This article was originally written in 2015 and updated in 2022 by our editorial staff.

What is a Single Shot HDR?

A single-shot HDR is when all or most of the tonal range of the scene can be captured with one single image.  This can also be referred to as a “one shot HDR” or a “single exposure HDR.”

With single-shot HDRs, we have all of our shadows and highlights within that one image. However, when you take a single-shot HDR, you need to expose in such a way that all or most of the detail is captured in one shot. To do this, we use a technique known as “exposing to the right.”

Why Use Single Shot HDRs (vs Bracketed HDRs)

There are two main advantages of single-shot HDRs when compared to bracketed HDR sequences.

1. Simplicity and Time – First, single-shot HDRs are easier to deal with when we get into post production because we only have one image to work with. This cuts down our workflow significantly, which saves us a lot of time.
2. No Movement or Ghosting – Second, we can shoot moving objects without having to worry about movement issues like ghosting or motion blur because we are not using a bracketed sequence. Instead, you can freeze the motion of moving objects because you are not taking multiple exposures. This is impossible to do with a bracketed sequence because the moving object will be moving through each frame in the bracketed sequence. When we process the image, the moving object will be at different points within each frame. This is known as “ghosting.”

Disadvantages of Single Shot HDR Photography

The biggest disadvantage of a single-shot HDR is that we need to capture all of the tonal range in one image, which makes the exposure rather difficult. In many cases, it is impossible to capture the entire range in a single image. We are limited in dynamic range to the actual DSLR body itself. For example, if your DSLR can capture a 12-stop dynamic range with one single image, then you can only capture 12 stops, which limits your dynamic range. Any scenes that have a range broader than 12 stops cannot be captured with a single-shot HDR. If you have a full professional DSLR, you will get better single-shot HDRs. For example, the Nikon D800 can capture up to 14 stops. So, essentially the dynamic range you can capture will come down to the DSLR body itself as being the capability when you are shooting a single-shot HDR. With single-shot HDRs, the exposure becomes absolutely critical. A single-shot HDR that is incorrectly exposed will not turn out in post production at all.

WHAT IS “EXPOSING TO THE RIGHT?”

To get the proper exposure for a single-shot HDR, we use a technique known as “exposing to the right.” Most people think that “exposing to the right” means that you are exposing to the right of the histogram. In other words, you are overexposing your image. However, that is not necessarily the case.

Whether the image looks overexposed or underexposed will depend on the scene itself. For example, if your scene is super bright, your image will look different with the “exposing to the right” technique than when you are shooting a darker scene. Therefore, whether the scene looks underexposed or overexposed has nothing to do with whether you have correctly exposed to the right. “Exposing to the right” means that we adjust the exposure of the image so that the entire tonal range is shifted to the right of the histogram, but not to the point where we are blowing out detail. The goal of a single-shot HDR image is to capture the exposure in a way where all or nearly all of the tonal range is captured in one single shot. This means that if your highlights are blown or your shadows are clipped, you will not be able to pull out all of the detail when you get the image into post production.

Whenever you are exposing to the right, you are always better off blowing out more of your highlights than clipping more of your shadows. If you are clipping shadows, you will have many problems when you try to bring out the detail in the shadows. These problems include noise, grain, green dark shadows, and more in your images. On the other hand, if you blow out some of the highlights, we can generally recover the m. In addition, the image will look more natural with the highlights slightly blown out rather than having the shadows clipped. For example, if you are in a situation where the dynamic range is broader than what can be captured in a single shot, but you have no choice but to shoot a single-shot HDR, you need to expose so that your shadows are basically touching the left side of the histogram. However, these shadows cannot be clipped. From there, you are retaining as many highlights as possible but you will still blow out some highlights. However, this is fine because you will get a cleaner looking image. As mentioned earlier, the image will look overexposed or underexposed depending on the scene itself. However, as long as your highlights are pushed to the right and you have retained the shadows and detail, you have correctly exposed to the right.

Examples of ETTR Histograms

In the histogram below, you can see a significant amount of shadows that are clipped. This would be referred to as “exposing to the left.” We are going to run into issues as we try to bring out detail in the shadows, where details do not actually exist.

Below is an image that has been exposed to the left.

In the next histogram below, there is a significant amount of highlights that are blown, meaning that we have exposed too far to the right. We are going to run into issues when we try to recover the details in the highlights because we have lost too much contrast and the shadows will not look like shadows as the details have been lost and blown out.

In the image below, we have exposed too far to the right.

The last histogram below shows the correct exposure based on the “exposing to the right” technique. As you can see, the histogram is pushed to the right, showing that the image is overexposed a bit, but not to the point that the highlights have been blown. We can see that the entire tonal range in the histogram is captured within a single shot.

Below is an example of an image that is correctly exposed to the right. With shots like these, we can process them as a single-shot bracketed HDR or as a single shot faux HDR.

If we go into the Develop Module (hit “D”), we can turn on our Highlight Alert (hit “J”) to see that we have not really blown out or clipped too much detail in this shot.

