Real Estate Photography Best Time of Day to Schedule - Mike Lyons Photography (2024)

You’ve worked hard to get an amazing listing, and your next step is to gather everything you need to market it to a buyer who is ready to move. Capturing incredible images of a property will not only make the home look amazing, but could the main reason you find the right buyer. Getting the perfect shot isn’t as easy as walking into a room and snapping the camera; it takes skill and experience to make the home look as beautiful through the lens as it does in person.
That is why you hire a professional photographer. The price you pay for amazing photos will be worth it when they help sell your next listing quickly. So, let’s start with when to schedule your photographer.
Capturing the best image has more to do with the time of day than how a room is decorated (although that does help). In fact, knowing the orientation of your listing will help you know when to schedule your photo shoot for the best exterior and interior images. My personal recommendations:
For your top listings, go for a dawn or dusk shoot, which will highlight the architectural features and lighting best

For east-facing properties, morning is the best time to shoot.
For west-facing properties, afternoon is great.
If your listing faces north, any time between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM is ideal.

And if the home faces south, you’ll want your photos taken early in the morning, or late in the day.
If your listing has great views of Aspen Mountain, morning is best.

Properties should be photographed at different times of day so that the sun is behind the photographer when getting the main exterior shot. That way, the photos will be well-lit and saturated with color – if the home is covered in shadow, then the photo will tend to be dull.

You will also want to consider what area of the home will be highlighted in your marketing materials: does it have a wonderful master suite, is the pool the best selling point, or is the kitchen ideal for the buyer you have in mind? If you know which part of the home you want to feature, then the lighting in that particular room will need to be considered first over the other orientations of the home.

If you are unable to schedule at the ideal time of day or are unsure of your listing’s exact orientation, then morning light is usually a safer bet than the afternoon. Afternoon light can tend to give off a bit of an orange glow and create a more moody image.

And for any property that will get a lot of attention or has amazing features, consider a dawn or dusk shoot. The lighting at this time of day makes photography magic and draws buyers to your listing. The sky and windows will appear a rich blue, and the interiors will feel warm and inviting. It also brings out special architectural features in a property, like high ceilings and unique spaces.

If you are still unsure of what would be best for the home or would like a professional opinion, please give me a call at 970-948-1003. I’ll be happy to offer you some advice. Here are some great examples of images captured at the ideal times of day.