How can I use my phone to make my photos stand out?

Today, technology is at our fingertips more than ever which means that we can now take ordinary photos and make them amazing using our phone in just a few easy steps!

Find a photo editing app

Apartments.com Canada's go-to photo editing program is Adobe LightRoom Editor. This app is free to download on the App store or on Google Play.

Once you open the app, you'll find all the functions needed at the bottom of your screen.

Note: Turn your phone sideways into landscape view. This'll make it easier to see and edit your photos.

Explore the basics of photo editing

Straightening:

If your building is crooked in the photo, here are some steps you can take to correct any weird and non-linear lines so that it doesn't look like the building's going to fall over.

1. Start by selecting the Geometry tab.

2. Next to the Upright button, select Vertical from the drop-down menu and all the vertical lines on your building will become straight. To adjust the lines with a grid, you can select and drag the Vertical sliding bar.

3. Select the Crop option then select Straighten. If you don't see any changes, this means that you've nailed taking the photo!

Cropping:

Cropping a photo ensures that the focus is on your building/property.

While still on the Crop tab, turn your phone sideways– you'll see grids pop up that'll help you make better adjustments.
Allow even space to the left and right side of the building, like a 1:1 ratio.
Try to place the building in the center of the frame.
You won't want the image to be entirely of the ground or a majority of the sky but do aim for a bit more sky than ground.

Lighting:

When it comes to lighting, the most important thing to remember is to not overdo it. Select the Light tab and try to pinpoint what stands out.

If the building is too dark try:

Bumping up the "Shadows" by sliding the toggle to the right.
Brighten the image by increasing the "Exposure".

If the details are lacking try:

Turning down the "Highlights" and "Whites" to bring more detail into the sky or light colors.
Decrease the "Blacks" by sliding the the toggle to the left to bring back some details in places where the shadow and exposure were bumped up.

Colors:

The key to adjusting color is to make subtle changes that'll help make your photo look more realistic rather than making a bunch of drastic adjustments that can have a cartoon effect.

1. Select the Colors tab.

2. If the sky is showing in the background, increase the "Vibrance" and it'll bring out any blue colors.

3. To make any reds and greens pop a little, add a bit of "Saturation"

Note: The "Temperature" and "Tint" is not something that normally needs to be adjusted but feel free to play around with it and see what it does.

Export your photos

Now that you have a perfect picture, you'll need to export it so that you can upload it to your listing on Apartments.com.

1. Select the Export icon at the top of the app and a variety of options will appear:

If you'll be uploading the photo from your phone, select Export to Camera Roll.
If you'll be emailing the photo and uploading it from a different device, click on Export as....

2. Next, select the dimensions for the photo– we recommend using the LightRoom app defaults.

3. Select the check mark at the top right of the screen when you're finished.

4. Choose how you'd like to send your photo out: via email, a text message, or you can even "Airdrop" them to a colleague.

FAQs:

What resolution do you recommend?

Apartments.com recommends all photos be at least 2,048 pixels on the longest side in order to ensure high quality presentation for both users on desktops and on mobile devices. Photos that are less than 2.048 pixels on the longest side may be rejected. Any logo files should be no less than 80 pixels in height and 380 pixels in width. Reinforcement advertising should be exactly 762 pixels in width by 125 pixels in height.

Do you accept filtered images?

All photos shall be in color and use minimal filtering effects. Black and white photos will be rejected.

What format should the image be in?

Images must be submitted in JPG or PNG format.

What type of images will be rejected?

When determining which photos to include in your listing, do not include images of the unit that are distorted, blurry or contain unrecognizable elements. Images that contain any special effects, such as strobing, flashing or animation, are not allowed on the site.

Click here to see the Terms and Conditions for submitting photos on Apartments.com.