Taking a good HDR often requires numerous shots to be blended after the fact, but the challenges that presents aren’t few. Generally, things move in an image that require detailed analysis afterwards, and even if they didn’t, cameras do if even minutely, so you often require a very steady footing/tripod. But, you needn’t always fuss with taking numerous exposures to blend later on if you shoot correctly and know how to manage it in Photoshop.

Bonus | Single RAW File HDR Video

To get another perspective on this topic, here’s a video from photographer and educator Jimmy McIntyre.  What he demonstrates is how to digitally blend a single RAW file that results in a natural, balanced, and effective HDR image. This method isn’t going to be as effective in some aspects as using multiple exposures, but depending on your situation, and also how well your camera handles RAW files regarding how many stops DR it’ll get, you could be in good shape. Jimmy, in typical Jimmy fashion, walks you through the steps on how to do this, in just a few short minutes using what he calls the Rapid Blend-If Technique.

What you’re essentially doing is opening a single RAW file in ACR, making the adjustments of exposure and highlights to the lighter portion (the sky in this instance), and then making that image a smart object. You will be rasterizing your layers once you’ve adjusted both, and then blending them, and you’ll see just how simple and effective this can be.

Again, I stress that this method certainly depends on your camera sensor’s ability to handle dynamic range, and will not be as powerful as creating an HDR with multiple exposures, but it can do the job. If you really want to create effective HDR images from within Lightroom easily, our Lightroom Presets has the ability to do it with a single click.

Jimmy does some really fantastic tutorials, always keeping them as succinct as possible, and always pretty bulletproof. You can find more about and from Jimmy here on his site, and YouTube channel, and see other articles we’ve done featuring his work below:

Conclusion

Remember that when you are shooting a single-shot HDR, you need to expose the image to the right. Push the highlights in your frame all the way to the right side of the histogram, retaining as many highlights as possible while not clipping any of your shadows. Typically, the histogram of a single-shot HDR that has been correctly exposed to the right should look like a U-shaped, where you have a spike right in the highlights, then a dip in the midtones, and finally another spike right in the shadows. This will usually be what the histogram looks like but remember that it can vary depending on the scene.

For more information on the exposure triangle in HDR Photography, we’ve also shared the optimal settings for aperture and ISO in separate articles.

Optimal Shutter Speed Settings

1. Shutter Speed Limitation
2. Motion Blur and Ghosting

Issue #1: Shutter Speed Limitation

The first issue we need to consider regarding shutter speed involves a limitation caused by the camera itself. The fastest shutter speed that most DSLRs can shoot at is only 1/8000th of a second.

In a 3-frame/3-stop bracketed sequence, we cannot start our median exposure at 1/2000th of a second. Imagine our shutter speed is the only thing that is changing and our aperture and ISO are set to some arbitrary value. Going one stop darker would take us to a shutter speed of 1/4000th of a second. To go two stops darker, we’d hit 1/8000th of a second. In order to go three stops darker, we’d need to go to 1/16000th of a second. However, we’ve already hit the shutter speed limitation at 1/8000th of a second. This means that our camera cannot go any faster to further reduce the brightness of the image.

Optimal Exposure Value: Two Stops or Three Stops?

If we were to shoot a 3 frame-3 stop bracketed sequence, the camera would not be able to shoot the darkest image in the sequence if we started the median exposure at 1/2000th of a second since 1/8000th of a second is the darkest the camera can go and 3 stops darker needs to be at 1/16000th of a second. This is why the optimal exposure value difference should be at two stops instead of at three stops. At three stops, you start to run into this shutter speed limitation. In addition, you will also run into motion issues, which we will discuss below.

Where to Start Your Median Exposure for a 3-Frame/3-Stop Bracketed Sequence

If you want to shoot a 3-frame/3-stop bracketed sequence, the maximum shutter speed for the median exposure becomes 1/1000th of a second. At 1 stop darker, we will be at 1/2000th of a second and at 2 stops darker, we will hit 1/4000th of a second. Finally, at 3 stops darker, we will reach 1/8000th of a second, which is at the shutter speed limitation. Starting your median exposure at 1/1000th of a second will allow you to capture the darkest image in a 3 frame-3 stop bracketed sequence. At one stop brighter, we will be at 1/500th of a second. Two stops brighter will take use to 1/250th of a second, and three stops will land us at 1/125th of a second.

Where to Start Your Median Exposure for a 3-Frame/2-Stop Bracketed Sequence

If we’re shooting a 3-frame/2-stop bracketed sequence, the maximum shutter speed for the median exposure should be 1/2000th of a second because we will be at 1/8000th of a second at 2 stops darker. To go one stop brighter, we’d end up at 1/1000th of a second, and to two stops brighter would mean dialing in 1/500th of a second.

Issue #2: Motion Blur and Ghosting

The second issue that we run into with shutter speed is motion blur and ghosting, which are two different things.

