The photos on your home's online listing is usually a buyer's first impression of your home. Those photos can mean the difference between someone taking a glance and moving on to the next listing or studying the photos and actually making an appointment to see the house in person. Your listing photos help to get potential buyers interested in your home, so they need to look professional and capture the beauty of your home. See below for photography tips to help sell your home.

Outdoor Photos

This is going to be the main photo, so you want to be sure it's a good one. Clean up the yard, power wash the siding to remove mold and mildew and add touch-ups where necessary.

• Stand on a ladder to get a good shot of your home's exterior. 
• With outdoor shots, you need to be sure the sun is working in your favor. You want the sun at your back, otherwise you'll have a lot of shadows in your picture. Overcast days can be good too, as you don't have to worry about any glare.
• Try to get pictures of your home's exterior during the spring or even the summer. Winter photos look drab with brown grass, naked trees and dead flowers.
• Take pictures of your home at an angle so the driveway doesn't dominate the shot. Taking photos at an angle also helps show the depth of your home.
• Highlight any outdoor structures in photos as well. If there is a patio, gazebo/pergola, pool or outdoor kitchen, go ahead and take close up photos of them.

Indoor Photos

When taking indoor photos, be sure that all clutter is put away. Toys, paperwork and your shoes should not be in any of your photos. Be sure to stage your home prior to having photos taken as well. Think about how a furniture store has their "rooms" staged and mimic this in your own home. Set the table with linens, plates and glasses, make the bed with all of those extra pillows you hardly ever use and add a decorative centerpiece to your coffee table. Some more tips are:

• Use a tripod to hold your camera when taking photos. There is less of a chance of having photos at awkward angles when using the tripod.
• Stand on a ladder or take photos from a stairway to highlight tall ceilings and open living space. 
• Use a wide angle lens for small rooms such as bathrooms, laundry rooms or office space.
• Try to use as much natural light as possible. This means opening up the drapes and allowing light into your home. Don't try to take pictures at night; they won't look right.
• Take pictures from the entrance of the room to help show the depth of a room.

These photography tips will help give your listing photos a more professional look and hopefully a second (or third) glance from a potential buyer.