rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Stuart, very lovely work.
--Bob

dgolfnut Loc: Bear, DE

I am a part time landlord and face this regularly. I try to take my pictures on cloudy days or just after sunset when I can. I also use adapters that plug into the wall into which I screw in 5-6K led bulbs to light the room close to daylight. Adjusting the white balance properly before shooting takes away the yellow or green tint from incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. My new panasonic lumix LX100 has an HDR setting that takes 3 shots and combines them into a single HDR image in camera that could be quite useful for this purpose. I just tried it at home and it was better than with it off but the sun just went below the horizon so it's not the best test.

Stuart Perry Loc: Menifee, CA

Thank you, Bob. I appreciate your imput

Toby

Someone else posted a photo that had a similar problem a week or so ago. You can take a half hour or so to try various lighting setups or just take the shot and adjust it with LR or PS shadows slider.

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

Close the drapes and use fill flash.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

We recently had a similar question on UHH with similar answers. While I haven't faced this type of photography in some time, I recall back in film days the same situation would frequently come up. Remember there was no HDR, no taking two differently exposed shots and merging them together in a digital program. As I recall exposure was set for the outside light and then a flash was used as a fill flash for the inside of the room. Why reinvent the wheel for identical circumstances.

Dennis

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

There are ways to fix the problem but the best and faster one is to bracket the exposures and then edit with HDR software like Photomatix Pro or similar.

lowkick Loc: Connecticut

You have a dual problem with this picture. Not only is the sliding glass door blowing out, but the entire kitchen is brighter than the room that is the main focus of your picture. HDR is probably your best bet in this situation, but first, why not try closing the blinds or curtains on the slider and taking a picture?

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

What he said! I would use multiple flashes bounced off of the ceiling and meter for the window.

Djedi

First off, shoot raw and process in lightroom. It will allow you to push the dark areas and pull the bright ones so they won't look way overexposed. You may have to play with contrast and saturation settings in extreme situations like what you have there, but that will be obvious once you are in the program. When doing that with a very bright large area, I like to under-expose my "normal" details about 1 stop to make the bright areas a bit easier to pull.
If you are shooting with a wide angle or stitching photos, flash will be difficult at best. It may actually make things more difficult. You will get tired of dealing with the edge light falloff.
Using the above method, I have pulled detail out of some very difficult situations.

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

I can understand a wide range of advice by people who do not specialize in Real estate photography on this post part but...

The basics on exposure, flash, fill, time of the day, post editing and shortcuts from qualified real estate shooters seem most logical.

A real estate photographer will have a best way to deal with the "typical" problems.

Time for most of us to listen rather than preach about something they have never done, including me...

Djedi

I have done quite a bit of real estate photography, both for realtors and builders and designers, just to put you mind at ease.

I must also say however, that what works for one person may not work for another with limitations in equipment, ability, etc.

ecurb1105

Architectural interiors can be as easy or as complicated, expensive, as you want to make them. It depends on the amount of time you want to put into the shoot and the time you're willing to spend in post.
First, there are two time in the day when the outside light balances with the interior, dawn and dusk. If you have the option to shoot at those times you can have an evenly balanced ratio of inside outside light. Shoot the reverse angles using the window light to light the room during the day, then be ready to get the in/out views at dusk.
Second, use fill light. I have used flashbulbs, blue photofloods, studio strobes or on camera flash. They all work, results depend on your effort.
Third, Take a tip from the cinematographers and filter the windows with either neutral density material or a combination of 85B and neutral density material. In the film days I used to use the 85B/ND material when we shot in 8x10 or 4x5 film. We used Tungsten balanced film because it handled the long exposures better.
Forth, Post production manipulation. HDR, or similar.
And always tripod your camera.
Good Light and Good Shooting!

catchlight.. Loc: Wisconsin USA- Halden Norway

Djedi

That's the kind of advice I would give someone trying to take a shot for Architectural Digest (I know- I've been there).
But not for someone who is just trying to take a few shots that make a home for sale look good in a newspaper or on the web. When you're doing that (except maybe where a spouse is involved- in which case almost nothing is good enough), you are trying to get away with the KISS principle. Especially when you are trying to make some money at it.