Whether you’re taking photos of your pool for commercial purposes or you just want to flex your backyard paradise on socials, getting the perfect photos of your pool is actually quite doable once you get the basics down. Before we dive into the guide, props to Chris Maher from Splash Magazine for providing us the inspo for this article.
Everything Should be Manicured
For starters, everything should be pristine! Remember, the goal of taking a photo of your pool isn’t actually to highlight the pool itself, but the lifestyle, the feeling of relaxation, and everything else that comes with owning a pool!
First thing’s first, you need to make sure that the pool itself is crystal-clear! I mean, that’s the centerpiece right? If you need help with that part then don’t forget we have a whole library of resources dedicated to the care and maintenance of Australian pools right here.
We’re just going to glance over pool maintenance because that’s not why we’re here for. We’re here to take great photos of your pool!
Everything you want to be included in the photo should be manicured. From the lawn, pool fences, grounds, and even the trees, everything should be cleaned prior to taking the photo. While it may sound like a lot of work, a missed detail here and there will affect the final output! Here’s a quick checklist of things to clean up before snapping that photo:
- Mow the lawn - A perfectly mowed lawn will make your pool stand out and become the center of attraction! Dry or long patches of grass will take the attention away from the pool and draw their attention away from it.
- Sweep up the grounds - Leaves, debris, and other things will also take away the attention from your pool!
- Stow away pool cleaners - Let’s face it, pool cleaning equipment isn’t glamorous for other people. Even if you have the latest and greatest pool cleaners from Robo-Tek or Zodiac, it’s just not something that screams “sexy” to people. Seeing pool cleaners in a picture will remind people the maintenance that comes with pool ownership and we don’t want that included in the photos right?
- The pool deck, wet or dry? - Now there’s a bit of a debate when it comes to the areas around the pool. A wet pool deck makes all of the colors even out and makes the scene a lot more “fresh” but on warm days (we have a lot of those in Australia) the deck dries out quite fast! Since wood or pavers don’t all dry out at the same time, you may end up with a few splotchy areas in your photo which detracts from the final goal. So here, we’ll deviate and give you the choice, either go all-in (have someone ready with a hose to moisten your deck and pavers) or leave them all to fully dry before taking your picture.
Stage the Scene
Now here’s a trick that many real estate use and it’s called staging. This is basically adding props to your scene that adds to the overall look and feel of your pool. Of course, this doesn’t mean just stuffing your pool area with every little toy and accessory, just one or two pieces will do depending on what you’re trying to convey.
- For relaxation, a well-placed funny umbrella drink and a couple of towels will do wonders for your photos!
- For a more “family” themed photo, a beach ball here or maybe a couple of well-placed floaty toys here and there will convey a feeling of family-fun to any photo!
- If you want to highlight your high-end equipment then don’t forget to clean up and polish your pumps, pool heaters, and filters to convey a sense of a pristine pool that virtually takes care of itself.
SEE ALSO: How to get your Automatic Pool Cleaners Ready for Summer
The Whole Scene
When taking a photo of your pool, make sure that the pool doesn’t take up more than a third of the photo. This still makes it the focal point of the photo while still conveying the whole vision of that pool lifestyle! Remember, wide shots are key!
If you really want to get an amazing photo for your pool then you may want to consider using a drone to get a high shot of your pool! There are a lot of people who specialize in taking drone photos so a quick local search can help you with this part if you don’t have a drone.
As for other equipment, we now live in a time where the average smartphone can take amazing photos and at the same time adjust the photos to bring out the best colors as well! For social media, this is actually more than enough!
Lights, Camera, Action!
Well, it all comes down to lighting. Ask any photographer worth his salt and he or she will tell you that lighting is the most important factor of any photo, next to the subject, with equipment being a distant third.
When shooting your pool, shooting in full sun is always a great idea because it will prevent any hard shadows from creating distractions in your shot. Shooting early in the morning or at the afternoon can cause long shadows to fall across the pool or other parts of the shot that may ruin an otherwise perfect picture.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can’t utilise the other times of the day to get your photos. I mean, for that ultimate relaxation shot, a night shot with a pool lit up by LED pool lights can convey relaxation more than a full-clear photo of your pool during broad daylight! It’s all up to the imagination of the photographer! A sunset shot with a bright red or orange sky, contrasted by a crystal-clear blue pool is something that will surely draw the eyes of anyone!
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Happy swimming :)