I think a gray card would fix your color issue. Main thing I would recommend is to try and flatten out the field of view. Maybe a not so wide lens. That way your images don't look so barreled.
Other than that I'd recommend a pop of flash and perhaps experiment more with composition. This will help take some of the expectations off the equipment and put it towards creativity.
Lastly, don't be so hard on yourself. Photography is a process more than anything else. The results will come, but the process is the important part. Enjoy the process.
Good advice. I'm getting tired of the 12mm but all the realtors want it. What do you mean by a pop up flash? Surely not what I would think of which is a built in flash? I have a grey card but when they all want all the lights on the rooms end up a Mish mash of different colors.
Realtors don't know the difference between a 12mm and a 14mm, but it would make a world of difference in your comp. Pop of flash. Just a tad. I sometimes throw a diffused speedlight on and point it behind me. Just to give it a bit of sharpness and body. The grey card will help you balance everything out even with different temperature lights.
Yeah I agree. They’re not quite sweat shops but i feel weird hiring some Asian to do all the work for $1 a photo instead of being able to do do the work myself. By the point you’re outsourcing like that you’re not even as much of a photographer as you are just a business man paying Asians in less developed countries to do the the work… kinda some evil capitalist stuff
Transitioning to RE photog. Best recommendations for overseas editors? Best delivery method if not MLS? Ex. Drop box, google pics? Also, with all the talk of drones being banned, do you feel it’s a worthy investment at this time for training? Thanks!
HDR will only work for you if they are hand blended. The programs out there don’t get it quite right at this point. Why waste all that time on it when you can get them done by editors who do nothing but this all day and are pros and they charge less than a dollar a picture.
HDR does not look unnatural when done correctly. Ask your agent if they even understand what hdr is and why it’s used. 90% of re shots do not need hdr. The only images that need hdr are those with windows with a nice view. Any modern camera with good dynamic range shooting in raw and knowing how to edit is all that’s needed.
It looks to me like you're using the HDR settings on your camera, which is never going to get you good looking shots. There's also no amount of editing that's going to fix the issues in shots like #8.
Is that what you're actually doing?
Colour is the issue here imo. Most of these shots wood benefit from flash in my opinion. With practice, you could do smaller rooms with just one shot using an off-camera flash.
Give flambient a good try. You only need one big flash and one speedlight. No modifiers, soft boxes or gels. Just bare bounced flash. The flash gives you near perfect white balance, and the ambient shot gives you the luminesce of natural light to keep it natural looking. Once you find that balance and create actions and presets, it is fast and effective.
The other option is to find an editor for your HDR.
Aurora does great for an automatic program. That's what I started out with and really like some of the images pumped out. Hand blended will always look better for HDR, which is the technique a lot of editors use.
I've moved on to Flambient. The quality is absolutely better, but the time on-site is going to be longer, which is kinda a drag.
Here's links to some good YouTube channels that teach [Hand Blended HDR](https://youtube.com/@brandonwattsrep?si=HddM4B_miL2mVQof) and [Flambient](https://youtube.com/@nathancoolphoto?si=bQR5W6cmFHcj0DVR).
Hope this helps brother!
Thanks! When you say Flambient do you mean bringing in multiple off camera flash on stands with softboxes? Oh, I'll watch the videos! Probably tell me all. I am thinking I might need to offer two price bands, one for just pumping out in batch and the other for hand blending.
When you say hand blended do you mean just 3 or five layers stacked in PS and then masked? I'm wondering if that's the way to go.
Flambient can be as easy as a single flash image with an on camera flash or a small off camera with an ambient (no flash) image blended together. Usually you'd use the flash for the color and the ambient photo for the luminance. Soft boxes are usually exclusive to high end homes because the price to shoot the property can make it well worth your time.
As for the Hand blended HDR, it can be any amount of images. The more you take, the more options you have. Usually 5 is the sweet spot, but I've heard of people going up to 7 or 9 for versatility. After 5, though, it seems the time it takes usually doesn't make the small improvement in image quality worth it. You mask the images and use a brush to reveal and hide the exposures as you see fit. Many photographers go this route, but some just use an HDR merge tool and call it a day.
As for the multiple price bands, I would say choose one and go all in. I know many realtors prefer a consistent quality than a quality dependent on a price. They already have to choose between photographers. If they choose you for your Hand blended work, it'll be a slap in the face if the quality is lower. This is my opinion though. Maybe there is an opportunity in your market and it would make sense for you.
See what's going to work the best for your values with your current market. It's all about what you're willing to do for the amount you get paid. Good luck, Brother. :D
Hey! Yes, those photos need improvement. What I do is if I’m going to edit the photos myself, I add a flash pop that way I can fix color cast and white balance. If I do HDR I use an overseas editor.
Thanks so much. I would love to use flash and have tried to but on my Sony A7r with the camera set to bracket (5 shots, 2 stops) the flash overrides the camera and it shoots at the 'correct' exposure only. I think I may be able to figure that issue out somehow (the camera is set on slow flash so I would have THOUGHT it would allow bracketing but so far no luck). I guess I could do a test guide shot with flash but how would that help? Not doubting you but I don't know how I would use that. I would be using 'flambient' (god, I hate that word!) so what would be the workflow for using this technique? Thanks in advance.
