Introduction: how to photograph bathrooms
In the realm of real estate, where first impressions are paramount, the often-overlooked yet critical spaces of bathrooms and ensuites play a pivotal role in shaping a potential buyer’s or renter’s perception. This article delves into the art of bathroom real estate photography, offering insights and practical tips on how to navigate the complexities of these spaces.
More than just utilitarian spaces, these rooms offer a glimpse into the daily comfort and functionality a home can provide. Buyers and renters increasingly prioritize the bathroom’s features, seeking to assess levels of privacy, safety, lighting, storage, and overall comfort.
However, capturing the essence of these spaces through photography presents a unique set of challenges. Bathrooms, often confined in size, demand a strategic approach to showcase their full potential.
Bathrooms and ensuites can be the most difficult rooms to shoot within a home as they present many challenges, such as size and reflections in glass, shower frames, and mirrors.
The average-sized full bathroom is approximately 1.5×2.4m in dimension, so being relatively tight spaces, you will need to use your wide-angle lens to its full capacity.
Setup and Positioning for Photographing Bathrooms
Due to their small size, bathrooms are typically photographed from within the doorway; however for very large bathrooms, it may be possible or necessary to shoot from inside the room (like the example below).
When composing the image, try to avoid ‘cutting off’ sinks, and ensure the shower frame does not obstruct the tapware and sink.
If the bathroom offers plenty of artificial lighting and is not mixed with natural light from the window or you are shooting at twilight hours, you can capture three bracketed exposures without using the flash. It eliminates the risk of the flash reflecting in tiles, shower glass, and mirrors which is a major problem when photographing bathrooms.
Ensuite & Bathroom Photography: Challenges and Tips
Some bathroom layouts may make it impossible to include the bath/shower, sink, and toilet in the one frame. In this case, it is best to capture the one or two features that look best in the frame (i.e., sink and toilet or sink, shower and bath).
In some cases, you may want to focus on certain elements of the bathroom, such as the sink and bathtub as some agents prefer not to show the toilet in bathroom photos. In the examples below, the toilet is only partially shown to avoid sacrificing the show within the composition.
Remove towels from the bathrooms as they cappear to be a distraction, especially if they are bright colors or do not match the bathroom. Depending on the position of the mirror and other glass within the bathroom/ensuite you may be required to use the timer (or a remote shutter release) on the camera to give you time to move from behind the camera so that you don’t appear in any reflections or mirrors.
If the bathroom vanity and sink are higher than the camera (setup on the tripod), you should raise the camera height by approximately 20cm so that you have some elevation over the sink and it does not take up too much of the composition.
Remember, the bathroom isn’t just another room; it’s a canvas for comfort, and mastering its portrayal through the lens is the key to unlocking the full potential of any real estate listing.
Note: This article is an extract from the resources on the Education page on this website.
Connect with real estate agents at HauzPhotographers.com (United States) or HauzPhotographers.com.au (Australia).
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