Eliminating Distractions from Your Listing Photos

If you list (and photograph) homes, sooner or later you will run into un-photogenic distractions that can detract from the appeal of the photos. Some are easy to deal with, such as physically moving the trash bins from the driveway so they are not in view of the camera. Other distractions can be more challenging.

Perhaps the most common distraction is having a real estate sign in the front yard. While it's great for getting the attention of passers-by, it does not add to the appeal of the home in listing photos. Home shoppers viewing your listing online will be more attracted to your listing if the sign is unseen, because they are trying to visualize the home as their own. Since the signs are usually front-and-center, usually the best solution is to eliminate them from the picture using image editing software, as illustrated below. (We also digitally "watered" the lawn and improved the sky.)

Here's another example (not one of our photos). There are two distractions. First, the owner should have parked the car in the garage or down the street. Second, the light pole sticks out like a sore thumb.


In this example, the photographer can de-emphasize the light pole in two ways. First, shoot from a position that shifts the light pole to the side of the image. In this case the photographer did this but could have stood more the right. Unfortunately that also would provide an even more direct view of the garish traffic sign.

The best solution is to use a wide angle lens, then stand with the photographer’s back to the light pole while facing the front of the house, so that the pole is completely out of view. Even though the photographer will be standing quite close to the house, a sufficiently wide angle lens will capture the entire width and height of the house in one frame. The resulting photo will have some lens distortion but that problem can be easily corrected with image editing software. The result will be a relatively distraction-free image.

One might ask whether it is fair to depict a house like this without it's light pole. If in doubt, use pictures with and without the pole, and have the primary photo be the one without the pole.

Sometimes we're asked about power lines, antennas, and other distractions appearing above homes that we are photographing. While we feel that it is not right to eliminate them with Photoshop, there's nothing wrong with selecting the most flattering camera angle to de-emphasize them.