Articles Tagged "Professional photography"

Put burgers on the backburner and leave your leftovers in the fridge — February 9th is National Pizza Day and you deserve a slice topped with gooey cheese, crisp vegetables, and crunchy crust. Believe it or not, more than 3 billion pizzas are sold annually and every America consumes around 23 pounds of pie throughout the year.

How can you observe National Pizza Day? You can grab a few slices with friends, order delivery for a movie night at home, or grab a pie and have a pizza party in the park with your family. Nearly 20 percent of all restaurants in the country are pizzerias and if you're searching for the best pizza spots in the Shenandoah Valley, these five parlors are some of our REALTORS® favorites!

1. Bella Luna Wood-Fired Pizza — 80 W. Water St., Harrisonburg, VA 22801
   If you love pizza in any form, then imagine how delicious a slice made with farm-fresh ingredients tastes. Bella Luna Wood-Fired Pizza makes all of its menu items from scratch daily using produce, meats, and cheeses sourced from local Shenandoah Valley farms. Following the traditional pizza-making process created in Naples, Italy, Bella Luna's 900-degree wood-fired oven is ready to warm up your taste buds. All 10-inch pizzas are 100 percent organic and can even be made with a gluten-free crust. While you can't go wrong with the Chef's Choice featuring the freshest local and seasonal ingredients available, we always suggest either the Bella Bianca with a roasted garlic puree or the Chicken Al Forno with locally-roasted chicken and hot sauce.
2. Benny Sorrentino's — 64 S. Mason St., Harrisonburg, VA 22801
   For National Pizza Day, there's no better place to go than the Home of the Virginia Slice. Taking "pizza is life" to a new level, Benny Sorrentino's believes that living an easy, breezy lifestyle with a slice in hand and a smile on your face is the best way to live. Opened in 2014 as part of Harrisonburg's downtown restoration project, every pizza at Benny Sorrentino's gives you a diverse taste of our country — cheese from Minnesota, tomatoes from California, fresh flour and custom Virginia-branded meat from the Midwest. If you're up for The Benny's Challenge, amateur eaters can try to take down a 28-inch pie in under an hour — professional eaters need to do it in under seven minutes!
3. Romano's Italian Bistro — 40 New Hope Rd., McGaheysville, VA 22840
   Southern Italian cuisine is always on the menu at Romano's Italian Bistro. Unlike other pizzerias that may offer dozens upon dozens of combinations, Romano's understands that nothing beats a classic pie. Gourmet pizza options include a Bistro with grilled chicken, a Margherita with fresh tomato, and a White with ricotta cheese. They also have a classic Cheese, Veggie, and Meat Lover, as well as their Romano's Special with pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, onions, mushrooms, and green peppers. Finish it off with a cannoli or a slice of fried cheesecake and call National Pizza Day a success.
4. Mamma Mia Italian Restaurant — 701 S. 3rd St., Shenandoah, VA 22849
   A Shenandoah staple for nearly one-quarter of a century, Mamma Mia Italian Restaurant knows how to please the pizza lovers in town. This family-owned-and-operated pizzeria blends Italian Classics with the hallmarks of the best New York-style pies to create an unforgettable pizza. You can't go wrong with the classic, hand-tossed New York-style" pizza, but we suggest that you make National Pizza Day special with a thick, hand-pressed Sicilian pan pizza. Top it with their premium ingredients like lightly battered eggplant, sautéed shrimp, and Philly steak. After one bite, you'll feel like you're eating in the heart of Mamma Mia's home kitchen.
5. Vito's Italian Kitchen — 1047 Port Republic Rd., Harrisonburg, VA 22801
   When you come to Vito's Italian Kitchen for authentic pizza, you're guaranteed to get a true taste of Italy. Born in Sicily, Vito brought his talent for cooking to Harrisonburg in 2002 and forever changed the pizza game in town. The Soprano and The Godfather will give you an appetite you can't refuse while the Wicked Hot Carolina and The Pellerito delight even the toughest pizza critic. Be sure to ask about their Gourmet Pizza of the Week, made exclusively with a thinner crust, loaded with seasonings, and featuring specialty ingredients.
   
   

Hungry for a home around the Shenandoah Valley? Contact us today to shop homes for sale in Virginia. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but when it comes to listing your home there's only one word you want to hear — sold! Our REALTORS® are here to help you showcase your home with stunning photography. Here are our seven simple steps to capturing picture-perfect listing photos of your home during the winter.

1. Hire a Professional Photographer
   No matter the size or prospective value of your property, we always encourage every homeowner to invest in professional photography for the listing. Many prospective homebuyers will discover your home online and base their decision to schedule a viewing on the photos listed. By hiring professional photography, you'll have an experienced resource who knows how to showcase a property brilliantly even on the dreariest of winter days.
   
