Photographer Tutorial 6: Backyards

Backyard vary quite a bit in layout and landscape design. If a property has a substantial backyard space, it's important to gather at least two or three different angles to exhibit the space from varying viewpoints. One common and effective angle is looking from the house deck or patio area out into the yard from a two-point perspective. Usually you'll shoot from the corner of the yard so you can get a comprehensive sense of the space and fit as much as possible in frame. Take into consideration the placement of the Sun when choosing which corner to shoot from to make it easy on your real estate photo editors.

Sometimes the yard will have a nice sitting area or patio furniture. If this is the case, it is often times valuable to take a nice vignette shot with the furniture in the foreground and the yard behind. It will help prospective buyers envision spending time in the yard. While the more comprehensive wide-angle photos will depict how much space there is. Another effective shot site is a view from the back of the yard looking towards the house. Usually, this is a two-point perspective shot. Sometimes this shot is most appealing if you zoom in, closely framing edges of the house. Sometimes it's wise to leave the lens open, showing off the house in relationship to the yard. This decision will depend on your discretion. When in doubt always take both variations so the agent can decide which shot they prefer.