When you’re browsing houses online, have you ever noticed that only a few listings stick out?

Sometimes it’s just a matter of great curb appeal, but a well-photographed home can be just as appealing as a pretty one.

Photography is an art, but there are a few time-tested approaches to home photo shoots that are relatively easy to execute with a phone camera or point-and-shoot.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are our six easy photography tips to make sure home shoppers stop to read what your listing is saying!

Brightness

Everybody loves lots of natural sunlight in a home! It makes spaces look cleaner and bigger.

When you’re taking interior pictures for your listing, try shooting on a day with clear skies and tons of sunlight. Natural light is eye-catching, mood enhancing and can accent the best features of your property.

Turn on HDR

If you’re taking pictures with your smartphone, most have a High Dynamic Range (HDR) setting that automatically improves the details of your photo in various lighting conditions.

This is turned on by default on most new phones. Here’s how check on an iPhone.

Capture the Whole Space

Your home may have many unique features, but too many closeups can take away from the view most shoppers are looking for.

Make sure you’re capturing the most complete picture of both your front yard and each room.

Pro tip?

Try to include at least three walls in every interior picture. That often means shooting the picture from a doorway or entryway.

No Filters

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Don’t edit your listing photos with fancy, pre-set filters! You don’t want your listing pictures to look fake.

There are a few basic edits and touchups you can use, though. Increasing brightness, straightening and cropping can drastically improve a picture without making it look altered.

All-Natural Lighting

Don’t use flash! Camera flashes eliminate shadows and textures, making photos looked washed out and unnatural — especially indoors.

Sunlight is ideal, but updated interior lights work well, too.

Low Shots

Whether you’re outside or indoors, taking a photo below eye level helps make the home look bigger and more spacious.

The ideal photo height is 40-50 inches above the ground.