Unintended Motion Blur

If we shoot a 3-frame/3-stop bracketed sequence, motion blur is very likely to occur. This is why it is difficult to shoot 3-frame/3-stop bracketed sequences in HDR photography. For example, if you start your median exposure at 1/500th of a second, we have to go to 1/250th of a second to go one stop brighter. We’d then drop to 1/125th of a second to go two stops brighter. Going three stops brighter would require a shutter speed of 1/60th of a second. However, at 1/60th of a second and 1/125th of a second, we’d likely see motion blur. With moving objects in our scene, motion occurs when the brighter shot is at a low shutter speed.

Using Motion for Effect

However, you can also use motion blur to your advantage by creating motion effects in your image. For example, by using a slow shutter speed, you can make the water in your scene apear smooth and silky in your image. It’s worth noting that we cannot go beyond 30 seconds, unless we are using a shutter release, when going brighter in our bracketed sequences. For example, a median exposure set at 7.5 seconds with a 3-frame/2-stop exposure sequence will take us to 15 seconds at one stop brighter. At two stops brighter, we hit 30 seconds, which is the camera limitation.

Regardless of the median exposure, a 3-frame/3-stop bracketed sequence is not the best choice when shooting HDR photography.

Conclusion

The optimal shutter speed will really depend on the overall scene that you are shooting. The shutter speed will also depend on whether or not there are moving objects in the scene and whether or not we want to create some sort of motion effect in the scene by dragging out the shutter speed. We also need to consider hitting the 1/8000th of a second limitation or the 30-second limitation. These are the shutter speed considerations that we need to think about whenever we approach a scene.

For the reasons mentioned above, we usually stick with a 3-frame/2-stop bracketed sequence. This sequence is generally the safest and will yield the best results. This bracketed sequence also gives us the widest variety in choosing shutter speeds. As such, the optimal shutter speed for 3-frame/2-stop bracketed HDR exposures falls between 1/500th and 1/2000th of a second. For 3-frame/3-stop bracketed HDR exposures, your optimal shutter speed will be 1/1000th of a second. Again, this allows the top end to peak at 1/8000th of a second, which is most DSLRs’ shutter speed limit. At the same time, the bottom end is at 1/125th of a second, allowing you to freeze as much motion as possible.

More Information

If you’d like to dive deeper into HDR Photography, check out our HDR Photography Workshop. We designed the workshop to show you how to create beautiful and realistic high dynamic range photographs. Whether you’re a professional or an avid enthusiast, this 13-hour workshop will guide your journey from prep to post.

For more information on the exposure triangle in HDR Photography, we’ve also shared the optimal settings for optimal ISO and shutter speed in separate articles.

Optimal Aperture Settings for HDR Photography

1. The “Sweet Spot”
2. Starburst Effect
3. Overall Exposure

The “Sweet Spot”

When shooting HDR photography, the optimal aperture setting will depend on the overall scene and look that you’re after. However, with every lens, there is an optimal aperture setting that will yield maximum sharpness. This is known as the “sweet spot.”

Since every lens has a “sweet spot,” we recommend you look through online resources that will tell you the exact optimal aperture setting for your lens. At apertures below the “sweet spot,” you will start to lose detail due to a thinning depth of field. At higher apertures, your images will start to lose detail due to diffraction, which reduces a bit of the sharpness in your images. As a rule of thumb, a lens’s “sweet spot” will be at around 3-4 full stops above the maximum aperture setting. For example, if your lens is a 2.8 lens, your “sweet spot” will be somewhere around F/8 to F/11.

The Starburst Effect

As mentioned before, the optimal aperture setting is really going to depend on the actual scene and overall effect that we are going for. For example, sometimes we will need to use a wider aperture because we need the extra light, even if it reduces a little bit of sharpness in the image. A closed down aperture at F/16 and beyond will cause diffraction. This may not necessarily be the lens’s “sweet spot,” but we are shooting at F/16 because we want to create a certain effect.

Higher Aperture

Shooting with higher apertures at F/14, F/16 and beyond will create starburst patterns in the lights in our images. Therefore, if we want to create the starburst effect from the sun in our image, we will use a higher aperture setting. That setting will then become the optimal aperture setting for our image. The original  “sweet spot” won’t allow us to capture the overall look we want in our image.

Below is an example of what the starburst effect looks like in the lights.

Overall Exposure

When shooting HDR photography, it is important to consider the overall exposure of the image. This can often outweigh whether or not you are shooting at the lens’s “sweet spot.” When you approach a scene, you should consider composition and decide on whether or not you want to create a starburst effect. If these considerations are not that important to you, then just shoot at your lens’s “sweet spot.” Doing so will maximize overall detail in the image. However, if these considerations are important, then you do not need to choose the lens’s “sweet spot.” Instead, choose your own optimal setting that will give you the overall look you want to create in your image.

Conclusion

Shooting at your lens’s “sweet spot” will maximize the quality and detail of your HDR images. However, your lens’s “sweet spots” may not provide the optimal aperture settings, depending on the shot you’re after. For example, when creating a starburst effect, shoot with a higher aperture. The higher aperture that allows you to create the starburst effect will become the new optimal aperture setting.

