What to wear
Only relevant if a person appears: plain, neutral, nothing that pulls the eye from the room. For the photographer, dark clothing matters — you appear…
In short: Only relevant if a person appears: plain, neutral, nothing that pulls the eye from the room. For the photographer, dark clothing matters — you appear in every mirror, window and glossy surface in the property.
Colour. Only relevant if a person appears, and then neutral: anything bright bounces colour onto white walls and shifts the white balance of the whole room.
Fabric. Matte for the photographer. You appear in every mirror, window, oven door and glossy tile in the property, and a white shirt shows up in all of them.
Footwear. Removable. Shoes on a client's carpet is the fastest way to lose the second booking.
The thing that ruins frames. The photographer reflected in a bathroom mirror. Check every mirrored surface before pressing the shutter, not afterwards.
In the bag. A microfibre cloth for taps and glass, a bin bag for clutter, spare light bulbs in one colour temperature, and a tripod — verticals stay straight far more reliably on one.
Owners and agents photographing a property, where the pictures decide how many people book a viewing.
Location changes the answer: The property, on a bright but not sunny day for interiors, and at dusk for the exterior. South-facing rooms photograph best mid-morning; north-facing ones need the brightest hour of the day.
Planning pressure to account for: Photographing a cluttered room and hoping editing fixes it. Tilting the camera. Mixing daylight with warm bulbs. And skipping the twilight exterior, which is the single highest-value frame in the set.
Bring each proposed outfit as a complete look, including its shoes and accessories. The final choice is made against the actual background and light rather than from a generic colour rule.
Only relevant if a person appears: plain, neutral, nothing that pulls the eye from the room. For the photographer, dark clothing matters — you appear in every mirror, window and glossy surface in the property.
For a one-hour session, plan one complete look and one quick variation such as a jacket, shoe or jewellery change. Two hours can normally support two or three resolved looks. More changes reduce shooting time, so photograph the most important outfit first and treat extras as options rather than promises.
Choose colours that separate clearly from the location and suit the intended use of the pictures. Solid tones and controlled texture are reliable; very fine checks, tiny stripes and reflective logos can distract or produce moiré. Send phone photographs of the options with the brief if you want a decision before the shoot.
Bring the garments on proper hangers, matching underwear, the shoes for every full-length look, a lint roller and simple touch-up products. Pack one neutral backup layer. Steam everything beforehand, but keep a small steamer nearby for travel creases and final adjustments on set.
Send the date, location and what you need photographed.