8 Biggest Challenges When Editing Real Estate Photos
Editing real estate photos does not always come smoothly. There are days where the humps are real and where sometimes the dings in the process show up to irritate us at the highest level. Thing is, these will always be here to stay. There is no perfect process or rules on editing photos for real estate that would make the enhancement process bulletproof. In fact, even if there is a guide on how to edit real estate photos, these realities and challenges will never go away. Thing is though, if you learn how to recognize their presence, you will learn how to accept them and find a solution to a fix these issues.
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Let’s take a step back. Editing real estate photos exist because of two things. First is the fact that potential buyers and viewers love to get treated to an attractive photo that it leads them to perhaps make that purchase head on. There are several factors that dictate the success of an image and one of them is the surface appearance. Next is their color and their vibe which should be on a warmer tone. Such an aura exuded from an image allows viewers to feel happier and therefore make decisions in a lighter mood. The second reason why editing real estate photos exist is because of the way cameras are built. See, no matter how expensive or advanced the camera is, it is still a piece of equipment that cannot perfectly mimic the human eye. Real estate photography editing then becomes the bridge in which all of the changes to the photo to bring the experience to the viewer is necessary. Colors are livened up, the light is adjusted, and the list goes on.
Challenges that Never Fade
Knowing what the problem is will normally be the sign that half the battle is already won. Editing real estate photos with knowledge of the pain areas of the images gives you the information you need to ensure the right tools are used to solve the right problems. Sometimes, it even helps to get a list of what to look at and make a sweeping inspection on all of their existence. This way, editing real estate photos become holistic and complete.
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Thrown-off White Balance
White balance will be tricky when it comes to getting it right. Photography will pick up various colors through its lenses and will result into a tint on the image. The ensuing hue will normally take on what the camera perceives to be the dominant color which real estate photography editing must neutralize. With white balance correction techniques available with most applications, we might see this challenge remain for years to come.
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Random and Unwanted Objects
Clutter is one of the worst enemies of editing real estate photos. There are numerous items that are classified as unsightly items and these include trash, blemish, strays (animals and people), and mostly small unnecessary items. When these are not removed, they give off a messy vibe which turn potential buyers off and lead them into thinking that the house is unkempt and still occupied by owners or tenants.
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Replacing Overcast Skies
To be fair to real estate photographers, their job is to capture photos at a timely manner whilst providing the best possible quality. This includes them having to brave the crummy weather, adjust to the ambient conditions by adjusting their lighting, camera settings, and ultimately wrapping up with the set. Photos sent to post-processing may reflect the conditions the photographer had undergone and giving them the touch up they need will help spruce the image up. Editing real estate photos must then be an ally of photography to replace skies and make the overall image look warm and inviting.
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Dull Colors
Sometimes, the darkness around the set could downplay the vibrance of certain colors. Not enough lighting can be a contributor to colors, both inside and outside, to look dull. These problems will always be perennial in nature as there is no perfect setting to each situation. Rather, the photographer tries their best to fix the image on their end before passing it off to post-processing.
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Flash Spots
There will also be times when interior shots will come looking unacceptably horrible. Flash can bounce of walls and sneak into the frame, which then comes out as a gob of light that concentrates on a defined area. Such challenges can be avoided if done right by the photographer but certain conditions such as space limitations, lighting availability, and the likes will provide no further resolve to lessening such phenomenon. Therefore, editing real estate photos to clean these up will be a must.
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Tilted Lines
One of the biggest challenges in editing real estate photos will also come in the form of straightening out skewed lines. These might be difficult to rectify given the nature of such imperfections will be something the editor has to tweak carefully using their software without compromising other parts of the image.
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Time Constraints
Speed is a valuable element of real estate photography editing. We all know that being first out there speaks volumes of success especially with the gritty competition present in the market. The challenge here comes when an influx of orders begins to bottleneck with deadlines lining up on same dates. Such a challenge must be addressed to ensure the steady and timeline outflow rate of photos to meet all customer expectations. Now, it might look to be impossible given your computer and software have limited capacities and that’s why exploring an outsourced model for editing real estate photos will be a good option.
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Customer Requirements
Why are customer requirements considered a challenge? Well, think of it this way. Real estate photography editing could be done speedily if all photos required the same edits. This would then mimic an assembly line which does not need adjustment at every product. However, different customers require different outputs, and you must find the flexibility to be able to meet differences in techniques to use while doing them at the fastest possible time without compromising quality.
Final Thoughts
Challenges are there not because they intend to bog you down. They exist because there are inherent imperfections in processes and going through the motions will help you learn and solve these enroute to becoming an exert in this profession.
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