More Information

If you’d like to dive deeper into HDR Photography, check out our HDR Photography Workshop. We designed the workshop to show you how to create beautiful and realistic high dynamic range photographs. Whether you’re a professional or an avid enthusiast, this 13-hour workshop will guide your journey from prep to post.

Video: Continuous Shooting Mode

Before we explain the continuous shooting mode in more detail, we need to talk about Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB).

What Is Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB)?

Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) is a feature that is automatically built into most modern (within the last ten years or so) DSLR cameras. Some advanced point-and-shoot cameras may also have this feature built-in.

Now, all cameras are different so consult your manual to set up AEB in your specific camera. However, the general principles will apply to AEB, regardless of the camera model and brand. First, you need to choose the number of images you want in your bracketing sequence (if your camera offers this option). The number of images you can choose will depend on your camera. As we will discuss later, the optimal number of images in a AEB sequence is going to generally be 3 images.

Next, you need to define how far you want the exposure value spacing to be between each image in the sequence. So for example, you can set your images to vary between either one, two or even three stops. Once again, consult your camera’s manual to set up AEB. Again, the optimal exposure value spacing between images is generally two stops.

[Related Reading: Understanding Your Camera’s Drive Modes]

Activate “Continuous Shooting” Mode

Again, every camera is different, so the way you capture HDR images will depend on your camera’s features. If you have properly set up and dialed in your AEB, your camera should automatically fire three consecutive shots (or however many images you specified in your AEB) with just a single press of the shutter. If you find yourself having to manually press the shutter to take all of the exposure shots that are in the sequence, then your camera’s continuous shooting mode is probably turned off. Again, consult your camera’s manual to learn how to turn on the continuous shooting mode for your specific make/model.

Here is the continuous shooting mode function on a Canon 5D Mark IV.

Step 1. Push the AF-Drive option

Step 2. Flip the dial until you see the three-photo icon with the “H,” which stands for “High Speed.”

On a Nikon D800, simply turn the dial to the continuous shooting mode as shown below.

Conclusion

Once you’ve turned on your camera’s continuous shooting mode, your camera should fire all three (or more) consecutive shots without any further assistance. The continuous shooting mode is a useful feature that allows us to maximize image detail with more quickly fired shots. In addition, using this mode decreases camera shake, thus eliminating potential camera shake in our images.

If you’d like to dive deeper into HDR photography techniques, check out our HDR Photography Workshop. This workshop includes over ten hours of video instruction, 25 RAW exercise files, and three presets specifically designed for HDR photography. While the content focuses mainly on landscape photography, you can use these techniques for other types of portraiture.

Introduction to In-Camera HDR

1. The In-Camera HDR Function: Handy or Not?
2. Turning on the In-Camera HDR Function
3. Using the In-Camera HDR Function

The In-Camera HDR Function: Handy or Not?

As mentioned before, the In-Camera HDR function only comes in handy if your camera keeps all of the original RAW files on the memory card. If your camera only keeps the final HDR processed version of the image, all of the other sequence images are lost. Then, when you get into post production and decide that you do not like your final HDR image, you cannot do anything about it because you only have that one processed HDR image saved on the memory card. You will not have any of the original files that went into creating the final HDR image so you are essentially stuck with the final HDR image.

In addition, we teach techniques in our HDR Workshop that require you to have the original RAW files. If your camera’s HDR function only keeps the final HDR image, we highly recommend you do not use this feature when shooting HDR photography.

Turning on the In-Camera HDR Function

To turn on the In-Camera HDR function on the Canon 5D Mark III, hit the “Menu” button. Once you have clicked on the button, your camera settings will appear as shown below.

To turn on the HDR Mode, go to the third screen displaying the settings. As you can see below, the HDR Mode is at the bottom of the list.

Next, adjust your settings for bracketing sequences, exposure value spacing, the processing style, and more. Simply hit the “Set” button to select each setting.

Using the In-Camera HDR Function

When shooting HDR photography, we almost always use the In-Camera HDR function on a camera like the Canon 5D Mark III because it allows us to record in whatever file format we choose. In addition, we can choose what type of bracketing settings and exposure value spacing we want for the image. Then, the camera will do everything according to the processing style that we select, as well as process the final HDR image.

The processed image is useful because we can get an immediate representation of what the scene will look like with the In-Camera HDR processing. However, we will usually delete the camera processed final HDR image because we want to reprocess the RAW files in HDR processing software. The HDR processing software is much more powerful than your In-Camera HDR processing.

Still, the In-Camera HDR function is a great feature because the camera controls everything. For example, with the In-Camera HDR function on the Canon 5D Mark III, we can use Mirror Lock-up, set the camera to a 2-second timer, and set our bracketing sequence with a number of frames as well as set the exposure value spacing in the camera. Then, with just one press of the shutter, the camera will do an automatic countdown from 2 seconds to 0 seconds and take all of the shots in that sequence with the mirror up.

