A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into. ~Ansel Adams

I just purchased my very first DSLR camera! I'm so excited to use it on some real estate. The only thing is, I have yet to purchase my wide angle lens, a necessity when taking real estate shots. The Canon EOS Rebel XS model is the one I chose to go with. Robert's Camera here in Indianapolis was having a spring sale and I got this camera with kit lens, 2 batteries, charger, bag, a lot of SD cards, more accessories, and even a free class at the Jewish Community Center that I will be attending on Tuesday evening! I'm looking forward to this class because it has been a while since I've held a SLR camera in my hand, and it sure wasn't digital.

Although we do hire a professional photographer who comes in to take the pictures, there have always been certain angles that I wished I would have had in hindsight. Re-shoots can also be expensive and I like to change our listing photos when the seasons change (hate to see those snow shots in the middle of July!).

Although I have had a lot of good photos come out with my little Canon Powershot SD450 (a little point and shoot) I always knew that I would not be able to capture those great interior shots the way I wanted. A while back when I was in my staging class, the instructor recommended us to get one of those $30 magnetic wide angle lenses to attach to our point and shoot. It worked in a way- we did get a wider shot which was great. However, the corners of the image were blurred that and the lighting was never great because I didn't have the right kind of flash. It's an essential.

I have had lots of compliments on my photos from my little camera, but at lot of it has to do with what shots I choose to take (which ones I know that my point & shoot can handle) and preparing the scene. Staging is a huge must in my book, because most of us can't see beyond the litter box in the bedroom or exercise machine in the dining room. I was flattered that a couple of agents were even upset with me on occassion because my pictures were deceptive (the house was not in tip-top shape, like the photos were showing) but hey, that's marketing.

So I'm still two accessories away from taking the perfect real estate photos, but I'm closer than before! I'll definitely post some pictures using both cameras, so you can see the difference.

Oh and if you don't think photos make a difference, check out one of the blogs that I follow: www.lovelylisting.com