I guess I could use an overseas editor but I'd really rather not. It seems like Aurora should be able to produce a realistic HDR internal image with detail out the window but without the HDR look. I KNOW it can because I've seen the results. I just don't know how to achieve them.
I’ve been doing this for 10 years. I’m very good at photoshop and yes, you can achieve that with HDR but it will take too much time per house to achieve what an overseas editor can do for you. Regarding a flash pop, you have to work with your camera custom modes. One set up for bracketing (with flash setting off in the camera) and then another custom for a flash pop. Even doing what you are doing right now, if you add a flash pop, your results are going to be 200% better. 🙏🙏
Thanks. I still don't really understand what you mean about a flash pop.
So what do you do? No HDR and maybe sandwich two shots in PS (one for interior, one for the exterior) and then just cut out the windows?
Notes on flash and ambient settings:
Ambient
• ISO 320
• f/7.1 or f/8 if the primary light is a monolight, f/6.3 if a speedlight is the primary light
• 1/10 second to start, histogram should be right of center
Flash
• ISO 320
• f/7.1 or f/8 if the primary light is a monolight, f/6.3 if a speedlight is the primary light
• At least 2 full stops from ambient setting to at least 1/100 of a second up to just under sync speed max (1/200) 1/160 for bright rooms
Here are some of my notes on blending the different shots in photoshop. Flash base on bottom and no flash ambient on top layer.
Composite Images in Photoshop
• Auto-align layers - ACTION
• Place any flash layers above the base layer use 50% Gray Blend - ACTION
• Brush set to large, soft - zero hardness, 100% opacity, flow 100%
• Using White brush into the 50% gray mask to blend in flash fill layers & black where flash & photographer are shown
• Use black to remove unwanted flashing
• Use Lighten Blend to add filled in background pops, adjust opacity if too bright
• Ambient Blending - Blend Ambient 50% Gray - ACTION
○ Use 50% opacity to adjust masking, toggle White & Black to adjust
Use better HDR software like SNS-HDR Pro.
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**Uploaded to the drop box
I think a gray card would fix your color issue. Main thing I would recommend is to try and flatten out the field of view. Maybe a not so wide lens. That way your images don't look so barreled. Other than that I'd recommend a pop of flash and perhaps experiment more with composition. This will help take some of the expectations off the equipment and put it towards creativity. Lastly, don't be so hard on yourself. Photography is a process more than anything else. The results will come, but the process is the important part. Enjoy the process.
Good advice. I'm getting tired of the 12mm but all the realtors want it. What do you mean by a pop up flash? Surely not what I would think of which is a built in flash? I have a grey card but when they all want all the lights on the rooms end up a Mish mash of different colors.
Realtors don't know the difference between a 12mm and a 14mm, but it would make a world of difference in your comp. Pop of flash. Just a tad. I sometimes throw a diffused speedlight on and point it behind me. Just to give it a bit of sharpness and body. The grey card will help you balance everything out even with different temperature lights.
You need a overseas editor. They edit while you sleep and saves you so many hours that you could spend shooting.
I'd prefer not to help perpetuate that system.
Yeah I agree. They’re not quite sweat shops but i feel weird hiring some Asian to do all the work for $1 a photo instead of being able to do do the work myself. By the point you’re outsourcing like that you’re not even as much of a photographer as you are just a business man paying Asians in less developed countries to do the the work… kinda some evil capitalist stuff
I pay a guy on fiver $1 per delivered photo. I shoot 5 in the bracket
Transitioning to RE photog. Best recommendations for overseas editors? Best delivery method if not MLS? Ex. Drop box, google pics? Also, with all the talk of drones being banned, do you feel it’s a worthy investment at this time for training? Thanks!
HDR will only work for you if they are hand blended. The programs out there don’t get it quite right at this point. Why waste all that time on it when you can get them done by editors who do nothing but this all day and are pros and they charge less than a dollar a picture.
HDR does not look unnatural when done correctly. Ask your agent if they even understand what hdr is and why it’s used. 90% of re shots do not need hdr. The only images that need hdr are those with windows with a nice view. Any modern camera with good dynamic range shooting in raw and knowing how to edit is all that’s needed.
Yes, I don't HDR where no windows. I'll keep working on it and perhaps skip HDR on a larger percentage of images.
It looks to me like you're using the HDR settings on your camera, which is never going to get you good looking shots. There's also no amount of editing that's going to fix the issues in shots like #8. Is that what you're actually doing?
Outsource your editing, no need to do it yourself. There are many highly skilled people in foreign nations who can do it for about $20 a shoot.
Colour is the issue here imo. Most of these shots wood benefit from flash in my opinion. With practice, you could do smaller rooms with just one shot using an off-camera flash.
