A Perfect Real Estate Image through HDR Photo Blending

A Perfect Real Estate Image through HDR Photo Blending

HDR or high dynamic range images are becoming quite the trend in photography recently. The applications to real estate are countless given the potential of different combinations of light and properties showcasing their immense architecture. If the term HDR seems kind of intimidating, do not fret. In the simplest of terms, HDR is a very wide range of light and dark, even wider than the normal camera. It allows a highly contrasted or illuminated photos to be captured and appear as if it were your own eyes that saw it. The beauty of HDR is that it is not a single photo that brings everything in all at once, rather it is a series of several photos ranging from the darkest to the lightest in order to capture the best exposures. The multiple shots are superimposed later on to surface the best parts of the photo and can be enhanced with editing later on.

Now, real estate image blending using HDR can take a turn for the worse if not used correctly. The wide and flexible range of exposure does give a lot of room to for creativity and when the colors begin to blur the lines of fact versus fiction, then some photos may turn out like it was taken from a page of a fantasy book that people may not believe its realistic existence, and may end up losing that sale for your real estate partner.

Taking HDR Photos

To take the perfect HDR photo and set it up for real estate image blending, the right preparation needs to happen. Note that HDR is heavily reliant on photo precision and that the image position does not move so that when it is later tied together, the breaks in the structure with the background will be perfectly aligned. To begin, ready the following

  • DSLR to capture the photos
  • Memory card(s) with enough memory to capture multiple photos of one image
  • A tripod to ensure stability and endure the awkward angles without shakiness
  • A remote trigger to avoid any unwanted movement on the camera
  • A flash that can adjust its exposure
  • An image editing software.

Being ready for the photo shoot is equally as important as being vigilant during the shoot. Taking into consideration the fact that HDR photos are taken in quick succession called bursts, watch out for anything that will make one photo different from the next. These include but are not limited to:

  • Birds in the background
  • Cars passing by
  • Gusts of wind that may move the camera or tripod
  • Aircrafts that fly by and possibly cause vibration
  • People walking in and out of the frame

Take a deep breath and observe the surroundings, it will be highly unlikely that these things will come all at once but at the very least, be on the lookout for even the tiniest movement that can cause a difference from one photo to another during the burst of shots. Do not forget to take multiple exposures as well as this will be the key to achieving that perfect blend in HDR photography.

What is HDR Photo Editing?

Real estate photo blending in the context of HDR photo editing takes on rather basic concepts but requires the utmost precision and detail. Now that you have the photos that you need from the photo shoot, it is time to bring it all in to create that masterpiece. Normally, real estate photo blending works wonders for exteriors, but you might be surprised how it can be used for interiors as well.

What you need to remember is that the real estate image blending relies on stacking. Yes, stacking. There is a reason for the multiple exposures and multiple shots of one image and that is to grab the best parts of each and merging the layers of photos with each other. In editing software such as Lightroom the tools normally used are auto-alignment of layers or stacking. This ensures that the photos are stacked perfectly to reflect each other and align seamlessly to avoid any blurred edges.

 What-is-HDR-Photo-Editing

Exterior Photography

HDR photo editing for exteriors are crucial to combine the best of both the brightness of the property and the background. Imagine where the sky is overexposed such that the clouds are not distinguishable, but the property is showing a perfect illumination. On another photo the property is hardly seen but the gorgeous sky is to die for. Merging these two photos together brings out the best of both worlds and makes everything visible. What is more amazing is due to the wide range of lightness and darkness by the HDR, real estate photo blending can produce photos with the twilight effect. The HDR concept can be applied to take photos during dusk, and still reveal the house’s strongest external features.

Interior Photography

Editing for interiors will entail the same concept of stacking, however, to get the true advantage in real estate photo blending, you must have a watchful eye for windows and breath-taking landscapes that come with it. This is called the window pull technique. If we recall how HDR blending captures different ranges of exposure, then at some point the interior becomes perfectly visible where windows are overexposed. On the other end of the spectrum for this set of photos is the windows and landscape are visible while the interiors are not. This presents a perfect opportunity to create this window pull technique by making the room look beautiful and accompanied by a priceless view.

Conclusion

HDR realty editor has indeed gained more and more attention because of the flexibility on light exposure offers. The blending technique it brings is a powerful tool to consider when the property does have a lot of accompanying landscapes to boast. In real estate image blending, it is important to have the precision and alignment during the shoot to easily edit them later on, being careful of the surroundings that may tarnish the image. But always keep in mind that while HDR editing in itself packs a whole lot of punch, editing and retouching must be performed to further enhance the image and showcase the reality of its beauty.

 

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