Condo photos that show the view and the room.

Building rules we plan for.

• Access: concierge or front-desk check-in, a key fob, or a lockbox in the garage. Put it in the access notes.
• Certificate of insurance: some buildings ask vendors for a COI before they come in. Tell us the management company's requirements when you book.
• Amenity booking: pools, rooftops and clubrooms may need a reservation with the management office.
• Parking and loading: visitor parking can be scarce in DC and Arlington. A visitor pass saves time.

Windows, light and small rooms.

Floor-to-ceiling glass is the selling point and the hardest thing to photograph. We blend exposures so the view outside reads as clearly as the room inside, and we time the shoot so the sun isn't pouring straight in. In compact rooms we keep the camera at a natural height and the lines straight, so the space looks open without the stretched, fish-eye look buyers distrust. A measured floor plan answers the next question: how do the rooms connect?

Drone at condo buildings.

Much of DC, Arlington and Alexandria is inside the DC restricted zone around Reagan National. Drone is still available there: our Part 107 pilot files an FAA/TSA authorization before the flight, which takes a few business days, and the building may need to approve a rooftop or courtyard take-off. If the listing date is close, we shoot the interiors first and add the aerial when the authorization comes through. Check an address with the airspace checker.

What to photograph.

Lead with the living area and its view, then the kitchen, bedrooms and baths, then the balcony, the building's best amenities, the lobby and the exterior. Storage units and parking spaces deserve a photo when they convey. Skip anything that shows other residents, their doors or their cars.