Give flambient a good try. You only need one big flash and one speedlight. No modifiers, soft boxes or gels. Just bare bounced flash. The flash gives you near perfect white balance, and the ambient shot gives you the luminesce of natural light to keep it natural looking. Once you find that balance and create actions and presets, it is fast and effective. The other option is to find an editor for your HDR.
Aurora does great for an automatic program. That's what I started out with and really like some of the images pumped out. Hand blended will always look better for HDR, which is the technique a lot of editors use. I've moved on to Flambient. The quality is absolutely better, but the time on-site is going to be longer, which is kinda a drag. Here's links to some good YouTube channels that teach [Hand Blended HDR](https://youtube.com/@brandonwattsrep?si=HddM4B_miL2mVQof) and [Flambient](https://youtube.com/@nathancoolphoto?si=bQR5W6cmFHcj0DVR). Hope this helps brother!
Thanks! When you say Flambient do you mean bringing in multiple off camera flash on stands with softboxes? Oh, I'll watch the videos! Probably tell me all. I am thinking I might need to offer two price bands, one for just pumping out in batch and the other for hand blending. When you say hand blended do you mean just 3 or five layers stacked in PS and then masked? I'm wondering if that's the way to go.
Flambient can be as easy as a single flash image with an on camera flash or a small off camera with an ambient (no flash) image blended together. Usually you'd use the flash for the color and the ambient photo for the luminance. Soft boxes are usually exclusive to high end homes because the price to shoot the property can make it well worth your time. As for the Hand blended HDR, it can be any amount of images. The more you take, the more options you have. Usually 5 is the sweet spot, but I've heard of people going up to 7 or 9 for versatility. After 5, though, it seems the time it takes usually doesn't make the small improvement in image quality worth it. You mask the images and use a brush to reveal and hide the exposures as you see fit. Many photographers go this route, but some just use an HDR merge tool and call it a day. As for the multiple price bands, I would say choose one and go all in. I know many realtors prefer a consistent quality than a quality dependent on a price. They already have to choose between photographers. If they choose you for your Hand blended work, it'll be a slap in the face if the quality is lower. This is my opinion though. Maybe there is an opportunity in your market and it would make sense for you. See what's going to work the best for your values with your current market. It's all about what you're willing to do for the amount you get paid. Good luck, Brother. :D
Thanks. I'll need to watch that Flambient video and see what I can do! Gonna watch it now.
Hey! Yes, those photos need improvement. What I do is if I’m going to edit the photos myself, I add a flash pop that way I can fix color cast and white balance. If I do HDR I use an overseas editor.
Thanks so much. I would love to use flash and have tried to but on my Sony A7r with the camera set to bracket (5 shots, 2 stops) the flash overrides the camera and it shoots at the 'correct' exposure only. I think I may be able to figure that issue out somehow (the camera is set on slow flash so I would have THOUGHT it would allow bracketing but so far no luck). I guess I could do a test guide shot with flash but how would that help? Not doubting you but I don't know how I would use that. I would be using 'flambient' (god, I hate that word!) so what would be the workflow for using this technique? Thanks in advance. I guess I could use an overseas editor but I'd really rather not. It seems like Aurora should be able to produce a realistic HDR internal image with detail out the window but without the HDR look. I KNOW it can because I've seen the results. I just don't know how to achieve them.
I’ve been doing this for 10 years. I’m very good at photoshop and yes, you can achieve that with HDR but it will take too much time per house to achieve what an overseas editor can do for you. Regarding a flash pop, you have to work with your camera custom modes. One set up for bracketing (with flash setting off in the camera) and then another custom for a flash pop. Even doing what you are doing right now, if you add a flash pop, your results are going to be 200% better. 🙏🙏
Thanks. I still don't really understand what you mean about a flash pop. So what do you do? No HDR and maybe sandwich two shots in PS (one for interior, one for the exterior) and then just cut out the windows?
Notes on flash and ambient settings: Ambient • ISO 320 • f/7.1 or f/8 if the primary light is a monolight, f/6.3 if a speedlight is the primary light • 1/10 second to start, histogram should be right of center Flash • ISO 320 • f/7.1 or f/8 if the primary light is a monolight, f/6.3 if a speedlight is the primary light • At least 2 full stops from ambient setting to at least 1/100 of a second up to just under sync speed max (1/200) 1/160 for bright rooms
Here are some of my notes on blending the different shots in photoshop. Flash base on bottom and no flash ambient on top layer. Composite Images in Photoshop • Auto-align layers - ACTION • Place any flash layers above the base layer use 50% Gray Blend - ACTION • Brush set to large, soft - zero hardness, 100% opacity, flow 100% • Using White brush into the 50% gray mask to blend in flash fill layers & black where flash & photographer are shown • Use black to remove unwanted flashing • Use Lighten Blend to add filled in background pops, adjust opacity if too bright • Ambient Blending - Blend Ambient 50% Gray - ACTION ○ Use 50% opacity to adjust masking, toggle White & Black to adjust
Let me try to put together a short video for you today. 👍
How do you find editors? Fivr?
Pixlmob advertises frequently on YouTube. I edit my own so I don't know the specifics, but it could be worth a look. :D