By mid-November it's dark in East Idaho before most people get home from work. That's also when a lot of buyers do their scrolling, on the couch after dinner. A front photo with warm light in the windows and an evening sky behind the house suits that moment well. It looks like a place you'd be happy to come home to.
What a twilight edit is
We photograph the front of the house during the day, the same as always. Then, in editing, we turn that daytime frame into a dusk shot. The sky takes on evening color, and the windows and exterior lights glow as if it's just after sunset. Only the sky and the lighting change. The house, the yard and everything around it stay the way they are.
Since it all happens in editing, nobody has to come back at dusk, and your sellers don't have to keep the house ready for an evening appointment.
Homes that suit it
A twilight edit does the most for a front exterior with a few of these going for it:
- Windows facing the street, especially big ones, or a front door with glass
- Porch lights, coach lights by the garage, or landscape lighting
- A tidy yard, or a fresh layer of snow, which looks lovely under an evening sky
A house that sits far back from the road, or one mostly hidden behind trees, usually gets less out of it. If you're not sure about a particular home, ask us when you book and we'll tell you honestly whether it's worth it.
Where to use it
A lot of agents lead the gallery with the twilight shot, since it's the one people notice first. Others put it second or third so the gallery opens on a regular daytime front. Either one works. It also makes a good main photo for the social posts announcing the listing, and for the top of a listing page.
Buyers generally know a twilight shot is styled, and because the house itself isn't changed, it doesn't give them the wrong idea about the home. Some MLSs do ask you to note edited photos, so it's worth checking your MLS rules.
A few things that help on photo day
Before we arrive, turn on the porch light and any exterior lights, and open the blinds on the front windows. Real light in those windows gives the edit something to work with, and the finished photo looks more natural for it.
Move the cars out of the driveway and put the trash cans away too. They'd be in the daytime photo either way, but they stand out more in an evening shot.
Cost
A twilight edit is $15, and it's free with a listing page. You can add it when you book your shoot, or just let us know after your photos are delivered.
On a short winter day, a front photo with the lights on is a nice way to show buyers what the house feels like after dark. If you'd like one on your next listing, we'd love to help.
