Real estate photography is a thriving business opportunity but it takes skill to shoot a home. Do you think your images are good enough to meet the industry standards?
Our next episode of Critique the Community will let you know if you should be putting your real estate photos in your portfolio or not. Submit up to two of your best images before July 23 at 11:45 PM EST and you'll receive feedback from other community members, have the chance to be part of the next video, and potentially win one of two free Fstoppers original tutorials that will be given away.
Once you upload your images, scroll through the rest of the submissions and provide some feedback of your own using the Fstoppers rating scale seen below. It's easiest to provide number ratings using the arrow and number keys on your keyboard. If you decide to leave any comments when you see an area of the image that could be improved, please do so in an encouraging way.
Voting is open but submissions are closed and there are no entries..... I knew this new Colombian coffee was trouble!
Glad it’s not just me!
What! Did you switch coffee brands too? What are the chances?
LOL!
Thought I almost had to switch to tea!!
ROTFLMAO! Perfect. Thanks!
Looks like we're a year late to the party. Submission deadline was "July 23rd 2018" LOL
Yea. Guess time really does go by differently out on the island.
lol
at first I thought it was a LOST joke, but it's not... but it could be!
Damn, I missed the deadline! Bwaahahahaaha
This is going to be very short critique 😬
July 24th 2018, 4:45am
New submissions are closed. 2018 ?????
Is this April fools in July?
I started off voting really nice but y'all are HARSH!!! Everyone gets 2 stars from now on no matter how good it is... ;)
Yeah, same!
:(
Many have said this in other contests. If you're going to tab a photo to "needs work" please say what you think needs work. On the photos I voted on so far I left a comment to help the artist see what caused my vote (even if I gave it a 'solid')- Can't fix what you don't hear about.
Spot on Chris! Thanks
No one is voting what they actually think. These contests aren't designed to be fair or help people. Everyone gets judged harshly so a select few get an ego boost and the chance to be the "highest rated image"... It's a joke.
Oh I’m doing it wrong then. My bad
Right on Trevor! I think the Fstoppers staff knows this and try to hide the accumulated scores until after you vote.
But I still am amazed at images that are clearly well done only getting a 3 because nobody wants to be different than their peers.
I'm starting to feel like my job is to call out the good work and bust the curve!
Could not agree more on this thread!
Yup.
Exactly!! The fact that the highest rated image will be like 3.49 is completely crazy. They need to go back to the drawing board and rethink how this is done knowing in the back of their mind how crappy and self-serving people can be. Some of these images are incredible BTW... 4 and 5 stars!!
I would think the ratings would almost be a bell curve. 3 should be the most common right? I like that a rating of 5 is almost unattainable but for sure there are a lot of 2 or 3 star images getting rated too low.
Also if the basis for the rating is a portfolio this is going to be very subjective. Your portfolio might be for a different clientele than another photographer. Not everyone is paid $x amount for a shoot. If you are competing against fast and dirty photogs who charge a minimum for acceptable work it may be a very steep uphill battle to produce what the community considers 3 or 4 star images for a client. If you invest your own time to shoot one you could be providing unrealistic expectations for your clients.
Idk I could be wrong.
Trevor, the image in your portfolio on your website with the view of the high-rise and the water, shot from the back of the kitchen......basically MURDERS anything submitted here. Just fantastic work.
Wow... Thanks Jay!! I really appreciate that. That particular image used to be one of the lead shots on my website. It's a favourite for sure. I was hoping to get some feedback on a couple exteriors for this contest as I feel that's where I need the most improvement. The two shots I submitted are two of my absolute favourite shots I've done recently so I was excited to share. Little did I know what this contest is really all about... Maybe if one of my images gets chosen for the final video, I can get some actual constructive feedback.
Checked out your website as well. I'm now a huge fan. Absolutely love your work! Top notch stuff! I'm afraid I have a ways to go before I'm on that level.
