— Photo guide —
How to shoot a property.
Work through these steps in order — that is how you get the best possible result.
Printable guide (PDF)Step I — Preparation
Prepare the space
A great shoot starts with tidying up.
- Clear the surfaces: dishes, countertops, tables and shampoos
- Hide trash bins, cables, laundry and personal items
- Make the beds and straighten the pillows
- Wash the windows
- Open curtains and blinds fully
Step II — Light
Choose the right light
Shoot a few different exposures of the same room and pick the result you like best.
- The best photos come in daylight
- In a dark space, shoot the same frame three ways and upload all three
The three versions
- Daylight only, lights off
- Lights on
- With flash
Step III — Camera
Set up your phone
A few settings decide whether the photo is straight and sharp. Do these once and the whole shoot goes smoothly.
- Wipe the camera lens — fingerprints blur the photo
- Turn the grid and the level on — then keep the lines straight
- Use the main camera (1×) as a rule — switch to the wide angle (0.5×) in tight spaces where the room does not otherwise fit in the frame
- Shoot portrait or landscape and mind the safe margins
Note. Don't shoot in the 1:1 aspect ratio.
Step IV — Framing
Shoot the room right
Show the whole space at a glance — open and straight.
- Stand in a corner of the room and fit the whole space in the frame
- Hold the camera between waist and shoulder height — don't shoot from eye level
- Keep the phone perfectly level — not tilted up or down
- Take two opposite corners of every room
- Let a window or light source show in the frame when possible
- Avoid photographing yourself in mirrors and reflective surfaces
- Use a tripod if you have one — it keeps the phone level and the quality even from room to room
Step V — Finishing
Review and upload
Go through the photos quickly before uploading. Zansen handles the finishing touches — exposure, perspective, sky and colours.
- Make sure you have 1–3 sharp photos of every space
- Delete shaky shots and near-identical duplicates
- Upload in original quality — don't downsize the files
Step 1 / 5: Prepare the space
— Camera settings —
Photo Guidelines
Choose your phone model and we'll show you the exact camera settings and how to change them. Optimised for photos in housing listings.
Most common