Conclusion

If you have a DSLR, we recommend you play around with the In-Camera HDR function to figure out if your camera will save the RAW files or save just the final HDR image to your memory card. Once again, the In-Camera HDR function is only useful if your camera saves all of the RAW files. If so, this is a great function to use because it simplifies the shooting process for your HDR photos. If you are looking to buy a new DSLR, the In-Camera HDR function is something you might want to have if you are constantly shooting HDR photographs. Although this is a great feature, remember that you will always get the best results and the most control when you process your HDR images in HDR processing software.

The good news is, you just don’t need a lot of expensive gear! Real estate photography isn’t a fast-action sport or another highly demanding genre, therefore, the equipment is rather straightforward. Even a modest budget can get you started and deliver professional results.

Similarly, you don’t need to master complicated processing techniques, although a basic understanding of exposure, raw processing, bracketing, and layer masking will be helpful in many situations. We’ll cover the final post-production in a future article.

First and foremost, focus on practicing your craft. Focus on creativity, and working efficiently, and of course, making sure your customers are happy, delivering value above your real estate photography pricing. Get to know each piece of equipment, so that there are no surprises or frustrations whenever you’re with a client.

The Right Tripod for Real Estate Photography

A good, sturdy tripod will make it easy to capture sharp, clean images inside dimly lit rooms, where your shutter speeds are often measured in seconds.

Whenever photographers ask for tripod recommendations, they usually ask which tripod is cheap, lightweight, and portable, most likely to be used for travel and casual landscape photography.

However, for real estate photography, a flimsy, lightweight tripod is not the best idea! Your camera’s support system is going to be your companion for many of the jobs you do. Therefore, the absolute best tripod for real estate and architectural photography is a big, tall, sturdy one.

Furthermore, having a solid, heavy tripod will really help to keep your images framed perfectly from one shot to the next, which will minimize your need for using alignment functions in post-production, whenever you need to create an HDR or other composite images.

Here’s the good news: big and heavy tripods can still be affordable! Name brands such as Manfrotto and Slik offer decades of experience making dependable quality tripods, at a relatively affordable price. Our top recommendations are the Manfrotto 190X series or 055X series, or the Slik 500DX or 700DX series. These tripods can all be found for around $100-200 new, or even less if you shop used.

Of course, if you travel a lot, or walk very far with your gear a lot, then it might be helpful to have a lightweight travel tripod, too. There are numerous options in the $200-300 range that weigh just ~2 lbs; one favorite being the Slik Lite series. (Either way, just avoid cheap/generic brands!)

Tripod Heads: Ballhead Versus 3-Way Head

Many tripods do come with both legs and a head, however it is also not uncommon to buy them separately.

If you do get a ball head separately, the question becomes, what type should you buy? Ball heads can be quick to set up at first, however, precision is difficult. A 3-way leveling head, or even a geared head, offers the highest precision, and is actually faster to achieve perfection once you get familiar with it.

Unfortunately, high-tech geared heads are a bit more pricey, whereas ordinary ballheads abound in all price ranges, and are often included together with legs. At the high end, a geared head such as an Arca Swiss C1 Cube, D-4 Monoball, or L60 Leveler are precision professional tools. As an affordable alternative, a Slik Leveling Unit, or any tripod with a leveling center column, can be a good way to quicken the pace of your workflow.

If you happen to buy tripod legs without a head, there are plenty of ordinary ballheads on the market, from name brands such as Slik, Manfrotto, Gitzo, and Really Right Stuff, to affordable alternatives such as Oben and Benro.

The Best Lens for Real Estate & Architectural Photography

While having a solid foundation to shoot from is essential, having the right focal length lens is equally important. Real estate photography involves shooting a range of subjects, from vast exteriors to cramped interiors, therefore, one job could require medium, ultra-wide, and telephoto focal lengths.

Exteriors of a home or commercial property are often easy to photograph with a normal (mid-range) zoom such as a 24-70mm f/2.8 or 24-105mm f/4. On APS-C crop sensors, the common mid-range zoom lenses are 18-55mm or 16-50mm.

However, for interiors or anything where space is tight, you’ll likely need a lens that goes even wider. On full-frame, the two most common focal ranges are 14-24mm and 16-35mm, or on an APS-C crop sensor, 10-20mm and 10-24mm are common.

Here is the good news: the lens’ aperture doesn’t need to be very fast, because you’ll be shooting with your aperture stopped down to f/8 or so for depth of field almost anyways. Therefore, affordable ultra-wide lenses such as f/4 zooms or even variable aperture zooms are great choices, saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Similarly, both name-brand and third-party lenses are great, especially when stopped down just one or two stops.

The ultimate “exotic” ultra-wide lenses for real estate interiors are currently the Canon 11-24mm f/4 L, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, Sony 12-24mm f/4 GM, and Sigma 12-24mm f/4 Art.

