The Ten Commandments
I’m pretty sure that I listed my ten commandments of property photography a few years ago, but I can’t find that particular post so let’s start from scratch.
Having done this for over 20 years now, I’ve amassed a few personal and professional rules which dictate how I approach jobs. I call these my commandments. Estate agencies and property owners generally have no clue what they’re doing with regard to producing images, and many regard the profession as something that anybody can do with an expensive camera. It’s a view that is frustrating, as the same people wouldn’t assume you could become a Premiership footballer having been given a £1000 football, or win the F1 championship with the purchase of a car that costs ten milion smackers. Try building a house with loads of costly tools or cook me a Michelin star meal with a pro-level kitchen full of gadgets. It takes years of practice, self development, training, and a level of sacrifice, commitment and initial talent to be able to excel in any field - apart from many genres of photography of course. Any idiot can do this job.
The multi-branch agency which used me as a freelancer for 8 years, and recently reverted to in-house image capture is now utilising two employees to manage their workload, and appears to have discarded their longstanding prestige lable in favour of mass-market stuff using “run and gun” images just like all the rest of the chain agencies out there. I’m not impressed, but it’s all about the money I guess so why should I care?
I just can’t adopt a low-value type of product. Visiting a house, shooting 12 frames in 15 minutes using a camera on a tripod, and getting out of dodge to get to the next one is anathema to me - It’s the choice between just doing some soulless job for a fixed monthly wage or doing something you love and sacrificing something in order to be proud of what you’ve done. I still look forward to going out every day, despite working long hours and facing constant uncertainty.
Anyway, here are my 10 property photography commandments - if the first three aren’t followed, you can’t call yourself a professional in any sense of the word:
Each view should be 30% ceiling, 30% room detail, and 30% floor or thereabouts.
Never shoot the backs of sofas.
Vertical lines in the room must be vertical unless doing some extreme angle.
Never chase the sun.
Remove all clutter from the shot unless it’s an impossible task.
No blown-out lights or windows.
Light all rooms that are in that particular frame.
Leave a property as you found it.
Respect every property you visit, no matter how it’s presented.
Stick to your style, and don’t try to change it when someone demands.
That last one is important. I’ve had agents and homeowners ask for an “editorial look”. I’m coming out with about fifty quid mate - no offence, but it’s a 4 bed new-build in Bishop Auckland, not an Architectural Digest spread.
Anyway - back to work.
