger than with other formats.
Thus, you can work more meticulously with shadows and highlights, and improve even those pictures that were taken in scarce lighting. If you frequently work in high-contrast settings, it is better to switch to HDR real estate photography.
13. Shoot a Variety of Shots
Though you are concentrated on taking aerial property photos, which implies shooting with a drone from high above, you shouldn’t forget about other angles. Actually, viewers want to have as many images of a house from various sides as possible, so make sure you’ve taken wide-angle and top-down shots. Sometimes, it makes sense to show beautiful flowerbeds or a convenient wooden summer house to present a real estate in the best light.
Professional photographers like to take aerial photos at just several feet above eye level, which allows perceiving a house in an offbeat manner. Besides, you can take a drone at the height of 20ft to strike a balance between scope and level of detail.
14. Feature the Surrounding Neighborhood
The most important object in drone real estate photography is a building, but if you remove all other elements surrounding it from the frame, the final photo will look uninteresting and plain. That’s why you need to mull over the composition and decide which objects around the property are worth capturing as well.
This can be a park, a lake, a forest, neighboring buildings, etc. Your main task is to help potential buyers understand what they will get buying this house and what facilities are within easy reach.
15. Avoid the No-Fly Zones
These are specific places, for instance not far from the airports, where you will not have legal right to use drones no matter what. Additionally, laws that regulate real estate drone services for commercial and hobby purposes are also different.
Don’t forget to find where special no-fly zones are beforehand. It’s only your direct responsibility and duty to be aware where they are situated, so you avoid working there and breaking the official law.
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FAQs
Top 15 Real Estate Aerial Photography Tips? ›
A safe bet would be to stay between f/5.6 and f/11, making sure not to go under the minimum f/5.6, so your images don't look too flat. The goal is the edge-to-edge focus when shooting aerial photography, so a higher aperture is a must. Third, set your ISO settings around your aperture and shutter speed.
What are the best settings for aerial photography? ›A safe bet would be to stay between f/5.6 and f/11, making sure not to go under the minimum f/5.6, so your images don't look too flat. The goal is the edge-to-edge focus when shooting aerial photography, so a higher aperture is a must. Third, set your ISO settings around your aperture and shutter speed.
How can I improve my aerial photography? ›- Check the UAV forecast.
- Shoot in RAW format.
- Utilize the thirds grid overlay for composition.
- Stick to a lower ISO.
- Take advantage of Auto Exposure Bracketing.
- Get ready to improvise.
- Create higher resolution images with panoramic shots.
- Experiment both aspect ratios (16:9 or 4:3)
Take advantage of natural light
Some angles work best at specific times of the day, while the glow of sunset and sunrise can be used to make photos more dramatic. Noon is an excellent time to take both top-down shots and shots from low angles because the position of the sun minimized shadows.
Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or "drones"), balloons, blimps and dirigibles, rockets, pigeons, kites, or using action cameras while skydiving or wingsuiting.
What is the best time of day for aerial photography? ›Shooting in the early morning or evenings, when the light is softer and more atmospheric, is the optimal time for drone photography. A low sun will cast epic shadows of buildings, trees and people, which can only be fully appreciated from an aerial perspective.
What is the best resolution for aerial imagery? ›Aerial and satellite imagery
On the other hand, aerial imagery offers incredible spatial resolution —up to 1-5 cm per pixel. The field of view covered in an aerial photograph is much smaller compared to satellite images.
– Limitations of aerial photogrammetry
Difficulty matching points between images with low-contrast or uniformly textured surfaces e.g. sand, dense vegetation, short grass, tight crops, water bodies.
A good event photographer should possess imaginative flair, artistic ability, and solid knowledge of photo editing. Strong communication skills and customer service orientation are also a must for this role since they face different types of people at every event.
How do I get the best aerial signal? ›Keep in mind that objects in a room can interfere the signal, so try different locations to find out the most optimal place. Pick a spot where the aerial will be secure and where you get the best coverage. Like analog aerials, a digital aerial works better the higher you can place it and the closer to a window.
