Real Estate

28 Spring St Birmingham AL Real Estate Photographer /  by Tommy Daspit

This is a great home in Mountain Brook (Crestline Village) that I photographed for Susie Denson of Realty South. It’s one of those homes where the view from the curb is a little misleading. It looks great, but you would think there isn’t much to it. One might think that it’s just a cozy little bungalow. However, once inside it would be forgiven if you thought you were in the TARDIS (for all you Dr Who fans out there). This house is bigger on the inside. Much bigger. This is a good illustration as to why my services can be so valuable. By creating images that are high quality and attention grabbing, people flipping through listings online are more likely to pause and take a deeper look. From there, it’s my job to compose photos that illustrate the size and feel of the home accurately. I don’t use super wide angle lenses that distort rooms, making them look larger than they actually are. Rather, I use composition to show how rooms are connected, how the space really feels, and convey the true nature of the home. It’s much easier to go in a just start banging away, randomly, with deceiving, stretched views. That’s why it takes me longer to photograph a home. I take time to analyze the light, the angles, and what features best showcase the home. My style isn’t for everyone. I get asked if I can shoot those super wide shots. I politely explain that doing so doesn’t help sell homes. Rather, it makes potential buyers feel tricked. That’s not a good way to build trust, and when buying a home, trust is very important! I was recently photographing a home and the owner asked if I used that technique. I told her no, and my reasoning. She was very relieved by this. She told me that she found a home online and fell in love. It was THE one. However, when she walked in the door it looked nothing like the photos online. The listing agent used super wide photos that made things appear bigger than they were. She turned around and walked out in tears. Not exactly a winning strategy. 

Take a look at my photos of this home below to see what I can do. Let me know what you think. Does this house seem tiny? Or do you get a feel for the true size that it actually has?

Interested in a great Mountain Brook home? Go here to see the full listing and tell Susie hello for me!

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Learn more about my Birmingham AL Real Estate Photography

Susie Denson - Realty South sdenson@realtysouth.com 205-870-5420

28131 Portobello Rd - Birmingham AL Real Estate Photographer /  by Tommy Daspit

Tommy Daspit is an Architectural, Commercial, Real Estate and Google Maps Business View Photographer in Birmingham, AL.

A couple of weeks ago I get a phone call from a homeowner. They have had their home on the market for some time and have had no offers. That is remarkable in this current market where homes are selling at a rate not seen since 2007. Something was amiss.

That something was the photos of the listing by the agent. Let’s just say that they didn't really represent the feel of the home and what it had to offer. Frustrated, and knowing the power of great photos when selling a house, she went searching for photographers.

She and her husband found me on houzz.com loved my work, and gave me a call. Of course I was happy to help! I’ll let client say how they felt about the results! (review they did of me on houzz.com)

“Tommy did an excellent job! He was professional and quick! The photos he took really show great details and the lighting was perfect. Photos look like something out of a magazine. Highly recommend him!”

If you’re selling a home and the agent doesn’t hire a professional who specializes in architectural and real estate photography, give me a call!

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See the real estate listing for this home.

See more of my Birmingham Alabama real estate photography.

1982 Cahaba - Birmingham AL Real Estate Photographer /  by Tommy Daspit

Tommy Daspit is an Architectural, Commercial, Real Estate and Google Maps Business View Photographer in Birmingham, AL.

This shoot is a great example of why I love working with professional real estate agents who are dedicated to their trade. Many agents aren’t “all in” when it comes to selling homes. Many do it as a “side thing” or as a “hobby”. These are the ones you will often see on sites like terriblerealestategaentphotos.com or badmlsphotos.com You can see them in the mirror with their iPhone or iPad titled at a crazy (artistic?) angle.

Michael Murphree of ARC Realty is not such an agent. He’s a full time, professional salesperson who goes the extra mile for his listings. He hires me for all of his listings (paying out of his pocket), helps get the home looking its best, and if empty or in need, he hires professional stagers to decorate and furnish the home. 

An empty home doesn’t look good. It doesn’t photograph well and it doesn’t show well. Having it professionally staged can be expensive (the agent typically pays), but it helps the home sell faster, and for more. The same applies to the photography. The better the home looks on the listing sites, the faster it will sell and for more.

BEFORE - Photo taken before staging by the agent.

BEFORE - Photo taken before staging by the agent.

AFTER - My photo taken after the staging. Which one would make you pause and take notice while flipping through the MLS?

AFTER - My photo taken after the staging. Which one would make you pause and take notice while flipping through the MLS?

BEFORE - Agent photo of dining/living room

BEFORE - Agent photo of dining/living room

AFTER - My photo, post staging.

AFTER - My photo, post staging.

This particular listing was expertly staged by Karen Sovacool of Red Door Staging in Birmingham. This is the first project I’ve photographed that she staged and I will say that I’m impressed with the results! The look and furniture are a great fit for the home and really help it shine!

Hopefully I’ll be able to work with her many more times in the future! View the full listing here. (BTW, I didn't take the first or last three photos)

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3364 Hermitage - Mountain Brook Real Estate Photography /  by Tommy Daspit

This beautiful upscale home in Mountain Brook was photographed by Tommy Daspit, a Birmingham, AL Real Estate Photographer.

This fantastic house in Mountain Brook was a little bit of an unusual situation. It’s not on the market, yet. I was contacted by Regions Trust to photograph this home as part of an estate. The home isn’t for sale but maybe in the future. They wanted to get the images created while it was still full of really nice furniture. That way when it is for sale it won’t be empty. Photographing empty homes might seem easier, and in some ways it is, but the end result is not the best. People don’t like looking at empty rooms. It’s hard to get an understanding of size and space without some reference point. The furnishings not only provide that reference but also tell a lot about the feel of the property. That’s why I love working with agents and architects that pay to have a property professionally staged when empty. The presentation is just so much better.That in turn makes my images look better!

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1024 Navajo Trail - Alabaster AL Real Estate Photography /  by Tommy Daspit

I get a call from the always enthusiastic Melanie Siow of Realty South. She’s got a house in Alabaster that needs to be photographed and she needs lots of photos. It’s got an amazing back yard. It’s huge, flat (a rarity in this area), and there are tons of beautiful flowers. So of course I’m thrilled to shoot it!

When I get there the home owner tells me how excited she is that I’m photographing her home. She says that she’s a fan of my work and can tell which listings are mine as opposed to other photographers! She tells me that I have a distinct style that she loves. How cool is that! I can honestly say that this is a first and I wanted to make sure that I didn’t disappoint!

The home is a modest three bedroom, two bath ranch but you can plainly see that they've put a lot of work into it. The kitchen especially has been totally modernized and has a great style. With that back yard this is a perfect home for a young family (I know my kids would go nuts out there).

So if you’re looking for a really nice home in Alabaster give Melanie a call! View the complete listing.

See more of my work and learn more about my Real Estate Photography services.