How to…
Take stunning twilight photos of a property

A nighttime photo of a property can be a dramatic addition to marketing materials. Whether you use a digital or traditional camera, keep the following tips in mind:

• Wait until the sun sets, then work quickly. Ten to 20 minutes after the sun dips below the horizon, ambient light still illuminates the subject while providing a deep-blue background and sky. Wait too long and your subject will start to "dissolve" into the background.
• Turn on as many interior lights as possible. This creates an especially striking visual for homes and buildings with lots of windows. Exterior and landscape lighting also add interest to the photo, as long as they don’t overpower the image.
• Don’t use a flash.
• Set the camera on a tripod. Use a cable release or set the camera’s self timer so you won’t shake the camera by pressing the shutter release with your finger.
• Don’t take the photo from too near any light source.
• Take one shot with your camera’s suggested settings, then snap off several more with longer shutter speeds. Experiment with shutter speeds up to several seconds long. If your camera has a bulb setting (the mechanism that allows you to keep the shutter open indefinitely), you can experiment with even longer exposures.

You probably won’t take a nighttime photo for every property. But for high-end homes, and homes and buildings with distinctive architecture, beautiful landscaping, and plenty of windows, a twilight shot will showcase your listing in a favorable light.

Photo © Stephen J. Kramer.

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