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This week in our BuildHer Podcast with Dylan James, we explore the changing landscape of real estate photography and how Dylan's own style has evolved from the time he started over 5 years ago. Join us for this chat with Dylan and Rebeka as they chat about his work, our work and exciting things coming up in the future!

WELCOME TO SEASON 3 | EPISODE 10

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DYLAN JAMES

HIS FREEZE FRAME MOMENTS CAN'T BE WRONG!

Well HELLO DYLAN!

If you've just got your house looking fantastic and you're ready to sell, maybe you need some help on the styling side or you're keen to do it all yourself, this episode is for you. You're in for a real treat today as Rebeka chats with our very own BuildHer photographer, Dylan James, about how he captures the emotion of a home and translates it into a beautiful set of images.

Dylan is a Melbourne based interior, architectural and lifestyle photographer whose work you've likely seen in one of our publications. Starting out as a real estate photographer, he developed a love for architecture and design and began capturing homes in a less traditional way, which is one of the reasons we're so lucky to have him.

In THIS EPISODE of the buildher podcast with dylan james

In this episode, Rebeka and Dylan chat about how photography in the real estate industry has evolved, even over the last 5 years since they first crossed paths. It used to be the norm to shoot at dusk with all the lights on, factually documenting the rooms of the house with the widest lens possible. Now, more and more developers are moving toward an editorial style of photography that focuses on capturing the feeling of a home and creating a narrative that connects with the emotions of a buyer. Dylan shares his thoughts on all this and how his career has progressed from standard real estate photography to a high-end editorial style.

Dylan talks us through what it takes to get the perfect shot and why photographers and stylists can sometimes take hours moving cushions back and forth and upside down. He talks about the collaboration and communication required to truly capture the essence of a home and how there's no one way of doing things.

So what about those of us who don't have a stylist or professional photographer with the gear and the expertise? Well, Dylan says anything can be done on an iPhone if you have enough natural light and determination. He may even be creating an online tutorial for those who are interested so make sure you follow him on the socials. See you there!

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If you have a topic or question you'd like us to cover, contact us here.

TOPICS WE COVER IN THIS BUILDHER PODCAST WITH DYLAN JAMES:

  • [1:30]: How Rebeka met Dylan 5 years ago when he was a real estate photographer.

  • [3:00]: How real estate photography is a factual documentation of the space but an editorial style focuses on capturing moments and the feeling of a home.

  • [4:25]: How Dylan started out as a real estate photographer straight out of uni and moved into an editorial style, mostly providing folio work for interior designers, architects and builders. Dylan talks about the different types of shots he would use in both.

  • [7:00]: How the real estate industry has come a long way and homes are being sold in line with the feeling and lifestyle they represent as opposed to the factual aspects of the rooms.

  • [8:20]: Dylan's shift into editorial work was driven by the disparity between architecture and design and how houses were being presented in real life.

  • [9:30]: How styling is 80% of what makes the images work but there's a difference between styling for how it looks in person and how it works on camera.

  • [11:50]: The attention to detail and time it takes to set up a room for each frame and why it's so important to get it right.

  • [14:30]: How the photographer's job is to capture the developer's dream for how they see a space working and translate it into a single image. Fresh eyes can be a really good thing.

  • [16:25]: Have a clear brief with your photographer so they know the content you need and the context in which the shots are going to be seen.

  • [18:30]: Creating the best images are a result of collaboration and communication with everyone involved and it's important to keep an open mind to new ideas to avoid doing the same thing all the time.

  • [22:00]: Tip for taking your own photos on an iPhone - always shoot in natural light and never turn interior lights on. Overcast days are best and if it's sunny, shoot in the shadows.

  • [24:00]: How Dylan is doing less post-production these days but don't be discouraged if your home isn't translating because it takes years of practice.

  • [26:15]: Having a stylist who works with a photographer will really make your house shine.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

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