What is the 1 1 rule for drones? ›
As a general rule, keep the drone at a lateral distance from any uninvolved person that is not less than the height at which the drone is flying (this is the '1:1 rule', i.e. if the drone is flying at a height of 40 m, the distance from any uninvolved person should be at least 40 m), and never fly closer than 30 metres ...
What weather is best for real estate photography? ›Overcast days are often the best for external shots, as the overcast sky acts as a giant diffuser, which reduces shadow and provides even lighting. If it's overcast and you have deadlines, don't despair. Most of the time, if the rain's not too heavy, the camera won't pick up much of the rain specks.
What is the best shutter speed for real estate photography? ›Interior lighting can often be too low for an optimal photo, so that means you'll need to utilize a slower shutter speed. Set yours between 1/60 and 1/2 second to let more light in and compensate for the darkness. ISO. Try to keep your ISO below 400; closer to 100 is even better for keeping out noise in your photos.
What are the 8 elements of aerial photography? ›The most basic are the elements of image interpretation: location, size, shape, shadow, tone/color, texture, pattern, height/depth and site/situation/association. They are routinely used when interpreting aerial photos and analyzing photo-like images.
Is there money in aerial photography? ›One of the most common and simple ways to earn money using your drone is to sell aerial pictures and videos. You can capture beautiful landscapes and naturally beautiful places and sell them online through e-commerce marketplaces like Etsy and eBay or build your own website.
Is aerial photography in demand? ›The Aerial Imaging Market is growing at a CAGR of 16.98% over the next 5 years.
Is aerial photography done on the ground level? ›Ground photographs generally cover a very small amount of area as they are limited to what is within the photographer's immediate physical line of vision. Aerial photographs are taken from a vantage point above the ground, usually using a platform such as a plane, helicopter or drone.
What are aerial photographs most often taken from? ›An aerial photograph is a photograph of the ground taken from an elevated position, usually from the air or sky.
Which is the ideal ratio of aerial photography? ›This means you will want to use a 4:3 ratio so you can get the maximum size available to the sensor.
What is the average scale in aerial photography? ›You can calculate the average scale of an unrectified air photo by solving the equation Sp = f / (H-havg), where f is the focal length of the camera, H is the flying height of the aircraft above mean sea level, and havg is the average elevation of the terrain.
What is the standard scale of aerial photographs? ›
The area covered by an aerial photograph (air photo) depends on the scale of the imagery. Most air photos were taken on 9 x 9 inch film. The chart below reflects coverage for a variety of photographic scales. Note: The photo scale is determined by dividing the flying height by the camera focal length.
What are the two major uses of an aerial photograph? ›Aerial photographs are used in topographical mapping and interpretation. These two different uses have led to the development of photogrammetry and photo/image interpretation as two independent but related sciences.
Which aerial photograph is easier to interpret? ›Oblique aerial photographs provide the viewer with an easily comprehensible image of a location and is useful for looking at foreground building frontages.
What causes distortions in aerial photographs? ›Distortion in aerial photographs comes primarily from two sources: camera tilt and terrain variation. Objects in the higher elevation (than datum surface) will be displaced outwards (a' to a) in the aerial photo. Objects in the lower elevation will be displaced inwards (b' to b) in the aerial photo.
What are 3 skills needed to be a photographer? ›- a creative mind.
- knowledge of photography techniques.
- the ability to use a wide range of cameras and lenses.
- to keep up to date with changing technology.
- the ability to work to deadlines.
- an eye for detail, shape, colour and form.
- good communication skills.
The major components of an aerial camera are : Lens, lens cone, shutter and diaphragm, camera body, drive mechanism, film magazine, focal plane and film flattening device (Fig. 5.).
Why is aerial photography important in real estate? ›Aerial shots provide a unique perspective that can make a property stand out from the rest. They can show off its best features and make it look more impressive than ever. This is perfect for properties that are in a competitive market or that are located in an area with lots of other similar properties.
