Quality photos can help you sell

This week, I found a book that taught me some things about real estate that I didn’t know. And more important, things that I need to know and things that will help me show my real estate more effectively to both potential buyers and prospective renters.

I am a big believer in taking lots of color pictures of the inside and outside of your home, then posting them on a Web site so potential customers can easily view them.

The book that has changed my picture-taking skill set is “How To Take Photos That Move Houses,” by Ed Wolkis. Ed is an Atlanta-based architectural photographer, and his photos clearly demonstrate a dedication to perfection. But his understandable step-by-step approach to taking great digital photos gave even me the confidence to try again.

The book is available at Amazon.com and at local bookstores.

The book points out that if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a great photo can mean thousands of extra dollars in your pocket, and he is right. And his book shows plenty of before and after examples of bad pictures (like mine) turned into great pictures (like his).

I learned that:

- Lighting is critical: early morning or late afternoon sun is flattering to a house.

- Using a tripod will eliminate the blur common to almost all my digital photos (I previously blamed earthquakes).

- For interior photos, a wide-angle lens makes every room look larger and helps make up for the fact that you can’t get far enough away from the subject to take a good photo.

- I also learned that I was washing color out of every photo I took by using the automatic flash in situations that didn’t need a flash (once again, use a tripod).

I use a point and shoot camera for dummies. I still don’t understand focal lengths or megapixels, but I am now more likely to look in my viewfinder and take a few moments to “compose” the picture.

This book won’t make you into the next Ansel Adams, but it will give you great tips and ideas for dramatically improving the results of your real estate photography.

John Adams is a broker and investor. For more real estate information or to make a comment, visit Money 99. Find previous articles by John Adams and more home buying advice on the ajchomefinder mortgage center.