Although you will receive professional, magazine-quality images no matter what time of the day you schedule an appointment with Shoot2Sell, there are times of the day that are optimal for getting the absolute best images to show off your property.
But choosing a time isn’t as simple as “A-B-C.” It depends on multiple factors:
- Which direction the home is facing
- Time of year (seasons) – which affects the position of the sun during the day.
- Time of sunrise and sunset
- Types of rooms (unfurnished, lots of windows, hardwood flooring, etc)
- Weather conditions
As you can see, it can get quite complicated and varies per house. But we will do the best we can to provide you with a simple explanation (or guideline) of picking the best appointment time for your photography needs.
Daylight Appointments:
- If your house faces East:
- Morning and mid-day times are best, especially for front exteriors.
- If your house faces West:
- Mid-day to afternoon times are best.
- If your house faces North:
- The appointment time does not really matter too much, unless it’s winter.
- In the winter, the sun tends to become lower in the southern sky. That means if you have a morning appointment, the front exteriors would typically be shot at the end of the appointment (so the sun can get higher in the sky).
- The appointment time does not really matter too much, unless it’s winter.
- If your house faces South:
- The appointment time does not really matter too much, unless it’s winter.
- In the winter, the sun tends to become lower in the southern sky. That means if you have a morning appointment, the backyard exteriors would typically be shot at the end of the appointment (so the sun can get higher in the sky).
- The appointment time does not really matter too much, unless it’s winter.
Twilight Appointments:
- Twilight appointments start 30 minutes before sunset, so these appointments can vary across the year (due to daylight savings and seasons).
- These appointments are best for builder portfolio and new home / new build MLS properties. However, our twilight photography is a popular package for any kind of property.
- If you want to see the outside view from inside/through the windows.
- Twilight shoots and Lux packages are the optimal appointments for getting the view outside to show in the photos.
- The reason why you must book a Twilight or Lux package to see the outside view is because we expose our cameras to focus exclusively on each space, based on available light.
- To minimize glare on shiny/polished floors (including hardwood).
- Either mid-day or twilight times are best because there is no direct sunlight coming through the windows, which could cause a harsh glare across the floor.
- This also includes carpet, where direct sunlight coming through the blinds may cause a dense shadow that distracts the viewer.
- To make the home look more warm and inviting.
- Twilight photography makes the home glow from within, giving the property an elegant invitation to the viewer.
Night Photography
Night photography is best for high-rise apartments and condos in the city, which allow the viewer to see the beautiful city lights and city view.
Cloudy / rainy / overcast day?
No fear – interior only packages are great for this kind of weather! Overcast days are perfect for exposing for great interior shots.
Overcast days won’t give you harsh shadows or glares on your floors, regardless of flooring type, because there isn’t direct sunlight pounding through the windows to alter the interior exposure.
You might also be able to see the view outside the windows due to the absence of direct sunlight. Since the interior exposure can be more easily matched to the exterior exposure (a.k.a not too drastic in lighting difference), the chances of you seeing the view outside the windows will be much better.
Don’t forget – we also offer Blue Skies as a processing service if your exteriors aren’t up to par!
Need more help choosing an appointment time? Contact us.
