General guidelines and policies for visiting properties

Personal safety is the paramount. Treat every property like it is occupied, and don’t assume that the residents are expecting you. You are not expected to remain at a property where you feel unsafe, but please document the safety concerns in the site notes.

• Double check your Dashboard each morning.
• Arrive at locations between 10 and 5 minutes before the scheduled start time.
• Please dress professionally with long pants and a collared shirt free of logos. hats may be warn outside when operating a drone.
• For your safety, always use doorbell and knock before entering.
• Upon opening door, announce yourself in case the unit is occupied.
• Remove your shoes or wear booties whenever inside of a home.
• If pets are present, insist that they remain with their owners for both your safety and the quality of the photos. 
• Timothy Faust Photography carries liability insurance, but as an independent contractor, you could be found personally liable for damages in some situations. Therefore it is highly recommended that you carry your own liability insurance. 

Inspect and prep property

Plan on taking 10 to 15 minutes to get everything prepped before you start photography. We will do minor straightening and prep work at a property as long as it isn’t excessive.

1. Make sure all light are on
   • Check for undercabinet lights and lights over stoves.
   • Ceiling fans should be off for still and on for video.
2. Open all blinds to the same height.
3. Arrange chairs so they are pulled out slightly and not tucked all the way in.
   • For desk chairs, turn them slightly towards the camera.
4. Make sure pillows are fluffed and straight. Preference is for pillows to be placed upright against headboard as opposed to on an angle.
5. Toilet seats are always closed.
6. Make sure tables are straight, and positioned in a way that makes sense.
7. Clear clutter (within reason) from countertops. Moving a bottle of soap under the sink is reasonable. Cleaning a bathroom is not.
8. Either remove tissue boxes or fold the tissue into a neat triangle.
9. Hot tub covers should be opened, and jets should be left off for still (on for video)
10. Covers should be removed from grills.
11. See notes about special circumstances about short term rentals.

Exceptions

Safety is priority #1. Do not lift or move anything that you can’t do easily. Also, do not move anything fragile. Open blinds all the way, unless they are not working. Include and explanation of exceptions in the shoot notes. 

Required for all properties with interiors

1. Open your Cubicasa App and login.
2. Click on orders.
3. Open the draft order that applies to this property.
4. Click on start scanning.
5. Perform the scan.
6. Click the stop button to end the scan.
7. Click ‘Yes’ to finish the scan
8. Click ‘continue to order’
9. Under ‘Additional Info’ include any information for large parts of the property that could not be scanned. For example, often there are large owner closets that are locked. 
10. Click finish and upload.
11. IMPORTANT. After the upload is complete, go to your dashboard and mark the scan and upload tasks complete. 

Quick guide for scanning with Cubicasa

Exceptions

The only time this step should be skipped is if there is a site note about it. If you are in an area with poor internet reception, you can wait until you have service to upload this.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, this link has everything you need to now about performing a Matterport scan:

https://support.matterport.com/s/article/Getting-Started-With-Matterport

Here is a great video to help explain the process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JltanjJ1_I

Additional Tips:

• IMPORTANT! Every exterior door should have a 360° scan. It doesn’t have to be right near the door. It can be in the middle of a nice deck. Don’t forget to switch back to a 3D scan afterwards.
• If you want to scan a space with doors closed, but then open them to connect the room (i.e. for a garage) you can do that by taking additional scans next to existing ones. However, make sure to make a note of that in your dashboard.
• We scan the entire space, even the ugly parts. The only exceptions are small closets. When you scan ugly spaces like boiler rooms, cluttered garages, etc.. make a note in the site notes. We will leave those scans in the dollhouse view, but remove them from the walkable floorplans.
• To avoid dark (unscanned) spaces on the floor plans, you might need to get create with changing camera height to scan between bunk beds and under floating stairways.

Important! When you complete and upload your Matterport scan, make sure to mark it complete and uploaded in the dashboard.

Still Photography Guidelines

Our guiding principle is to make each image serve a purpose. They should should be a mix of both inspirational and aspirational images. Images don’t sell the property, but they do inspire potential buyers to want to reach out to the agent to see it in person. Here are some general guidelines intended to help you meet the client needs and shoot efficiently. 

1. Consider creating a new folder on your memory card for each property to make it easier to upload.
2. Photograph the property according to the guidelines below.
3. Double check the number of photos and locations.
4. Go to you dashboard before leaving the property and mark the shoot as complete.
5. Upload the photos using the link in your dashboard.
6. Mark the upload task complete on your dashboard.

Number of Photos

• Shoot 15% more than the client order. So if the order is for 20, deliver 23. If it is for 35, shoot 40. Be as close to that number as possible.
• Drone photos are not additional, and count towards the total order.
• Make sure each angle is unique.
• 2-3 photos of each living room
• 2-3 photos of kitchens
• 2-3 photos of dining areas
• 2-3 photos of primary bedrooms
• 1-2 photos of all other bedrooms
• 2-3 photos of primary bathrooms with features like separate bathtub from shower.
• 1-2 photos of all other bathrooms
• 1 photo of each deck/patio view
• 1 photo of entrance from outside with door open
• 1 exterior photo from street level showing the entire front of the unit straight on
• 1 exterior of back yard
• drone photos (if ordered) showing relationship of the property to surrounding area
• 1 photo of garage IF it is clean and has extra features like a workshop, dog wash, etc…
• If you think the property needs more photos than what was ordered, feel free to reach out to client directly, and ask them if they want to upgrade. Current pricing is here. Make sure to make a note of this in the site notes in your dashboard.