   
2. Maintain Your Exterior Landscaping
   Before you have photos taken, you'll need to get your exterior in shape. Trim away any dead branches hanging from your trees, rake up debris and clean your gutters. If snow has fallen, shovel your driveway and sidewalk, and remove any icicles that may have formed around the exterior. Creating a presentable appearance even in the worst conditions will make a positive difference in your photographs.
   
   
3. Enhance Curb Appeal
   Aside from lawn care, you'll need to ensure your curb appeal is as alluring as possible. Consider repainting your exterior walls or front door. Replace your garage door if it's damaged and pressure wash the exterior elements like siding or shingles if they're dirty or discolored. Don't neglect the side and rear of the home either — a great curb appeal will draw buyers in but they'll expect that the other areas surrounding the property look just as impressive.
   
   
4. Light Your Interior Correctly
   In photography, lighting can make or break an image. Choose a time of the day that you can use natural lighting to showcase the interior. If you need to rely on artificial lighting sources, install smart bulbs that allow you to adjust the lighting intensity. You want each room to be well-lit with a soft light that isn't too harsh or creates distracting shadows.
   
   
5. Stage, Don't Decorate
   Selling your home during the winter can be challenging, especially if you're a homeowner who likes to go all-out with holiday decorations. Before you put up any decorations, you need to professionally clean and stage your home. Remove clutter from the interior and exterior, and depersonalize each room. If you must decorate, choose subtle décor that's seasonal, not religious. For instance, keep the giant Santa lawn ornament stored and consider a nice winter wreath for the front door instead. By limiting your religious or cultural-based decorations, you ensure that you won't mistakenly offend buyers who do not celebrate these customs.
   
   
6. Include Photos From Other Seasons
   This may be difficult if you've only recently made the decision to sell your home, but you should always include photographs from the greener months when listing your home in the winter. This is especially important if your home features amenities like a big back yard, garden, pool or patio. Make arrangements in the warmer months to have a few exterior shots taken or use previous photographs that showcase how the property looks when the snow melts away.
   
   
7. Consider Drone or VR Inclusion
   New capabilities in photography and videography allow you to create a listing that is much more elaborate than a few simple snapshots. High-quality photographs taken by a drone can showcase the entire property in one shot while giving a glimpse at what the surrounding neighborhood offers. You can also enable your prospective buyers to "walk" your property from their own homes by including a virtual walk-through on the listing.

Photography is key for all Harrisonburg homes for sale in the wintertime. Contact us today for assistance in creating an unforgettable listing with dynamic photography.

Our real estate agents understand the importance of professional photography and its powerful impact on selling your home. Professional photos make a lasting first-impression and can help you sell your home quicker and for more money. Over 90 percent of home buyers use the internet to search for a house, and the use of professional photos of your home is a great way to grab their attention.

Here are just five reasons why you should consider using a professional photographer for selling your home.

1. Generate Additional Leads
   One of the main advantages of using professional photography to sell your home is that it has a significant impact on generating new leads. Home buyers are attracted to professional photos, as they produce 61% more views compared to other pages without professional images. A professional photo that elegantly displays the interior and exterior of a home is a powerful way to generate additional interest in your home.
2. Staged Photography
   Emotion plays a vital role in any purchase decision and staged photography can grab the attention of a home buyer and help them envision themselves in the home. On the other hand, an empty or poorly furnished house makes it much more difficult to capture the imagination of a prospective home buyer. A professional photographer can rearrange each room or bring in additional props to create a powerful image of each room inside your home.
3. Focus on the Best Angles
   One of the main challenges of photography is to focus on the right angles for each photo. A professional photographer will understand the best angles for each room and concentrate on creating top-quality photos that display the beauty of your home. A tripod can deliver the perfect shot, and a professional photographer will take multiple photos for the best results
4. Add Ambience
   Creating the perfect lightning is another key aspect of photography. A professional photographer will understand how to take advantage of the natural light coming through the window or if a lamp is needed to create the perfect ambiance within a room. Capturing the right amount of light is a small detail that has a significant role in creating a high-quality photo that displays the characteristics within a home.
5. Post-Production & Editing
   The post-production process is critical in selecting the best photos available and enhancing the quality of each image. Each photo will be edited to maximize the appearance of the exterior and interior of a home. Ensuring that the landscape surrounding the home, such as the trees and lawn is perfect is just a small detail that has a significant impact on improving the quality of the photos.

Professional photography plays a vital role in attracting potential home buyers and can help improve the speed of the entire process, while also allowing you to sell your home at a much better price. If you wish to learn more, feel free to contact Old Dominion Realty for more ideas on selling or buying your home in the Virginia and West Virginia real estate markets.