How important is the weather?
It depends, for properties without a view or an interesting outside area, not much. But if you have a house with features that require good sun conditions, as for example an ocean view or a nice outside area, then it´s better to re-schedule the photo shoot if the weather is not cooperating.
What´s the best time to take the pictures?
As long as there´s light, anytime is good. Needless to say, if your property has a terrace, it would be advisable to shoot when the sun is on that side of the house. Weather is unpredictable and can change without notice, thankfully good technique and photoshop can do wonders.
Should the lights be On or Off?
It depends on the property, time of the day, and type of lights. As a general rule, if the property has been fully styled and it´s a sunny day, then there´s no point to turn on the lights and light candles. I personally prefer the lights-off approach to emphasize the natural light, but some people prefer the opposite. Real estate photography is getting closer to editorial, where almost always lights are left off, but yet again, it depends on the space we´re shooting.
I live in a dark apartment, can you make it lighter?
Yes, the pictures will look bright and inviting regardless of the lack of light. Pictures taken in the middle of the winter should look the same as pictures taken in July, needless to say, the outside will be different 🙂
When are pictures delivered?
Pictures will be delivered the day after, normally before 12:00. Evening pictures will take a bit longer.
Should I also take evening pictures?
Evening pictures look great and can really stand out, however, is not always necessary to take them. You should definitely consider them, if:
a) You have a house, especially if it has large windows.
b)You have a city or ocean view.
c) Expensive light fixtures or downlights
I love evening pictures, should I skip all the daytime pictures?
I would not recommend it. Though most pictures during the day are taking using a tripod, there are cases that we need to shoot hand-held in order to get in tight or difficult spaces, this is not possible at night, where 100% of the pictures are long exposures that require a tripod, this approach can leave important angles undocumented.
I´m selling an empty property and I don´t want to spend money on a professional stylist, what should I do?
Thankfully I offer virtual styling, which is as close as it gets to the real thing for a fraction of the price! Talk to your agent about it.
I need to cancel the appointment, will I get charged?
Not if you let us know the day before.
When are drone pictures necessary?
Most of the time if it´s a detached house or rekkehus, also empty plots or even construction sites.
Can you photoshop flames in the fireplace?
Yes, 99.9% of the times, flames are photoshopped.
Can you fix cracks, paint fences, plant trees or remove objects in photoshop?
Properties are shot “as they are”, however, there are situations in that photoshop may be needed to “fix” a minor problem, needless to say, there´s an extra cost for this. Extra editing can go from a few hundreds to several thousands kroners depending on the complexity of the work. Talk to your agent before the photoshoot as he/she needs to be aware of both the extra cost and even the legal consequences of changing something digitally.
Can you put blue skies?
Yes, almost always skies are photoshopped, especially at night.
How long will the photo shoot take?
Apartments around one hour, houses a bit more, big properties over two hours depending on the complexity.
Is it Ok to move things around while you take the pictures?
The house should be 100% ready to shoot the day the photographer arrives, failing to do so can negatively impact the quality of the work as it´s hard to focus with distractions. Again, there are exceptions, and if you need to move a few things while we shoot, keep it to a minimum so you can get the best results.
How long have you been a real estate photographer?
Started in Madrid, somewhere around 2005.
When did you move to Norway?
I moved to Oslo in 2010 invited by Finn Foto.
How many properties have you shot in your career?
Well over 10.000 homes.
How many properties do you shoot a year?
Nowadays, anything between 500-750.
Do you like to Ski?
Yes I do, mostly langrenn.
Norvegia or Jalsberg?
Jalsberg
Dark brunost or light?
Light
Birkebeiner best time?
Only one time, well over 7 hours.