(Approximately 14mm)

On the affordable end, there are plenty of ultra-wide lenses that are almost as good as the exotic options, when their aperture is stopped down: Consider a Rokinon 14mm f/2.8, or the Tamron 15-30mm f/2 VC, Irix 11mm, Laowa 12mm f/2.8, …or a 16-35 mm f/4 from any brand. One of the most affordable full-frame ultra-wide lenses for DSLR shooters is the Tokina 17-35mm f/4. 17mm may not sound like it is that much wider than 24mm, however it can make a huge difference when photographing indoors!

Great crop-sensor lenses include any of Tokina’s DX lenses that go as wide as 11mm or 12mm, or other lenses that get to 10mm even. (Canon, Nikon, and Sony all make multiple options which are extremely affordable; Nikon’s 10-20mm AF-P is just $250 when it’s on sale!)

Tilt-Shift Lenses for Real Estate Photography

(Note how all vertical lines in the image are actually vertical)

Any ultra-wide lens will get the job done, but there are also specialty lenses that are made primarily for architecture and real estate work: tilt-shift lenses. The question is, do you need one?

(Un-corrected, vertical lines may appear to “slant” even though they should not)

A tilt-shift lens is an incredibly useful tool that allows you to shoot images of buildings/rooms and have all the vertical lines (walls, doors, pillars, etc) stay vertical, instead of “leaning” up or down whenever you angle your camera up or down.

The most common architectural tilt-shift lens is usually a 24mm focal length; Canon, Nikon and Rokinon all make a 24mm tilt-shift lens. Canon also makes a 17mm TSE, and Nikon makes a 19mm PCE, and both also make mid-range and telephoto lenses if your job has a particular need.

[UPDATE] Now, real estate photographers finally have the Venus Optics Laowa  15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift. Yes, that’s right, a 15mm full-frame lens with shift (but no tilt) capability! It is priced at just $1,199. (B&H)

So, how badly do you need a tilt-shift lens? The honest truth is that it’s not critical, though it can be extremely convenient! There are ways to work around the problem of your vertical lines leaning, though. You can of course try to correct this in Photoshop or Lightroom, however, you can also achieve a similar result in-camera by shooting the image perfectly level at an extremely wide focal length, and then in post-production just crop the final composition.

If your lens goes as wide as 11mm, 12mm, or 14mm, (on full-frame) then you can heavily crop your images and get roughly the same perspective as a ~24mm tilt-shift lens. If your camera has 30-50 megapixels, and especially if your client is only doing low-resolution online listings or small printed ads, then you’ll have plenty of image resolution left after a severe crop.

In short, getting a tilt-shift lens is mostly a matter of in-the-field convenience and perfection, and although it’s a fantastic tool, in our opinion it’s not truly necessary unless you’re shooting a lot of very high-end work. Having said that, while the Nikon and Canon name-brand lenses are expensive enough that you probably won’t consider them unless you become quiet successful and decide to “treat yourself” to such an exotic optic, the Venus Optics Laowa 15mm Shift, and the Rokinon Samyang 24mm Tilt-Shift, are both excellent choices for those who really do want this capability, but don’t want to break the bank.

The Right Camera Body For Real Estate Photography

We’re going to be totally honest here- as far as camera bodies are concerned, you just don’t need an “exotic” camera body. Why? Because real estate photography doesn’t require features like extremely high frames-per-second, (FPS) or advanced subject tracking autofocus. Your main priorities are simple: a camera that provides great image quality from its raw files, plus good bracketing features and a flash hotshoe.

Thankfully, even beginner cameras these days have great image quality at their lower ISOs, as well as basic bracketing features and of course a flash hotshoe. Higher-end, professional cameras do offer more resolution, greater dynamic range, and more advanced bracketing functions, of course, but using proper shooting technique (and the right lens) will be the most important factor when it comes to the final image. Also, many wireless camera control apps offer remote control for exposure and image preview.

In fact, you should probably pick your camera based on the other types of photography you do, such as portraits, action sports, or landscape photography.

Crop-Sensor Versus Full-Frame Cameras for Real Estate Photography

In many genres of photography, owning a full-frame camera and lenses can offer significant, game-changing advantages.

However, with real estate photography, we’ve already made the shooting method very clear: you’re going to be using a tripod a lot, and shooting at a relatively low ISO such as 100-400 whenever possible. You’re also going to want everything in focus, instead of having a blurry background or foreground.

Because of these shooting conditions, an APS-C or even Micro Four Thirds camera system will adequately get the job done, as long as you have the right focal length for the job, and practice correct technique. So, nail your exposures and bracket for more dynamic range whenever necessary!

Whatever sensor format you choose, the important thing is the lenses! Be sure to pick a camera body that has enough wide-angle lens options for real estate photography, and are within your budget.

Wireless Flash for Real Estate Photography

This piece of equipment may be the most intimidating for a photographer who has not photographed portraits or similar subjects, but it is still quite simple! When working with flash in real estate photography, the professional results that you can achieve are worth it, specifically when using wireless flash off-camera to either bounce off a ceiling or directly illuminate subjects in a room with a diffuser such as an umbrella.

