One of the interesting things nowadays, No matter where you are in the world Europe, the United Kingdom, or the USA, is the expectation that expensive Homes, Hotels, Restaurants, and even consumer goods should look amazing in photos just because they are expensive.
What people might not understand, Is that image is an image, and a cheap or luxury home does not have any influence on what the final visual would look like.
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Million Dollar Listing
One of the challenges in architectural photography and in specific high-end homes and hotels is that the owner or designer already invested millions in planning, construction, and design.
“Looking like a million-dollar” wouldn’t cut it anymore.
The expectation of the client is that the photo would look as good or better than the real value of the space.
This is done by scouting the space with the client, understanding the scope of work, and the potential buyer’s mind.
After that, we have to find the right angles that provide as much information possible on all the elements that make a luxury home luxury.
From material to finishes, showing the landscape and environment and the location that brings real value to the home.
Expectations from Luxury Home Photographer
As we said before a photo is just a photo, the camera, as expensive as it is will be also very limited, and the beautiful images you are used to seeing in international magazines and billboards were NEVER captured with “one click” (single exposure).
Capturing up-scale homes and apartments requires lots of technical knowledge on top of a photographer’s eye, experience, and know-how in order to translate the space for the right visual rather than just a beautiful one.
Your architectural photographer would know how to incorporate elements of design, build, finishes, views, location, lighting, moods, and environment into a luxurious picture.
You also have to put your client’s purchasing behavior and lifestyle into play, showcasing things like privacy, amenities, views and engaging the feeling ” I want this”
Believe it or not, there is a lot of psychology behind capturing the right pic, and this is the fun part of taking a space and creating emotions.
The Difference is within the Details
A one-click picture is ending with one click on the shutter of the camera, one shot can’t capture the entire dynamic range of light, colors, materials, and quality of design.
The professional should focus on the small details in the big picture.
For example, in the exterior, you should incorporate the location, views, architectural elements, landscape, finishes, and much more in a single picture as your viewer is not immersed in the project as yourself and they only have a few seconds to absorb your entire work in few seconds.
In the interior, we should reflect value, material, surface, and design that is cohesive that generates the feeling of” I want to be in this space”
Don’t forget your potential buyer or client that is looking to have your services are sometimes miles away, you have several seconds to communicate what you do before they take the time to research more about you, your experience, and your offerings.
Luxury Homes Clients Want This
Selling a home or service is hard, but selling a luxury hotel experience or a high-end home is even harder.
Your clients are fed by magazines, commercials, and lifestyle trends, they no longer look for 4 walls and a ceiling.
They want to look at an image that impacts their guts feeling “ I want this also “. They want to be able to imagine themselves in that hot tub and entertain in that living room.
The right type of visual will also help to focus the client on the experience and not the price, as price becomes minor when you fall in love with the dream.
We asked our clients why it’s so important to have striking images, and the answer surprised us as well.
“Not only do we strive to be second to none both in business and service, but the same also applies to our imagery.”
First, my client sees that I invest in him with the best skills and results there is when the professional spends a day or two capturing their home.
It reflects on me as a professional and industry leader,
The client shows those images to all his friends and colleagues who eventually know by word of mouth that I am the right person for the job.
Magazines and other clients come to us for those images making our clients visible and desirable.
Ultimately I look at the bigger picture, you might not be able to buy “this one” but you will be drawn to those visuals and eventually to my website only to find your dream here with me.
The Bigger Picture
While it’s obvious the goal is to sell or acquire new clients.
It is important that your photographer would have the experience and knowledge of your demographic client consumer behavior.
Yes, is much more than beautiful pictures, we need to have in mind the client’s scope of work, his potential client consumer behavior, what magazines are looking for in order to publish our clients, and also what judges in competitions are looking to see.
Make sure you advise your professional about your portfolio appearance, from layout to amount of pictures and the correct order you should present them.
