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The crucial difference between perfect and over-exposed real estate photos is knowing what shutter speed is best.

By understanding how different types of shutter speeds affect your images, you can capture amazing real estate photos to impress your clients.

But what is the best shutter speed for this type of photography?

In order to learn the answer, this blog post will explore what is the best shutter speed for real estate photography.

Let’s start, however, by explaining what shutter speed is.

What Is Shutter Speed?

What Is Shutter Speed?

Shutter speed controls how long the camera’s shutter stays open when taking a photo. 

Using different shutter speeds, therefore, controls the level of light entering the camera, allowing photographers to capture the perfect exposure for each shot. 

Shutter speed is measured in fractions of seconds and usually ranges from 1/60 to 1/2000 or higher, depending on your camera type.

Knowing which shutter speed is best will help you take sharp images without blur or motion distortion. For example:

  • A fast speed helps to freeze the movement of some objects 
  • While a slow shutter allows more light to enter the sensor, blurring any movement captured in an image

If you want blurred backgrounds with crisp foregrounds or vice versa, it all depends on selecting the best shutter speed.

You can change the shutter speed on your camera, by doing the following:

  • Switch your camera settings from Auto Mode to Manual or Shutter Priority Mode
  • Next, use the button or dial located on the top of your camera to adjust the exposure settings
  • Then choose the ‘Tv’ mode, which stands for time value, focusing on the speed values in seconds

Keep in mind that lower speeds will work better if using a tripod. If not, you’ll likely need higher shutter speeds to prevent blurring.

Now, real estate photography requires particular camera settings to achieve crisp, alluring photos of a property’s interior and exterior, so what shutter speed is best?

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Real Estate Photo Editing by PhotoUp

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The Best Shutter Speed for Real Estate Photography

High-quality real estate photography makes a property look its best and stand out among competing listings. Therefore, knowing which shutter speed is best is essential.

1. A 1/125th Shutter Speed Is Likely Best

A 1/125th Shutter Speed Is Likely Best

When photographing real estate, you should take into account the type of property, the time of day, and the desired mood of the photos. Then consider the following:

  • A slow shutter speed can create ethereal effects, but it’s not always ideal for freezing action
  • Generally, a fast speed like 1/125th of a second is better for stopping motion in its tracks
  • So, for shooting interior furnishings or landscaping details, using 1/125th of a second should do the perfect job

Achieving the right balance of light and shadow is also vital to beautiful real estate photography. Therefore, keep the following in mind:

  • Using 1/125th is an ideal choice for photographing spaces filled with natural light
  • This same speed allows for stunning pictures with remarkable detail and clarity without the slightest hints of movement
  • In addition, this shutter speed creates enough depth to showcase subtle details consisting of furniture arrangements and textures

2. Why a 1/60th Shutter Speed May Not Be Best

Why a 1/60th Shutter Speed May Not Be Best

Now, you’ll often hear that when it comes to real estate photography, a 1/60th is the best all-purpose speed, but that’s not entirely true.

For example, think about the following:

  • 1/60th may be a bit too slow for specific locations or types of shots 
  • However, it can work well when photographing a house exterior with no trees in the picture because there won’t be any movement or so-called ghosting effect
  • But if there are people, pets, or moving objects in the shot, it will not be able to freeze the motion

Finally, the speed should be adjusted to match the exposure, focal point, and ISO of the environment you’re shooting in to achieve optimal clarity.

For instance, aperture settings or depth of field requirements can determine which speed is best depending on the light and whether there are stationary or dynamic objects in the frame.

So, when shooting a detailed interior space, it may make sense to use 1/125th at 17mm to let more light reach your sensor while maintaining sharp focus without adjusting your ISO too high.

Of course, using the best shutter speed for real estate photography is only one part of getting amazing images. The other vital part is expert real estate photo editing

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Real Estate Photo Editing

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PhotoUp – Real Estate Photography Editing Experts

Since you want to use the best shutter speed for real estate images, you should also use the best photo editing service.

PhotoUp‘s fast and affordable real estate photo editing services can make any image simply stunning. 

Starting at the low cost of $1.15 per image, PhotoUp’s photo editors can help with the following issues:

  • Improper exposure levels
  • Excessive shadows, lack of light, etc. 
  • Distorted or blurred images 
  • Cropping and other effects
  • Color and tone adjustments 
  • Lawn greening and sky replacements
  • Clutter and object removal
  • Line and angle corrections

And PhotoUp is more than just a real estate photo editing provider. We also offer a host of real estate marketing services such as:

Living Room Luxury Virtual Staging Style by PhotoUp
Living Room Luxury Virtual Staging Style by PhotoUp

So, start now and make your real estate photography genuinely outstanding.

Sign up for a free PhotoUp account today, and get 10 free edits to try out our services. You won’t regret it!

We hope you enjoyed this post explaining the best shutter speed for real estate photography. If you found this post useful, you may also want to check out the following resources:

Gregory Gronbacher

Real Estate Sales Agent / Professional Blogger

Gregory is a real estate sales agent and a state-certified instructor of real estate licensing and law. Originally from New York City, he's called Grand Rapids, Michigan home since 1995.

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