Our basic, beginner recommendation is both affordable and simple to use: one or two Yongnuo 560III or 560IV hotshoe flashes, and a Yongnuo 560TX radio transmitter/controller. It’s an all-manual flash system that lets you wirelessly control the power (brightness) of the light output. This flash isn’t built very tough, but it still makes a great starter flash for the money. if you ever upgrade to something else, it can stay in your bag as an emergency backup. Paid professionals should always have a backup!

If you do also shoot things like portraits or weddings, then of course you might want to consider a hotshoe flash that offers features such as HSS and TTL. In this realm, there are both name-brand wireless flashes, and more affordable models from Yongnuo and others.

Our medium budget recommendation is still relatively affordable: A Godox AD-series flash, such as the AD200, AD400, or AD600. Each of these offers a lot more flash power in a single flash, without breaking the bank. The AD200 is a more portable sized strobe, almost the size of a hotshoe flash, while the AD400 and AD600 are true strobe flashes which offer even more power.

Our high-end recommendation is, of course, the best in the business: Profoto strobes offer extreme reliability and durability, and significantly more power than any hotshoe flashes. They’re pricey, but they will absolutely last far longer, and will be far more reliable, whether you get one of the more affordable models such as the Profoto B2, or the cadillac of strobes, the Profoto B1.

Other lighting equipment you may need: a light stand, either heavy-duty or lightweight, is really helpful, especially if you ever work alone. You may also want a simple shoot-through umbrella for illuminating a room or specific subjects with soft, diffused light.

Is Wireless Flash Too Complicated For a Real Estate Job?

Bounced flash is the easiest way to begin adding illumination to a room
(The flash is pointed at an area behind the camera that is not in the image)

If you’re afraid of even trying wireless flash, the easiest thing to do is to just dive in and play with it! With manual power (brightness) flash, it’s as easy as setting your camera’s exposure: just start shooting, and if the flash is too dark, or too bright, dial the flash power up or down and see how the lighting improves.

The hardest part is simply getting to know the interface of the flash itself, but this is one of those times when the only thing to do is get out the user manual and go through it.

Keep in mind that if you go down the path of using wireless flash in your photos, it will add time to both shooting and post-production. Some jobs are super quick, with only a few minutes to shoot, and require rapid turnaround time.

Often times, you may discover that you can perfectly illuminate the room with a single light, but there is a window or mirror which betrays the flash’s presence and brightness. Or, you may realize that you need to illuminate two or more different parts of a room separately. Sometimes, you may even have to stand in the photo in order to perfectly illuminate something.

So, what many photographers do is capture multiple photos with the various parts of the image lit perfectly, and then layer them all together in Photoshop. Using layer masks, you can “erase” any flashes, light stands, bright reflections, or people from the final image.

However if you’re not careful, you can wind up spending an hour or more on a single image! So, try and keep the use of wireless flash and composite frames as minimal and simple as possible.

Wireless Image Review & Camera Control Tools For Shooting Remotely

If you’re shooting from a tripod and walking around a room to trigger a flash or change the ambient light, (getting images with lights switched on and off) it can be extremely frustrating to have to walk back and forth to your camera repeatedly for just one final image. It can also be rather frustrating if your lens isn’t wide enough, and you realize that to get the shot you need to put your camera right up against a wall, or even in a corner where you simply can’t see the viewfinder or rear LCD at all. (Unless you have a fully articulated LCD!)

What some real estate photographers do is, use a wireless camera control tool such as a Camranger, or if the camera has it, the built-in wireless functionality that pairs with an app on your phone. Some apps even allow you to change your exposure or focus wirelessly, in addition to clicking the shutter and reviewing photos. No more walking back and forth across a room five times just to get one photo!

Aerial Real Estate Photography Equipment | Drones & Camera Poles

Drones have become incredibly popular lately, and almost every genre of photography has realized the benefits of being able to put a camera up in the air. Real estate photography is definitely one of those types of photography that can greatly benefit from aerial photo and video.

Thankfully, all of the latest popular drones from brands like DJI, such as the Phantom 4 Pro, Mavic Pro, and Mavic Air,  include both raw image capture and auto-bracketing, for epic aerial photos of a property even in tough light, resulting in beautiful images if processed correctly.

The Right Processing Tools for Real Estate Photography

Of course, even if you have a solid tripod, a great camera, and the perfect lens for the job, you still need to know how to edit the images you take, and what tools to work with.

A raw processing program is a must-have for all professional work, and real estate work is no exception. In many scenes, indoors and outdoors, dynamic range can be extremely wide, requiring heavy edits to your shadows and highlights, or bracketing and merging of an HDR image.

You may also need to process HDR images in large batches for certain jobs that require multiple, similar images of a room or property.

Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop can get a lot done with raw files by themselves, as well as a basic interface for bracketing exposures and panoramic stitching, but they’re not always enough, and batch processing is not practical.

