Introduction:

If you want to maximize your property's full potential and covey it to your target market, hire the best photographer and have a commercial property photoshoot. A commercial property photoshoot can not just boost your brand awareness and increase conversions, but also improve customer service. 

But before you jump onto the commercial photoshoot, it is important that you know the essentials and the basics in preparing not just your property but also your staff or employees. 

Here are the essentials to know on how to prepare for a commercial property photoshoot

•  Make sure landscaping is complete, grass is mowed, leaves are blown, sidewalks are clear, weeds are pulled

• Have housekeeping done- clean windows, sweep floors, 

• Hide clutter on desks, hide cables, organize stacks on desks, remove branding of things outside of corporation

• Remove seasonal decor

• Remove temporary signage

• Make sure furnishings are ready

• Remove previous branding

• Have free flowers or alive plants

• Remove clutter from balconies

• Have the rooms stylized prior to the scheduled shoot 

• Hide garbage cans

• Make sure there are service vehicles on site are not parked

• Make sure to not schedule shoot while service vehicles are on site

• If you don’t want vehicles in the parking lot during the shoot.  Alert Staff or schedule during low traffic.  

• Alert Staff and others of photoshoot

Extra credit

Make sure all lights have bulbs and that they are the same color temperature and wattage  

Facility shoot with Staff

• Send staff clothing guidelines for shoot

• Alert staff on the timing of the shoot

• Make sure staff signs model release forms prior to photo/ video shoot 

• Notify residents of the shoot.  Ask them to clean up their areas.

Scheduling the Shoot

• For every shot expect it to take 10-15 mins depending on size of room

• Exteriors are typically shot at twilight at sunrise or sunset depending on what direction the building faces.

• Someone needs to be onsite to allow the photographer into the building

• Have all lights on in the building for exterior shots

• Let the photographer know the timing when any branding or signage lights are on or off.

• Prior to the shoot is recommended that the photographer come on site to do a walk through to determine the best time for lighting conditions and traffic of the area

Photoshop retouching capabilities

• Exterior building cleaning

• Exterior building landscaping ( to a point ) 

• Making the grass look green

• Removal of distracting elements , signs, vehicles, plants

• Compositing of windows skies

• Cleaning of floors surfaces

• Virtual staging of rooms ( to a point )