Most Recent Additions/Changes - New Listings Report - REO Listings Report - Short Sale Listings Report - Blog Posts - Gas Cost Calculator for Trips - Market Snapshot Report - Just Sold Reports - Real Estate Market Statistics

My Pole Cam

I read about Pole Arial Photography (PAP) on some discussion groups and wanted to try it for myself.  What I found was that even the most basic setup was going to cost some $$$ plus it seemed difficult to use.  To get the "extreme" with a pole that attached to the trailer hitch of a car/truck was overkill to me and WAY too costly. I'll leave that to photography companies that make their living on Pole Aerial Photography and can invest $10,000 on the equipment. I just wanted a solution to take some photos of my listings.  Another solution I read about was using a Hastings Stick which is a fiberglass pole available in different lengths. A 35 foot Hastings Stick retails for between $300-$400 and then you have to figure out how to mount the camera and how you're going to take the photos. There are some mounting kits available with remote shutter releases but they also cost $$$ and add weight to the top of the pole. You'll need a sturdy (heavy) pole if you put a lot of weight at the top to keep it from swaying out of control, especially if you plan to go real high off the ground. 

So, here's what I came up with for my "Pole Cam":

- I went to a hardware store and purchased a painters pole that extended to 15 feet. I think that cost me around $30.

-  psremote software from Breeze Systems (http://www.breezesys.com/PSRemote/index.htm)

- A Canon PowerShot SX100 IS camera (compatible with the psremote software)

- A 20 foot USB cable (one that came with the camera plus a USB extender cable).

To mount the camera, I used a plastic mount I had laying around for a Internet web camera. This provided me with the tripod mount to easily remove the camera when I wasn't using it. The pole inserted into the camera mount surprisingly well and then I used good ole' duct tape to secure it. I also wrap the camera strap around the pole when I'm using it to keep the strap from flapping around and to hopefully proved a backup in case the duct tape fails.

The USB cable plugs into the camera and the laptop and I'm set to go! I can turn on "live preview" from the psremote software to see what the camera is seeing (just like I'm looking through the camera's viewfinder). I can move the pole camera around to get the shot that I want and then I hit a single function key to take a photo.

What I like about my setup is that I can do this all myself, using one hand to keep the camera in the air and the other to push the laptop key. I've found that when I'm needing to take photos on a listing, it's a pain to get someone to help hold and move the pole. I also find it easier to move the pole myself so I can get the photo I want.

Here's a photo of me with my Pole Cam and how I take the photos. (I wasn't actually taking photos on this foggy day though!).

To be able to do it this way, I can't have too much weight on the top of the pole or its going to be difficult to keep control of the pole. The Canon SX100 weighs about 10 ounces. Compare that to a DSLR like a Canon Rebel which weighs over 25 ounces once you have the battery and lens installed on the camera body. I see that as a problem and don't really want to see what a Canon Rebel looks like after it has crashed to the ground from 15 feet above.

What I also like about my Pole Cam is that it is mobile. I can walk around with the pole not extended, find a shot that I think will work, extend the pole, open my laptop, and I'm shooting. And...I don't need an assistant!  I also get the neighborhood's attention when I'm out and about with my Pole Cam.

So what type of photos do I get from my Pole Cam?

Here are some photos I took for a recent listing. The home was close to the ocean but with ground-level photography, I was unable to show this. But with the pole cam for the front shot, the pole camera was able to get a peak of the ocean.

Below is the front shot taken with my Nikon D80 using a 12mm-24mm wide angle lens followed with the Pole Cam photo. I used both in the presentation of the home.

This set of photos was a path in the neighborhood that went down to the ocean. As you'll see, the pole cam allowed me to show the entire path and horseshoe pit, rather than just parts of it that I could get with ground-level photography.

I haven't had my Pole Cam all that long so I'm still experimenting with it but I'm happy I have it to complement my other photography.