Click Here To Learn More About Adobe Lightroom

HDR software such as Photomatix Pro offers professional control for managing the dynamic range in both single and bracketed images, as well as full batch processing for jobs that require numerous bracketed HDR images.

Click Here to Learn More About Photomatix

Real Estate Photography Gear | Recap & Conclusion

• You need a solid tripod. Heavier is a not a bad thing, because any photo shoot could involve slow shutter speeds, and likely bracketing or composite blending.
• Almost any camera will do. Remember, the body is only part of the equation; the right lens is just as important, if not more so!
• The right ultra-wide angle lens for the job. On full-frame: 16-35mm, 14-24mm, or similar ultra-wide lenses are extremely useful. On APS-C crop: 10-20mm, 10-24mm, or similar lenses are great. On Micro Four-Thirds: look for  7-14mm or similar range lens.
• Camera settings: Shoot at a lower ISO such as 100-400, with the aperture stopped down for sharpness and depth. Then, vary your shutter speed to achieve the correct exposure, or if bracketing multiple exposures is required.
• A remote trigger or wireless app is very useful. You can use self-timer too, but the remote operation is really worth it, and sometimes free!
• Use wireless flash for illuminating interiors or exteriors, but only if you like the look it gives compared to bracketing natural light, and if your job schedule allows the extra time for shooting and processing.
• Bracket multiple exposures when necessary to ensure detail in highlights and shadows. Most cameras offer bracketing of 3-7 frames, in 1-2 EV increments.
• Post-processing software: Lightroom, Photoshop, and HDR software offer a seamless workflow for preparing raw files, merging bracketed exposures, or creating composite images in tricky situations.

In our next article, we’ll actually get on-location, shoot some photos, and post-produce them, covering all the important details to ensure great quality, a quick shooting workflow, a rapid turnaround time, and last but likely most importantly, a satisfied client!

Click Here to Read A Complete Overview of Real Estate Photography

Click Here to Read About The Business & Pricing of Real Estate Photography

Be sure to read our previous articles that give a brief introduction, and help you to get started with the pricing and business side of real estate photography. Also, stay tuned for more tutorials in the future!

Don’t you love it when you learn something that can drastically change the way you work in Photoshop for the better? The hair will grow back, and going forward your life will be easier.

Jimmy McIntyre saves the day with his video showing fast and easy, realistic exposure blending two ways – with the inexpensive and useful Raya Pro plugin and without. I’ll go over the “without,” but if this is something you do frequently, check out Jimmy’s process with Raya Pro in the video and consider picking it up. You can see SLR Lounge’s take on Raya Pro here.

To start, when in the field you need to have captured multiple exposures of your scene in order to catch all its dynamic range. Sometimes two is enough, but three is usually a good starting point. Open all your shots in Photoshop on different layers and align them.

In this video, there are three exposures and they are stacked like this: an underexposed layer to rescue the highlight detail is on the bottom, a mid-tone detail exposure is in the middle, and an overexposed layer to bring out detail in the darkest portions is on top.

[REWIND:] ALL 27 PHOTOSHOP BLENDING MODES EXPLAINED | REQUIRED LEARNING FOR BEST PHOTOSHOP RESULTS

To easily create an intricate mask on the mid-tone details layer in order to show the brightest detail from the layer below, turn off the overexposed layer, create a mask on the mid-tones layer and select ‘apply image’ from the ‘Image’ menu. See the photo above for settings. To get a mask that has enough contrast, do it over again a few times. Or, simply use the levels adjustment on the layer mask to tweak contrast.

Next, disable the mid-tones layer and select the overexposed layer. Create a mask on it and use ‘apply image’ again, but this time check the ‘invert’ box.

Enable all layers, and have a look at your exposure. If it still needs work, you can adjust levels until you like the look.

What do you think, is that faster and easier than methods you’d previously tried?

[REWIND: DUET UPDATE | THE DUAL MONITOR APP KING BRINGS TOUCH BAR SUPPORT FOR ANY MAC ONLY $9.99 ]

Lightroom comes with powerful tools to sharpen images during post-processing; the Detail box in the Develop module, contains both Sharpening and Noise Reduction tools that allow photographers to fine-tune their images. The technique described above is great for very few subjects and terrible for others, so use it with care.

For Someone who is a wedding photographer this process will probably never get used, but for a lifestyle shot where there is detail like a mechanic in a garage or cosplay portraits, it might be handy to have in your bag of editing tricks. In my opinion, I would use this technique like selective color; that is hardly if ever.

[RELATED: SHARPENING | SO MANY GET IT WRONG & THIS WILL HELP YOU GET IT RIGHT ]

All that said, trying new process and editing techniques is important in growing as a photographer. You may find this style works for you or you may never use it again, but you’ll get a deeper understanding of how Lightroom works and what you can do with it at just the right time. For photographers looking to get the most out of their images, there are wonderful tutorials from Creative Live and SLR Lounge that teach Lightroom mastery.