Every now and then, I'm asked to identify what is the most important skill in real estate photography by agents looking to shoot their own listings and other photographers that don't typically shoot real estate or architecture.  One thing immediately comes to mind: making sure vertical walls are, in fact, vertical!

Why are verticals so important? Because we live in a world where 99% of vertical walls are plumb and designed to be 90° perpendicular to the ground; our brains expect this.  However, I believe that verticals are so important in real estate and architectural photography because it's a clear indication of skill level. Most real estate images with converging verticals are typically taken by inexperienced photographers who simply don't know better, or worse, simply don't care.  

Fortunately, it is easier than ever these days to correct converging verticals, and I'll demonstrate various methods throughout the next few posts.  Simply fixing verticals and making sure they are parallel to the right and left edges of the frame really is that one magic bullet that can take your photos to a different level. See for yourself!