My Melbourne Real Estate

PHOTOS are the most important element of real estate, writes Melanie Gardiner. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what tales do your property photographs tell prospective buyers? Will they entice purchasers in fewer than eight seconds? That’s how long the average buyer spends initially reviewing real estate images, according to veteran photographer John Wheatley, director of Urban Angles. He says great photographs are the result of good preparation by vendors, a talented photographer and skilled retouching to create a polished result. After 10 years of shooting advertising campaigns, Mr Wheatley started Urban Angles in 2001 to bridge the gap between high-end commercial and residential real estate photography. Directors Michael Downes and Jules Tahan joined the company in 2004 and 2005. Today the company employs more than 20 staff, with photographers regularly flown to photograph major projects around Australia. Mr Wheatley said he’s surprised by the number of homeowners who don’t research a real estate agent’s preferred photographer or review samples of the photographer’s work before signing up. “It doesn’t cost a lot of money to get good photos,” he said. Choosing a less experienced supplier to save $100 can become costly in the long run. Bowed walls, cluttered spaces, poorly placed furniture, and white ghosting around objects “magic wanded” during retouching are all the hallmarks of poor quality photographs. “Vendors on a budget should opt for fewer high-quality images instead,” Mr Wheatley said. Urban Angles retouches images by hand, with up to five exposures blended together to create the perfect shot. It takes Urban Angles about an hour to process each property, four times longer than competitors relying on automated systems. “A computer can’t decide how to retouch an image properly. It needs to be done by a skilled retoucher. “It’s a slower process but gives you a much better outcome,” Mr Wheatley said. Working with a tripod encourages staff to think about image composition. Good photographers time appointments to suit a home’s orientation, carefully assess each room and adjust furniture placement. “We approach photographing a property in the same way as a high-end advertising job,” Mr Wheatley said. Urban Angles staff liaise with agents and vendors as they would an advertising director. Homeowners should allow $200-$400 for a daytime shoot, while twilight packages start at about $500, and combined day/night visits cost up to $990. “For most people, their home is their biggest asset, so they need to get it out there with the best photography,” Mr Wheatley said.Details: Urban Angles, 10 Grattan St, Prahran. Phone: 9827 0999 or visit www.urbanangles.com Top tips to ensure your home is ready for its close-up. WHICH ROOMS? To give buyers a good feel for your home, most campaigns highlight the exterior, kitchen, living areas, main bedroom, family bathroom and any outdoor living space. KITCHEN Small items can appear as clutter once an image is reduced for print and online … [...]