A while ago I mentioned some of my top tips for getting the interior of your property ready for your photographer, below I’ve completed the list with my top tips for preparing the exterior of your property for photography. Hope you find them useful.
1. If you have a pool, remove the Kreepy Krawly and pool cover the day before
Removing the Kreepy Krawly and pool cover really does look aesthetically pleasing in photographs. Doing this the day before or a few hours before the shoot means the surrounding area has a chance to dry.
2. Mow the lawn and weed the beds
Nothing looks more unsightly than an un-kept garden and it really does not look great in photographs, so spend a quick hour or two in the garden before the photographer arrives to get your garden looking great.
3. Sweep the driveway and patio
The same goes for the driveway and patio area, clear it of any children’s toys, and give both a good sweep and remove any weeds if there are any.
4. Remove the car from the driveway
Put the car in the garage, or park it around the corner, this is especially useful if you are requiring shots from the street, or you can see the driveway area from the garden.
5. Clean up the braai area
Give the braai area a good clean, to remove in any black marks caused by charcoal. You could also stack some wood inside the actual braai to make it look a bit more photogenic. Maybe even consider lighting the fire, to dress the scene up a bit.
6. Remove clutter such as toys, brooms, hoses, and other unsightly objects
Remove hoses from the garden, as well as any brooms, and other unsightly objects. You want to have your garden looking as clean as possible because spending 10 minutes in the garden moving stuff out of the shot, is far quicker than getting your photographer to Photoshop it out later.
7. Clean the windows
Having clean windows can make the photos look amazing. Again, spending some time on these kinds of things, means the photographer will spend less time retouching in Photoshop, which means your final images can be delivered quicker!
8. If you have outside furniture make sure the cushions are clean
The cushions on outside furniture can be exposed to the elements which mean they can get dirty and grubby quite quickly, so take the covers off and wash them before your photographer comes round. That way they will look nice and clean in your photographs.
9. Turn on the outside lights
Just like with interior photography, turn on all outside lights and make sure all bulbs are working. If you are having your photographs taken during the early evening, turn on the outside lights which can add a great sense of mood to the images. It might be a good idea to turn on some interior lights too. If you have a pool in the shot too, why not turn on the pool light?
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