1. Quality of Light

Light can be categorized as hard or soft, depending on its quality. Hard light produces distinct, sharp shadows, while soft light creates subtle, diffused shadows.

In real estate photography, soft light is generally preferred as it creates a more pleasing and flattering effect, particularly when highlighting architectural details and textures.

Soft light can be achieved by using light modifiers, such as diffusers, or bouncing the light off walls or ceilings.

2. Direction of Light

The direction from which light comes affects the way a subject is illuminated and the resulting shadows.

In real estate photography, front lighting, where the light source is coming from the same angle as the camera, provides even illumination with minimal shadows. This is achieved using an on-camera flash.

However, using side or angled lighting can add depth, highlight textures, and create a more dynamic and visually appealing composition.

You’ll notice a huge different in images captured with an on-camera flash and images captured with an off-camera flash. That’s due to the direction the flash is pointing.

3. Quantity of Light

The amount of light used in a frame determines the exposure and overall brightness of the image. Properly balancing the quantity of light is crucial in real estate photography to ensure that the space appears well-lit and inviting.

An off-camera flash or additional lighting sources can be employed to supplement existing ambient light and fill in shadows, particularly in dimly lit areas or when shooting in high contrast environments.

4. Color Temperature

Color temperature refers to the warmth or coolness of the available light, measured in Kelvin (K). Different light sources have varying color temperatures, ranging from warm (think incandescent bulbs) to cool (normal daylight lighting).

In real estate photography, it’s important to consider the color temperature of the available light sources and maintain color consistency throughout the images. Otherwise photos can come out looking very yellow/orange or blue.

Using flash gels or adjusting white balance settings can help match the color temperature of different light sources and achieve accurate color representation.

5. Contrast and Dynamic Range

Real estate interiors often have varying levels of brightness, from well-lit areas to super dark corners. Managing contrast and dynamic range is crucial to ensure that all areas of the image are properly exposed and details are captured.

The dynamic range is the range of brightness levels between the brightest and darkest areas in an image.

Techniques such as bracketing, multiple exposures, or using flash to balance the exposure can help overcome challenging lighting conditions and produce well-balanced images.

6. Ambient Lighting

When working with ambient light (meaning only the light that’s available) in real estate photography, it’s important to understand the existing lighting conditions and how they can affect the final image.

Natural light can vary throughout the day, creating different moods and casting different shadows.

Time your shoots to take advantage of the best natural light, or use techniques such as window framing or exposure blending to balance the ambient light with artificial light sources.

Even things like what season it is and what the weather is like will effect ambient lighting, both in amount of available light and the temperature of the light.