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If you keep on top of the latest social media trends, you might have seen the rise of ‘dusk shots’ or photos taken at ‘golden hour’.
This trend has now entered the world of property marketing, and here at PropertyBox, we’re excited to embrace it.
Agents want their property listings to evoke several responses from house hunters, one of the most important being the ability to envision themselves living in the property.
This is where dusk shots come into their own.
When the sun begins to set, there’s something extremely inviting about a home with the lights on inside and glowing, especially when there’s a sunset in the background.
Below is an excellent example:
Compare the dusk shot with the regular property photo – which is more likely to capture the eye?
Dusk shots: The Benefits
As mentioned above, property photos shot during golden hour are more enticing, and therefore, they’re likelier to generate interest, leading to a quicker sale.
The stats bear this out:
For example, in one experiment, two exterior shots of the same home in Green Valley, AZ, were taken. One was a regular property photo, and the other was a dusk shot. Online ads were then run to the same demographic to drive traffic to both listings.
The dusk shot achieved 3x more clicks for half the cost!
Similarly, other studies show that property listings with twilight photography used in the primary photo can increase views by 76% (on average).
So, if you’re looking for a quick fix to boost property listing engagement, try using a dusk shot as your main image – you may find that, like the above example, you notice a huge difference!
It’s also worth noting that in addition to attracting more attention to your property listings, dusk photography shows potential clients that you provide something different.
Not every estate agency offers this kind of photography, so dusk shots go a long way to distinguish yourself from the competition, solidifying your brand as a forward-thinking agency that prides itself on its property marketing expertise.
When we spoke to Krista Forsberg, Estate Agent at Keller Williams Integrity Edina, to get her opinion on dusk shots, this is what she had to say:
“From a selling perspective, twilight photos can be dramatic and showcase the evening lighting and curb appeal of a property…Anytime you can better showcase a home online, more buyers to want to see a property in person, which helps garner interest and offers!”
How to take dusk shots
To achieve the perfect dusk shot, you have 2 options:
- Take your own pictures at twilight
- Use AI
If you opt for the former, here are a few tips:
- Get the timing right: The best time to shoot a property at twilight is roughly 20 minutes after sunset. However, this might vary depending on cloud coverage and the time of year.
- Turn on all the lights: Switch on all of the property’s lights (both internal and external) and open your curtains. These lights create a beautiful, warm glow.
- Turn off your camera’s flash: Ensure you’re using ‘Flash off’ mode. According to the Canon EOS 70D manual, this mode is “effective for capturing the particular ambience of a scene, such as candlelight.” For our purposes, this also translates to better capturing beautiful property photos at dusk.
- Stay still to avoid blurring: If you have a tripod, great. If not, try to lean against something and hold your breath while taking the shot.
Use AI
The second way to produce stunning dusk shots is to use AI to make the image look like it was taken at twilight.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to predict when a stunning sunset will occur – particularly in the UK, where it rains so often!
So, instead of waiting for the perfect conditions, AI provides a more convenient and reliable option. You can take external property shots during regular working hours and use a property photo enhancer to edit the ambience.
With PropertyBox, creating a dusk shot is simple.
To illustrate just how easy it is, we’ll quickly run you through the necessary steps:
- Upload a property photo for enhancement.
- Click ‘Create a dusk shot.’
- Choose your favourite of 7 dusk skies.
- You can then make it look like the property’s lights are on (if you wish) using our easy-to-use editor.
- When you’re happy, click ‘Finish,’
- Download the dusk shot to use in your property listings.
This is the kind of result you can expect to achieve:
Are you ready to start using dusk shots in your property marketing?
After reading this blog post, we hope you have a better idea of what dusk shots are, the benefits of using them in your property marketing, and how to create these beautiful assets to elevate your listings.
See for yourself how PropertyBox can help you create captivating dusk shots with our 7-day free trial! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Success Team at team@propertybox.io.
