I said recently that I don’t think of myself as a photographer. My role in life is, and always has been, to make the properties I’ve been asked to sell look the very best they can. These days we’re not restricted to paper-based advertising, we also have the Internet which makes the world our showcase, rendering the need for property images to be that much more refined than perhaps they once were. With the portals bringing together all of a property’s competition on one screen it’s become even more important to make the one(s) we’re selling stand out from the crowd; literally there are thousands of homes available to buy and rent across the UK so anyone who’s looking must be given good reason to take time out from their busy lives and go see.

It just so happens that photographs are the most visual way to grab the attention of the best buyers; and, all other things being equal, the better the photos, the more potential buyers who will be attracted and therefore the better the price etc etc. So, for me photography is a means to an end – which isn’t me saying I’m not interested in photography; in fact I’m very interested in learning from the best and for that reason I spend a tremendous amount of time reading, learning and watching. I’d like to introduce you now to some of the people who have influenced me in one way or another. I very much hope that you’ll also take an interest in what they’re doing – you might be surprised at how techniques that are used by wedding photographers for example, might translate in some small way to property photography especially when you’re able to maintain an open mind – it’s being open to ideas and learning that enables you to grow…

seanmchugh Sean McHugh's images are heart-stoppingly stunning

chantalcollage2 Chantal Christo's mastery of light is inspirational

martinwilmott Martin Wilmott's photos are really simple - but they work brilliantly

First up is Sean McHugh of http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/. I’ve never met Sean but his website is an amazing resource for anyone who wants to take their images to the next level. You’ll find there techniques for HDR, averaging exposures to reduce noise, tutorials to help your understanding of White Balance and so on. If you’re really looking to improve your images then Sean’s site is a great place to start. If you want to see HDR imagery undertaken in a way that’ll inspire you to do the same, take a look at his gallery. You might from these think, for example, how night shots of some properties would be an improvement on how they look during the daytime. Think about those houses with south-facing gardens for instance, that’ll never look great during normal daylight hours because the Sun will be behind the front elevation throughout the day. Especially if they have garden lighting, might a shot at dusk look a million times better? Sean’s HDR tutorial will cost you nothing except your investment in time. I really encourage you to take note and try it out.

I found Chantal Christo recently and thank all that is holy that her studio (Cherry Red Studios in Camberley, Surrey http://www.cherryredstudios.co.uk/ ) is only a few miles away from me. I went there to learn about studio lighting but I was immediately struck by her ‘think on your feet’ approach to getting the best shot. She increased my confidence enormously and encouraged me to try techniques I’d thought about but had never actually done in case someone who knew better should laugh at my feebleness. (Yes, I really am a fragile petal )  But you know how it is in the photography world – there’s always someone who will criticise but they won’t tell you how to improve. Chantal’s the complete opposite.

Chantal’s a relatively young woman but she’s driven. I often think that portrait photography must become really challenging to photographers who have limited options in the way that they might shoot in-studio. If you look at Chantal’s work you’ll see she has flair and consistency; however the real Chantal isn’t revealed until you see her ‘off-piste’ images which she uses to develop her profile as a first rate fashion photographer. The top image in her slide above is, in fact, the result of a collaboration between Chantal and a digital artist who took her stunning airport photo and created from that an air-crash scene that’s just amazing and breathtaking at the same time. But at the root of everything she does is Chantal’s attention to the use of light. If you want to learn how to use light creatively then beat a path to Chantal’s door.

I went on one of Martin Wilmott’s http://martinwilmott.blogspot.com/wedding courses a few years back and I’ve attended a couple more courses since. Martin’s also a brilliant photographer but the main benefit from my time with him was learning how to keep it simple. To be honest, if you saw him out on the street he wouldn’t strike you as a typical photographer. He doesn’t wear an anorak, neither does he smoke a pipe, and there’s no white scarf wrapped around his neck either. In fact he trained as an Army photographer so you’d expect him to be someone who ‘does it by numbers’; but instead Martin’s a little firecracker who sees and shoots with energy. On one of Martin’s courses you’ll see him one minute behind a bush, the next flat on his stomach looking for angles. Simple shots, great quality (correct settings) taken from different angles – he taught me how to see – that’s what I learned from Martin. Martin’s courses can be found here: http://www.martinwilmottphotography.com/

Again, if you’re setting out to photograph property there is a temptation to over-complicate your shots when what you actually need is simple composition taken, often, from different perspectives; you also need great lighting – you’ll learn this from one of Chantal’s studio courses; and of course, Sean McHugh’s site can provide you with raw knowledge. Knowledge is power – it’s up to you how you use it.