I'm just hoping my images get reviewed by Mike Kelley or someone in the space that can really pick it apart and tell me what's most important to work on. Its nice to get good ratings in here and all that, but that part doesn't really make me any better and that's all Im really looking for. Plus it's just cool if he sees it, lol.
The problem is, they don't care and they aren't listening. Try submitting a 'contact us' at the bottom of the page. No response. Try submitting a 'report image' - nothing. Actually go to their profiles and send them a message - nope. People have practically begged for a scale change in every contest since I've been active - not even a comment. There are only two explanations: They aren't listening or they don't care. I think its both. So sad as fStoppers could be even better.
Ruth,
There may be another reason, or two as to why the ratings system has not been looked at -just yet.
Patrick is dealing with scary serous health issues, they both only just moved to PR from the mainland, they may be totally over wheelmen by the logistics of trying to do so much on a shoe string budget, right now it is mostly all on Lee's shoulders, there are many many things they are trying to improve-update-crank, and maybe just maybe they do care.
Sorry to sound a tad bit snarky or cranky here but ... really?
They are swamped!
Let's try and help by NOT adding to the background noise.
Constructive positivism and focusing on creative expression.
Deal?
I appreciate you support for the site! People like you, or the active moderators, could be a great source of help if needed.
Thank you Ruth.
Yes I think we can be a help, big, or small -in many ways.
Certainly you add to this site is a massive way by your contribution and your positive participation.
Thank you!!!!
Just to add my two cents to this thread....Thanks Julian, that's dope! These are two everyday dudes that built something from meeting in a camera store that does a ton more for the photography community than just gear reviews and Amazon links. I understand someones frustration, its fair, but look past it and see the awesome shit they've created for us, its dope! Not perfect, but hell, I sure am glad these two dudes built this. Now that I've sounded super cheesy...a toast - To Patrick's health, and to Lee's losing streak! May both continue long and strong ;)
I'm definitely trying to help people for what it's worth. :/
Not going to lie. The level of talent these contests consistently bring out makes me want to just go flip burgers for a living... LOL
So let's have a side bar. What's the weirdest real estate job you've been on? Mine involved waiting 10 minutes for someone to answer the door only for the door to be opened by a guy wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, broken liquor bottles all over the floor behind him, underwear hanging from a ceiling fan and more guys walking around in only a towel... all stuff that I noticed before stepping foot into the house.
There was also the guy who had a fake wall, tunnel running along the side of his house, and a door to his backyard that was hidden behind sheetrock that he had to cut out only to reveal a tiny house in his backyard (this is in Brooklyn) and also a place that used to be owned by the mob that had a full-sized basement on paper, but only a half-sized basement when you actually walked in with a concrete wall that had a hollow space behind it when the homeowner drilled a hole in it...
Note to self for all future competitions... Enter in the last hour with decent image, get one vote of 3 stars and one vote of 4 stars for a 3.5 star rating = win competition and free tutorial.
HA! I was thinking the SAME thing earlier today X-D
But voting is still possible after the Deadline ;)
Ya I know, I was just making a joke. It was either that or a joke about how I should just enter twilight shots next time :D
Jay, don't forget to include all the other "essentials"... like nuclear skies, flowing lava, werewolf moons, rainbows, swimming pools in places not normally found, etc.
Having those elements in your entry is (obviously!) the best way to rack up those stars.
Sounds like you're describing Cam Ahra's portfolio;)
I actually think they should open the submissions for says 2 or 3 days then have the community vote for 2 or 3 days next with no one being able to see the results or lock-in results and not let you change your submission.
As another suggestion for potential improvement, I wish that they would each pick their top ten favorite images and explain why they think they are the best. This would actually help everyone learn. Personally, I would rather get tips for taking an image to the next level than have them explain why an image with obvious issues has obvious issues. I am amazed every day by the talent of the people who participate here and I'd like these contests to be about setting the bar and how to reach it. Just thoughts.
Double like
Does anyone know when the CtC film is normally released after these contests submission dates are closed?