How to shoot the best real estate twilight photos

For property listings, real estate twilight photos are a wise choice. The warm palette of blue and purple, with a nice touch of soft light, adds an inviting feeling to the home. Properties at dusk truly get us blown away with the vivid sunset sky and dramatic silhouettes. However, capturing crisp shots during dusk is tricky, even for professionals. Prepare thoroughly, and your shoot will be fruitful. Interested to know more? Let’s scroll down to explore!

How to take the best real estate twilight photos?

#1. Property preparation on Twilight real estate photography

Lighting is a crucial factor in Twilight photography, and the twilight shoot is no exception. Turn on all the lights first and foremost. Ensure that both interior, and external lights and landscape lighting are on before sunset. The interiors will brighten doors and windows, while the exteriors illuminate the walls, the plants, and the pool. If the light is too bright, reach the perfect lighting balance by removing selected bulbs.

#2. The best time to take twilight photos

The perfect time for shooting real estate twilight photos is about 20 minutes after sunrise or before sunset since the orange hue in the sky may only last for 10 minutes. Sounds strange? No actually, most photographers agree that the early time of the day is just as perfect for a cool dusk look.

Alternatively, you should arrive at least one hour before sunset to set up the frame in every aspect. The lighting at this time of the day is incredibly breathtaking, with the orange glowing from the interior lights and the deep shadows of the dusk. That’s why it’s called “the golden hour”!

Real estate twilight photos light up the whole properties

#3. Equipment for twilight photography

A sturdy tripod is essential to reduce the extra shake when taking photographs in dim conditions. Shooting at twilight or dusk requires long exposures. Hence your camera should be steady. You may need a flashlight or a headlamp to add extra light if it is too dark. This is optional but recommended to capture houses in inadequate ambient lighting. Extra exposures may be necessary to recover enough information in shadows and have a nicely balanced dusk photograph.

Choose the proper real twilight real estate photography camera settings

If you shoot twilight photos without a tripod, a vital piece of gear for your real estate twilight photos is the right lens. Use a lens with a fast aperture, f/2.8 or greater. Ideally, choose the one with 16-35mm f/2.8 or 24-70mm f/2.8 to ensure the best quality images when shooting in low light. If you are looking for lenses with stabilization features to reduce camera shake, go for big-name companies such as Nikon or Canon. Nikon users prefer lenses with vibration reduction, while Canon users pick ones with image stabilization. They are pricey technologies but may be worth considering an investment.

#4. Camera setting in twilight real estate photography

• File type: Shoot RAW

• Shooting mode: manual mode. To ensure a crisp photoshoot, turn on the Live View Mode and use Zoom-in to focus the subject and adjust until it’s pin sharp.

• Aperture: between f/8 and f/11. If you want to keep the aperture fixed, use Aperture Priority. A narrow aperture will make it easier to focus to avoid micro shakes.

• ISO: set ISO between 100 and 320 to minimize the image grain. Keeping your ISO low is a safe option with a tripod. But hey, remember, whatever ISO you may set, you’d better learn the limits of your camera’s ISO levels. There’s no right formula for all situations. Just play around with several ISO settings in low light conditions to determine the point at which photos turn noisy. If ISO 1600 appears to be inappropriate, choose ISO 800 or below. 

• Shutter speed: Slow down your shutter speed when it gets dark. The longer exposure time will benefit you with a sharp twilight shot. A rule of thumb is not to go lower than 1/125th of a second, as your hand may make some tiny movements. In this case, let a sturdy tripod be your relief.

Then, take a deep breath, hold it, and shoot!

Right camera settings ensure a crisp twilight photoshoot

#5. Shooting method of Twilight Photos

Do bracket exposures: We know that contrast is comparatively limited during sunset hours. Thus, before getting the perfect exposure, you may need to try taking multiple twilight photoshoots at different shutter speeds for each composition. 3 to 5 bracketed exposures are enough for your real estate twilight photos. “Trial and error” this technique is the best tip to nail the exposure setting, especially in challenging lighting conditions.

#6. Your patience, obviously

Patience is your best ally when taking real estate twilight photos. Shooting in the dusk is never a story about quantity. If it is, you may face the danger of poor-quality images! We all know that real estate twilight photos can only be captured in such a limited time of the day. Thus, be quick and rest assured that the output quality will fulfill your client’s expectations. 

Conclusion

Dusk shots illuminate the exterior in an eye-catching way. Feast your eyes on the properties bathing in warm rays of light, and you understand why homes with twilight photography are said to get 88% more views than day photos. Are you interested in reading more about twilight post-production work? Check out our blog below!

Check out Esoft's twilight editing services!