---
title: "Front Exterior Real Estate Photos | NovaHDR"
url: https://www.novahdr.com/real-estate-photos/front-exteriors/
last_updated: 2026-10-12
---

# Front exterior photos with a readable porch and true siding color

The front exterior is usually the first photo in a listing, and it is shot against the biggest light source there is. A bright sky above the roofline, a shaded porch or entry under the eaves and siding or brick in partial sun can all sit in one frame, and the time of day decides which side of the house is lit. White trim and pale siding also pick up the blue of the sky or the green of nearby trees. NovaHDR finishes the front exterior with the rest of the property, balancing the shaded entry against the bright facade and keeping siding, trim and brick in their real colors.

The sky, lawn and garden stay as you photographed them: there is no sky replacement and no grass recoloring.

[Edit a Property](https://app.novahdr.com/sign-up)

## How to send front exterior photos

1. **Export the straight on and angled views** Most listings use a straight on front elevation, one or two three quarter angles and sometimes a drone view. Export each frame as JPEG, PNG or WebP; if you bracketed the exterior, merge it in your own software first.
2. **Upload the exteriors with the interiors** Name the property and upload the front views with every room inside, up to 50 photos. Front door, trim and porch colors often continue into the entryway, so they are finished together.
3. **Send the property and check the cover shot** Use One Property or a plan credit, then send the property. You get the set back 24 to 72 hours after you send the property; check the cover photo first, since it leads the listing.

## Front exterior capture notes

Since the sky and the yard stay as photographed, most of the exterior result is decided by when and how you shoot.

- **Shoot when the sun is on the front**: Check which way the house faces. A facade in direct sun or soft, even light reads far better than one in its own shadow with a bright sky behind.
- **Pick the day for the sky**: A grey or white sky stays grey or white. If the agent wants blue sky, reschedule the exterior for a clearer day.
- **Tidy the frontage**: Bins, hoses, cars in the driveway and signs stay in the finished photo. Move them before shooting.
- **Turn on the porch and entry lights**: Lit porch lights and lanterns help a shaded entry and make the house look welcoming.
- **Keep the camera level and a little high**: A level camera at about head height, or a little higher on a pole, keeps vertical lines upright in the source and shows more of the roof and yard.
- **Give the bright sky some detail**: Expose so the sky keeps some tone and cloud. A sky that is pure white in the source stays white.

## What makes front exteriors hard to photograph

- **Sky versus shaded entry**: The sky is often far brighter than a porch under deep eaves, so one exposure struggles to hold both.
- **The orientation of the house**: Whether the front faces the sun at the time of the shoot decides whether the facade is lit or backlit.
- **Siding picks up color**: White trim and pale siding take on blue from the sky and green from trees and lawns.
- **It is the cover photo**: The front exterior usually leads the listing, so its color and brightness shape the first impression.
- **Finished with the inside**: NovaHDR finishes the property as a set, so the exteriors and interiors arrive as one consistent gallery.
- **Sky and lawn stay as photographed**: The finishing is exposure and color. The sky is not replaced and the lawn is not greened or repaired.

## Front exterior elements and what to check

| Element | Common exposure or color problem | What to check on site |
|---|---|---|
| Sky | Bright, white or grey | Shoot on a clear day, expose for some tone |
| Porch and entry | Deep shade under the eaves | Porch lights on, detail in the shade |
| Siding and trim | Blue or green tint | A time when the facade is evenly lit |
| Lawn and garden | Dry, patchy or brown in season | Watering and mowing before the shoot |
| Driveway | Cars, bins and hoses in view | Frontage cleared before shooting |
| Drone view | Different color from ground views | Drone and ground frames in the same upload |

## What does finishing a front exterior photo mean?

Finishing a front exterior photo is the exposure and color pass that brings a shaded porch and a bright facade into balance and keeps siding, brick and trim looking like the real house. With NovaHDR the exterior is finished with the interiors, and the sky and landscaping stay as they were on the day you shot.

_It is not sky replacement, lawn greening or a twilight look: the sky, grass and time of day stay as photographed._

## Front exterior photo questions

### Can the grey sky in my exterior photo be replaced with blue?

No. NovaHDR does not replace skies. The sky stays the sky you photographed, so reschedule the exterior for a clearer day if blue sky matters to the agent.

### Will a brown lawn look green after finishing?

No. The lawn keeps its real color. Grass greening is not part of the finish.

### Can the shaded porch be brightened?

Yes, if the detail is in the source. The porch is balanced against the facade; areas that are completely black stay black.

### Can a daytime front photo be turned into a twilight shot?

No. The time of day stays as photographed. Shoot at dusk yourself if the listing needs a twilight exterior.

### Can I upload drone photos of the front?

Yes, as JPEG, PNG or WebP files in the same property. They count toward the 50 photo limit.

### How much does a property with exteriors cost?

Exteriors and interiors are one property: up to 50 photos for $29 one-time for one property, or one credit.

## More for exteriors

- [Backyards](https://www.novahdr.com/real-estate-photos/backyards/): The view from the back of the house
- [Garages](https://www.novahdr.com/real-estate-photos/garages/): Garage doors on the street side
- [Entryways](https://www.novahdr.com/real-estate-photos/entryways/): The other side of the front door
- [Cloudy days](https://www.novahdr.com/real-estate-photos/cloudy-days/): Shooting under grey skies
- [Real estate HDR](https://www.novahdr.com/real-estate-hdr/): Balanced exposure from sky to shade
- [All rooms and spaces](https://www.novahdr.com/real-estate-photos/rooms/)

## Send the exteriors with the whole property

Create your account, upload the front views with every room and send the property for editing when everything is in.

[Edit a Property](https://app.novahdr.com/sign-up)