How do I fix a poor aerial signal? ›- Install Your Aerial Outside. ...
- Install it even higher. ...
- The importance of aligning. ...
- Install A Masthead Amplifier. ...
- Remove Splitters – Install Distribution Amplifiers. ...
- Install Good Quality Coaxial Cable. ...
- Install Good Quality, 'Screened' Wall Plates.
You may need a higher performance aerial or an amplifier to boost the signal. These symptoms are typically caused by electrical interference from domestic appliances, switches and computers in your home or a near neighbour's.
What is a good aerial signal strength? ›In some TVs, the signal strength is shown in percentages. A lower percentage typically implies a weak signal. In other television sets, this is shown in dB. If this is the case, a signal strength of 50 dB is optimal, and anything less than 45 dB could cause problems.
What is the 400 feet rule for drones? ›
Fly at or below 400 feet in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace. Note: Flying drones in restricted airspace is not allowed. Drone pilots should always check for airspace restrictions prior to flight on our B4UFLY app or the UAS Facility Maps webpage.
What is the FAA drone 5 mile rule? ›By federal law, when flown within 5 statute miles of an airport, a model aircraft operator is required to give prior notice of the operation to the airport or air traffic control tower.
Why can't you fly a drone above 400 feet? ›400 feet is the maximum altitude the F.A.A permits a sUAS (small unmanned aircraft system), or drone, to operate at so as not to interfere with other aircraft in the sky. This keeps drones a safe distance away from airplanes, helicopters, and other aircraft systems and helps prevents collisions.
What is the hottest month for real estate? ›Nationally, the best time to sell a house is March if you're trying to sell quickly, while the best time to maximize profit is July. Zillow recommends listing your home for sale in March, but no later than Labor Day, based on historical market trends.
What is the best height for real estate photography? ›The ideal height for real estate photography is about 5 feet. Each home is different. But this is the height that looks most natural and feels most balanced. If you go too high, you start to see too much ceiling and not enough liveable area.
How do you make real estate photos look professional? ›- Ensure the Property is Clean Before the Shoot. ...
- Find a Good Home Stager. ...
- Choose the Right Time to Shoot. ...
- Use a Tripod. ...
- Choose the Right Lens. ...
- Use Ambient Light When Possible. ...
- Be Careful Mixing Color Temperatures. ...
- Choose the Best Perspective.
According to this rule, when you shoot handheld, you shouldn't use a shutter speed slower than the focal length you're shooting with. For example, if you're shooting with a 24 mm lens, you should use a shutter speed of 1/24s or faster if you want to take sharp photos handheld.
What is the 500 rule shutter? ›What Is The 500 Rule In Photography? The 500 rule states that you should use an ISO of 3200 or 6400, an aperture of f/2.8 (and as wide as your lens will allow), and a shutter speed of 500 divided by that of the lens's focal length to achieve the best results with a full-frame camera.
What is the 1 shutter speed rule? ›As a rule of thumb, your shutter speed needs to be double (or more) than the lens focal length. So, for example, if using a 50mm lens, your shutter speed should be 1/100th sec or faster. If shooting with a 75mm lens, your shutter speed should be at least 1/150th sec.
Why is aerial photography difficult to interpret? ›The aerial photograph has the following disadvantages as compared to a map: (1) Ground features are difficult to identify or interpret without symbols and are often obscured by other ground detail as, for example, buildings in wooded areas. (2) Position location and scale are only approximate.
What is the principles point in aerial photography? ›
The exact center of an aerial photograph is called the Principal Point. The Principle point is the point on the ground located immediately below the camera lens looking down vertically.
What are the basic principles of aerial photo interpretation? ›The most basic of these principles are the elements of image interpretation. They are: location, size, shape, shadow, tone/color, texture, pattern, height/depth and site/situation/association. These are routinely used when interpreting an aerial photo or analyzing a photo-like image.
