The Power of First Impressions Online
With the majority of people across the world using the internet to find their next home, that first impression in 1 to 2 seconds can be the difference between whether you think you might love a property or hate it. After all, you only get one chance to make the best first impression.
Hi, I’m Donovan Bell, the Online Services Manager here at Tortoise Property, and I want to talk to you today about the importance of photography when showcasing a property online, both as someone looking to find their next place to call home and also what you should be expecting in terms of a professional standard from an estate agent when selling your own.
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Evolving Technologies: From HD to 4K
The first thing I want to mention is definition. When you’re looking to purchase a new TV for your home, you’ll find that nearly all of them have a 4K screen. Who doesn’t love having 4 times the power of HD! 4K simply means watching a screen with over 8 million pixels. This means the picture quality is exceptional and could be used on a billboard the size of Big Ben without distortion. It also grants a greater concentration of detail in a smaller area. So, if you want to watch the latest episode of your favourite show in 4K, why should you expect less when showcasing a home for sale? Sadly, we still see it’s a common practice by most agents to shoot in standard HD (typically 1080 pixels), which is a real shame.
Here at Tortoise, however, we love 4K because of the level of detail that’s captured, and the same should be true when we’re looking at a potential house to view or to showcase those special details that make your home one of a kind. Below is an example showing how photography has evolved over the last 10 years here at Tortoise with the advancement of resolution technologies. On the left, you see a shot taken with a Canon DSLR camera in 2010, and on the right, a picture taken this year with our Giraffe 360 camera.
Understanding HDR Photography
The next exciting area I want to discuss is the use of AI within photography, along with the evolution of HDR technologies and real-time post-production quality editing. “What even is HDR and what does it mean to me?” I hear you ask. Well, HDR stands for “High Dynamic Range”. This means that when a photo is taken, a camera actually takes multiple photos at once, all at different levels of exposure and puts them together to capture the full range of detail and depth within the frame of the photograph.
Your property deserves to be shown at its best and should show off all your hard work so that it’s showcase-ready when it hits OnTheMarket! Our Giraffe 360 camera operates in a way that allows for the quality of wide-angle lens photography without the “fish-eye effect” like traditional wide-angle lenses. This is where you can see a slight bowing of the image at its edge, which allows the mirror to capture more content within the picture. This is done with the use of AI technologies and multiple images being “stitched” together all in real-time. In addition to great wide-angle stitched photography, we also enhance our outdoor photography with the use of blue sky techniques. Below is an example to show how this work can further enhance the external appearance of your property and create that great first impression:
We only get one first chance when it comes to introducing someone a home. It’s important that we make the very first impression count. Meaning presentation and especially the QUALITY of that presentation really matters more than it ever has in the past. Recognising this is the difference between a “For Sale” property and a “Sold” home.
If you want to see your house in the market in glorious 4K give us at Tortoise Property a call on 01733 592020 and experience Our Difference and start your Race to Sold!
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