Why is the photography service billed per square foot?
Standard real estate photography packages that deliver a set number of final images are unnecessarily restrictive. For example, if the photographer finds themself with 32 useable final images for a 25 photo package, they either have to remove 7 photos from the delivery or charge for extra photos. At Floor 5, we thought it most fair to charge based on an invariable metric unaffected by market trends that directly reflects the character of the property, the amount of work involved, and the resources required. This allows for property specific planning and provides the photographer with more artistic liberty on-site allowing them to capture the best angles and the finest details. This approach allows for a fair and consistent pricing structure that aligns with the level of service provided.
What if I want an appointment at a specific time so the property has direct sunlight?
Direct sunlight is not the best light source when it comes to real estate photography. Direct sunlight creates extremely harsh shadows both for exterior and interior photos and rarely are those harsh what we are looking for when we shoot. The most ideal light source from outside for real estate photography is an overcast sky at noon since the sun will be directly above the property making shadows almost inexistant and the clouds will disuse the sun's rays into a evenly balanced light source. Early morning and late afternoon are also good times to shoot, but this will often depend on the orientation of the property in relation to the rising or setting sun. We are happy to accommodate specific time requests that our schedule will allow; we will confirm specific requests the night before.
Why do you often shoot with the lights off for the HDR method?
Natural light is the best light. If a room has enough natural light lighting it then the best results will be achieved by keeping the lights off. This technique also dramatically improves white balance as the light bulbs in your house and the natural light outside are different colour temperatures 99.9% of the time. The camera can only adjust to one colour temperature meaning the more colour temperatures from different light sources there are affecting a composition the more colour casts there will be in the photo and the harder it will be to reveal the authentic colours in the final image. That being said, we are happy to shoot any property with all the lights on, just let us know before we start shooting!
What if I don't like the editing style?
While we cannot change our tools or our process that produce our images, we can change certain parameters within those tools and our process to bring your vision to light. We edit all images to appear as natural and authentic as possible; we aim for neutral white balance and accurate colours. However, some clients might find the results too cold, too warm, or simply not their style. Simply contact us and we will gladly make the necessary adjustments to match your vision and will make a note on our end of your preferred style for all future edits.