What is the difference between aerial photography and photogrammetry? ›What is aerial photogrammetry? While aerial photography can be used to take nice overhead images and get a general sense of an area, it lacks the precision necessary for most surveying jobs and doesn't show topography. For that, you'll need photogrammetry.
What are the 3 main parts of an aerial mapping camera? ›Oblique aerial photographs are taken with the camera axis inclined from the vertical. The main parts of a frame aerial mapping camera are the camera-magazine, the camera-body, and the lens-cone assembly.
What is nadir point in aerial photography? ›URL copied. Share URL. [aerial photography] In aerial photography, the point on the ground vertically beneath the perspective center of the camera lens. [astronomy] In astronomy, the point on the celestial sphere directly beneath an observer.
What risks do aerial photographers face? ›(6) Aerial photographers face the risk of their expensive equipments being damaged. Since they are tied on the strings of kites, they run a risk of falling from a great height.
What is the best site for aerial photography? ›EarthExplorer is a good place to look for individual aerial photography frames of anywhere in the United States. You can search and download images from a number of USGS aerial photography programs. Elevation data, Landsat data, and other satellite and remote sensing data is also available.
What are the best settings for light and airy photos? ›- Shoot at golden hour. Shooting the hour before sunset is SO pretty and gives such a beautiful glow to images! ...
- Find even light. ...
- Choose light backgrounds, and create distance between the subject and background. ...
- Use a wide aperture. ...
- Use an ExpoDisc!
Pros playing on PC tend to opt for anywhere between 1.1 and 1.4 aerial sensitivity settings. This should be the sweet spot, as long as you've set up your dead zones correctly. We'd recommend that you keep your dead zones quite low and to a cross shape for ease of play.
Which shutter is used in aerial photography? ›Explanation: Shutter plays a prominent role in the process of aerial photogrammetry. The speed of shutter must be in such a way that it should function at a speed of 1/100 to 1/1000 second. It is classified as between the lens type, focal plane type, Louvre type.
Which ISO setting will give you the brightest image? ›
Quite simply, when you double your ISO speed, you are doubling the brightness of the photo. So, a photo at ISO 400 will be twice brighter than ISO 200, which will be twice brighter than ISO 100.
What is the most flattering lighting in photography? ›#1.
Butterfly lighting (sometimes called “paramount lighting” which is a way less fun thing to call it) is one of the most flattering lighting setups for most faces, so don't even think about lighting me any other way. Your goal is to create a butterfly shape in the shadow under the nose.
In brighter lighting, lower ISO is best — low ISO values are better in well-lit scenarios. Conversely, when less light is available, you need a higher ISO to compensate. High ISO increases your camera's light sensitivity, which is ideal for low-light situations.
What is the best aerial deadzone? ›Most of the best Rocket League players use a Controller deadzone between 0.03 and 0.10, having a lower deadzone is usually better as it will allow you to move quicker. For the Dodge deadzone, it is recommended that you set it between 0.4 and 0.7.
What is the best sensitivity for 1000dpi? ›0.5 Valorant sensitivity will be best for you if you have 1000 DPI. 0.416 sensitivity would be the best for Valorant players having 1200 DPI. 0.277 Valorant sensitivity will be best for players having 1800 DPI.
What is the most important part of the aerial camera? ›The lens is the most important and most expensive part of a mapping aerial camera. Cameras on board of the UAS are not of that level of quality, as they were not manufactured to be used as mapping cameras.
What is the formula for aerial photography? ›You can calculate the average scale of an unrectified air photo by solving the equation Sp = f / (H-havg), where f is the focal length of the camera, H is the flying height of the aircraft above mean sea level, and havg is the average elevation of the terrain.
Why are aerial photographs taken between 10? ›Vertical aerial photographs are photographs that are taken directly from above by aircraft flying overhead (0° from the vertical). The best time to take these photographs is between 10:00 and 14:00 to minimise shadows on the photograph.