Lights On or Lights Off?

One of the most common questions I am asked as a real estate photographer is “Lights On or Lights Off?”.

Now, to be 100 percent clear from the start, there is NO right answer. I will explain why.

It all depends on your point of view and the lights in question.

One school of thought is that the lights should be on to show they work, i.e. the house is in good working order.

Another school says lights off because if the house was well designed the natural light should be featured.

From a photographers point of view:
If you are shooting HDR, lights off is easier for editing because there is only one color of light to deal with.
If you are shooting with a flash, the flash will overpower all the lights to create a uniform color.

However, if there is a chandelier made of Swarovski crystals that conveys with the home, you better believe the seller and their agent are going to have it turned on for the photos!

I can tell you that for high end interiors photography, think Architectural Digest, Dwell, Veranda; the lights are off.
And if the lights are on, the photographer took an extra image with the lights on to blend into the final image to control the color of the overall scene.

So, do you prefer the natural look?
Does the home look better in camera with the lights off?
Do you prefer the lights on?
Is there a light fixture that must be featured?

Answer these questions and you can decide, lights on or lights off.