Great pictures sell Homes on the Internet

Digital Cameras make it easy to take great home pictures; ...with a few simple rules:

• Do NOT rely on flashbulbs. They never provide enough light. Arrange a few lamps with 100 watt bulbs behind you and aimed at the room. Make sure the key parts of the room are brightly lit before taking the picture with the flashbulb as additional lighting.
   
• Do Not use your camera's "high resolution" setting; these are for printing on photographic paper. Use the "Email" setting if your camera has one, otherwise use the lowest resolution setting (the setting that allows the most number of pictures).

• Pictures may be no wider than 375 pixels* or higher than 281 pixels (about 3 inches wide by 2.5 inches high).
   
• Individual pictures can be no bigger than 55.0 KB (55,000 characters) of information.

These are arbitrary limits set by our system to make sure your pictures fit properly and can be viewed quickly.

Tools for changing picture size:

• Audrie's re_size.html is our page that lets you set the height or width of a picture currently on your computer, review the results and download the re-sized picture back to your computer (for subsequent upload to your photo tour). (Caution: set EITHER height or width. Setting both at once will distort your picture)
   
• www.resize2mail.com is a free website where anyone can change the size of their pictures. Use their 360 x 480 resize choice, click "okay" then use their "crop" tool to bring the height below 281. You can also select their "on your own" option and specify a width of 375 pixels. (Caution: set EITHER height or width. Setting both at once might distort your picture)
   
• A Friend: Canvas your friends and co-workers and you're sure to find a computer savvy friend willing to help. If not, try the copying staff at Kinkos or Office Depot.
   
• Copy Centers: Most Kinkos, Staples, and Office Depot copy centers will scan and resize your photographs to a floppy disk or thumb drive for about $12.00.

Interior photographs

Room Selection: Most homes have only a few photogenic rooms so invest time in getting the best possible pictures of your most attractive rooms. Don't waste time on photographs of small bedrooms unless they have something special to attract buyers. Two pictures that grab buyer attention are more effective than ten pictures that induce yawns.

Lighting: Flash attachments almost never light up the corners of a room, so before you snap your picture ..turn on all the lights! If possible use an extension cord and set up a 150 watt bulb behind you. If you can get floor lamps from other rooms, set them up behind you.

Perspective: To get the professional, "House & Garden" effect consider taking room pictures while standing on a chair, table or ladder.

Exterior photographs

Lighting: Ordinary flash attachments don't provide enough light for the outside of a house. Wait for a sunny day and snap the picture with the sun behind you. If in Alaska during the winter, or someplace else with long periods of dark days, invest in 3 or 4 big bulbs and 50-foot extension cords. Four 150 watt bulbs properly placed should provide enough light for a good picture.

Scanners and Digital Cameras

Digital Cameras: Make sure the resolution is set at the lowest setting (this is the setting that allows the greatest number of pictures). Most computer monitors display images at under 96 pixels per inch so high resolution pictures are a waste of time on the web. High resolution also produces huge images that take forever to upload. Our web site will not accept pictures bigger than 55,000 characters (55KB).