Perhaps others can, but I cannot access the photos in this format.

I can see them because I'm signed into my Google Chrome account, but I don't have any good advice. Curious to see what others say.

They just need more light.

Why would you want to cut the lower branches off?

Sorry about the pictures not working for everyone.

As for the question about cutting the bottom branches, they're all stuck along the ground (along with leaves and such), and everything is kind of big and sparse.

I just want them to look good. Not like a big, ugly mess.

I would say that their appearance - good or bad - is just a matter of personal opinion. To me, they just look like a long-established planting of mature rhododendrons. FWIW, for various reasons, these may not have a neat, perfectly rounded shape but do tend to grow in a more directional habit in response to available sunlight........very few shrubs grow into a perfectly rounded mound :-)

The plants themselves look healthy enough, although there is some weevil damage. If you dislike their appearance, you can certainly cut them back hard - I'd wait until after next spring's bloom cycle to do so - but do not expect much from them in the way of visual improvement for several years after doing so. Clearing out some of the trees or limbing them up to allow more sunlight might encourage them to fill in a bit better also.

Hey Sarah

Im in a similar boat (bought a foreclosure last year, badly neglected rhododendrons). What did you end up doing and was it successful?