Exceptions

Discretion is important here. These are suggestions, and you should allocate the images based on the most marketable features of the property. Takes some notes (mental or on paper) during your walkthrough to help decide how to allocate photos. It is better to skip an empty unfurnished bedroom or half bath, and get more photos of a well appointed living area. Just make sure to include that in the site notes.

Camera Height

• Ideally, images should be about 70% floor and 30% ceiling. Light switch height is a good starting place.
• Raise the camera up slightly for rooms with very high ceilings to get the 70/30 look.
• Camera height should be even or slightly higher than kitchen cabinets or laundry rooms to avoid showing the underneath of cabinets.
• Camera height can be lower to highlight things like fireplaces and furniture.
• Raise camera height slightly in bathroom. Good rule of thumb is that it is high enough for the vanity basin drain to almost be visible.

General Composition

• We shoot 100% horizontal/landscape. We will never shoot vertical just for the sake of composition.
  • However, include 1 interior and 1 exterior vertical image for rental properties and higher end listings for use on social media or print magazines.
• Make sure your camera is level. This is important in order to not lose information when cropping in post.
• Start with the best angle in the room. This is often a wider shot that shows large windows. 
• For a second shot in a room, look for a tighter composition.
• Consider using a straight on shot for living areas and kitchens. 
• Avoid shooting directly into the back of chairs.
• Avoid shooting over furniture when possible.
• Avoid focusing on toilets
• Avoid distortion when having objects to close when using wider lenses. Instead, back up and zoom.
• Pay close attention to objects encroaching into the frame. Look for things like pillows, towel racks, door knobs, etc.. and alter your composition to avoid them.

Exceptions

Composition is creative and personal, and these are meant as guidelines. There are times that due to the constraints of a space, that you might have to tilt the camera for the best composition. This happens a lot on exteriors. If you need to do this, make sure to add it to the site notes so that it can be passed on to the editing team. 

Please review our drone policies and tips

• Everyone operating a drone for Timothy Faust Photography must have their current Remote Pilot Certificate with SUAS rating from the FAA and operate in accordance with Part 107 rules.
• Safety is the most important thing. If you don’t believe you can operate a drone safely in a given location or conditions, please do not fly. Then make a note in the property site notes.
• Get at least one straight on shot of the listing at the mid level of the building.
• Consider getting closer for tighter shots looking in towards balconies and decks.
• Get a least one shot from further away showing the property’s location relative to sellable landmarks like ski slopes, bodies of water, main streets, etc…
• We charge a flat rate to use a drone, and it does not include additional images. Please consider how many images you plan on taking with a drone when doing ground stills.

Considerations for real estate video

• All footage should be recorded in 4k 60fps.
• Shoot interiors in a log mode whenever practical. 
• Lights, fireplaces, hot tubs, and fans should be on.
• If you shoot multiple takes of the same scene, please cull before delivering.
• Clips shorter than 30 seconds work best. Longer for exterior drone shots.
• Avoid using a lens that is so wide that you get distortion.
• Our videos are mostly in the 2-3 minute range, so expect to deliver about 4-6 minutes of footage.
• We have a social media option that is 1080p, and can be shot on a single take either horizontal or vertical. These can be shot on a phone as long as the phone is on a gimbal. They can be slightly longer than a minute to allow for cuts and speed ramps.
• We do not record audio.

Clips to Include:

• Good intro shot. Could be a reveal of the front of the house, walking in the door, or a drone dolly shot approaching the home.
• A good outro can show the property in relationship to the surrounding area.
• At least one solid hero shot of the living areas including kitchen, living room, recreation room, dining areas, etc… 
• Clips than can be used to connect one space to another are very useful. 
• Prioritize spacious bedrooms. Shoot few clips of smaller rooms.
• Prioritize large primary bathrooms with features like large showers, hot tubs, etc… You can skip smaller bathrooms if there to prioritize the higher interest areas. 
• Make sure to capture interesting views from decks.
• Include 1 or 2 detail shots of high value features like chandeliers, high end stop tops, fireplaces, etc…

Important! Upload your video clips using the dashboard link, and mark the checkbox complete when it is finished. 

Make sure to complete the following before leaving:

1. Check your photos in camera and compare to the order count.
2. Close any blinds or doors that you opened.
3. Turn off lights.
4. Mark all completed tasks in your dashboard.
5. Make sure your Matterport and Cubicasa uploads have completed. Then mark uploads complete in your dashboard.

Exceptions: If you don’t have internet, make sure the uploads complete as soon as they are done. 

Make sure to complete the following by 5pm each day:

1. Make sure all photos and videos have been uploaded.
   • Do this earlier if you can. 
2. Double check to make sure that your Cubicasa and Matterport Uploads are finished.
3. Mark any tasks as complete in your dashboard. This is how you get paid.