William Schafer approaches real estate photography with a unique lens. A self-taught 23-year-old woman aimed to get future buyers to see the homes they were interested in by developing some tricks that would make her job stand out.
Steve Garvin, Howard Hannah’s licensed real estate broker in Loudonville, said it doesn’t matter if Schaefer is filming a $ 1 million or $ 100,000 worth home, he’s always in the final product. I’m excited.
“The videos he produces are excellent and he is worth his weight in gold,” Girvan said. “I’m happy to have him as part of my marketing campaign.”
We talked more about his work with Schaefer:
Q: Q: How did you get started with photography?
A: A: I’ve been doing that for about 6 years, I started towards the end of high school. I have developed this passion for communication through visual content. I started learning engineering and continued it throughout the university. However, in the middle of the university, I think I had the opportunity to take various photographs and gigs only with the school and other organizations in the area. I knew that engineering wasn’t the perfect path for me. I wanted to pursue something related to photography.
Q: Q: What was your first real estate photo shoot?
A: A: My neighbor knew a realtor who needed a drone photo for this list here in Loudonville. I went to take a picture of the Twilight Drone for her. I quickly realized that I was enjoying that, so I continued to pursue it.
Q: Q: How did you learn crafting?
A: A: I was mostly drone (shooting), but I realized I could do a lot more. I learned myself with all the software you need to know for photography and video recording. In the end, I got equipment for real estate photography, such as a wide-angle lens (or tripod). Then I was able to start offering interior photography.
Q: Q: What kind of equipment do you use?
A: A: The three main things I use are my handheld cameras, which are mirrorless cameras … A tripod is very important (and) … The last thing to use on the walkthrough video tour is the gimbal. It basically just stabilizes the camera when I’m walking with it. I use Adobe Lightroom Classic to edit my photos. The video uses Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects.
Q: Q: What are the challenges of real estate photography?
A: A: In real estate photography, it’s important to keep all the vertical lines in the photo vertical. Bending or facing outwards and facing inward creates a subtle dizziness that makes it impossible to place your finger on the viewer. A tripod is very important (to keep the line straight).
Our eyes can only see the bright and dark parts of the room at the same time … but the camera cannot always do that. I take so-called high dynamic range photos. You receive these different exposures between 3 and 5. Then combine those photos into one photo to create the depth you would normally see when we are at home.
Q: Q: What makes your photos stand out from the work of other photographers?
A: A: (In other words from the interview) Unlike others, Schaefer edits animations into his videos and photos. Calling a nearby location is an example. This is when he takes a picture of the drone from the top of the property and animates the shot to include the distance between the house and near the house. Another animation he often uses is called a tax map overlay. Using similar drone footage, Schaefer draws out the boundaries and area of the home’s premises.
Q: Q: How much do you charge for your service?
A: A: The base charge for a regular tripod photo I take is $ 160 and is scaled from there based on the square foot of the house. For my video … from $ 250 and scaled. What I’ve done so far is a kind of à la carte price, so people will pay for tripod photos, drone photos, or videos individually. I’m aware that people usually want multiple packages. I feel that creating a combo package for them is just a way to encourage customers to try to diversify the types of content they list.
Q: Q: Are there any other projects you are working on?
A: A: I’m making a short film with someone I met earlier this year. It’s about the ironic millennium that navigates the world he wants to never be brought in, and he’s dissatisfied with the systems in society. I think it will be a very interesting movie that will resonate with many people. I don’t want to say too much because it’s still in production, but it was a really fun project to work on in terms of videotaping what I haven’t done yet.
Q: Q: What else should people know about your business?
A: A: It feels like everyone has their own worldview, but since we all have different experiences, no one sees the world in the same way. What I wanted to do in this business was essentially trying to understand the perspective of others. By doing so, I feel that if you really listen to other people and try to understand their perspectives, you will have a common foundation to connect with others.
