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PFRE is the original online resource for real estate and interior photographers. Since 2006, it has been a community hub where like-minded professionals from around the world gather to share information with a common goal of improving their work and advancing their business. With thousands of articles, covering hundreds of topics, PFRE offers the most robust collection of educational material in our field. The history of real estate photography has been documented within these pages.
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Image banner for the March 2024 PFRE Photographer of the Month Winner Alex Vincent, with a featured image of his winning photo titled "Kitchen."

Congratulations Alex Vincent! March 2024 PFRE Photographer of the Month

Congratulations Alex Vincent, March 2024 PFRE Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was "Kitchen". Alex Vincent - #906 Yvonne Raaijmakers - #909 Peter Wingfield - #902 Here's what Alex has to say: Thank you for the award of Photographer of th ...

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For over a decade, photographers from around the world have participated in PFRE’s monthly photography contests, culminating in the year-end crowning of PFRE’s Photographer of the Year. With a new theme each month and commentary offered by some of the finest real estate & interior photographers anywhere, these contests offer a fun, competitive environment with rich learning opportunities. 

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Posts By Larry Lohrman

Larry Lohrman
Latest posts by Larry Lohrman (see all)

Congratulations Gary Kasl – November PFRE Photographer of the Month

In: 
24/11/2017
16 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Gary Kasl in Carlsbad, CA, who the jury has voted PFRE Photographer of the Month for November. This is Gary's second win as the PFRE Photographer of the Month. Here are the entries that the jurors awarded points to this month in order of points awarded: Gary Kasl #1 Matt Davis #32 Dan […]
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LR/Enfuse and Photomatix Fusion Speed Comparison

In: 
17/11/2017
6 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Eric in Florida says: I am starting to use LR/Enfuse more often. I normally use Photomatix, because it processes much faster than LR/Enfuse. I am using LR/Enfuse at the default settings. I was wondering if there are any other settings you might recommend that make LR/Enfuse process faster. Since Simon Maxwell is the expert on […]

How Do You Control Glare and Reflections on Interior Windows?

In: 
14/11/2017
11 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Darren in Northern California says: Is there a particular technique or tactic to reducing glare and reflections on interior windows during twilight photo shoots? I capture a few exposures (ambient and flash fill) and then brush them together in editing. Often times, the views beyond the window are obstructed by interior reflections. Window glares and […]

Where Is the Most Demand for Real Estate Photography?

In: 
03/11/2017
10 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Jack in Washington DC asks: I'm considering relocating my business (currently in DC) to either Miami or Tampa/Orlando. Do you have any insights on which market is harder to break into for real estate/interiors photography? My initial thought is Miami may have more opportunity, but the sheer volume of photographers is also higher and I'll be […]

Congratulations Matt Rosendahl – October PFRE Photographer of the Month

In: 
25/10/2017
28 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Matt Rosendahl of Northern California who the jury has voted PFRE Photographer of the Month for October. This is Matt's first win! Here are the entries that the jurors awarded points to this month:

My MLS Told Me I Am Not Allowed to Sell My Photos to the New Agent Taking Over the Listing

In: 
24/10/2017
27 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Mike in Pennsylvania says: I was just told by the MLS in my area that I am not allowed to sell my photos to the new agent taking over a listing that is on a different broker of record. She told me that the broker of record and the agent own the rights to the photos. […]

How Should Real Estate Videographers Deliver Video?

In: 
23/10/2017
8 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
in Virginia says: I'm trying to compress video files into a size that is more digestible to my clients. I'm using (web-based) PremierPro CC 2017 and I am working on a MacBook Pro. Everything I'm producing is beautiful, with regard to clarity but are 400mb to 700mb in size.

How Much Should You Charge for 1 to 3 Minutes of Drone Video?

In: 
13/10/2017
12 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
I was reviewing the blog stats today and noticed how popular the subject of what to charge for drone photography/video is this last year. In the last 365 days, this has been the most popular subject on this site (please see associated poll below), beating the post on wide-angle lenses which has historically been the MOST visited post. […]

Do Any Real Estate Photographers Use LED Lights Rather than Flash?

In: 
06/10/2017
7 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Earlier this week a reader asked: Does anyone use LED lights so that you can see how everything looks before shooting (aka not relying on flash lighting)? I don't have any direct experience using LED lighting but I would speculate that in general, continuous LED lighting wouldn't be that much of an advantage for real estate […]

Can Homeowners Claim Rights to Listing Photos after Their Property Is Sold?

In: 
03/10/2017
17 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Kelvin in Montana asks: The owner of a listing I shot two years ago is claiming that because they remodeled a home, the property rights of the photos of the home when it was in that stage belonged to them... This guy was saying I couldn’t/shouldn’t be able to sell photos from 2 years ago […]

Image Delivery Services that Deliver After the Client Pays

In: 
28/09/2017
By: Larry Lohrman
Craig in Virginia asked: Can you remind me where to look back to find the post about the service that allows you to require payment automatically when clients download images?

Congratulations Dave Spencer - September PFRE Photographer of the Month

In: 
25/09/2017
6 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Dave Spencer of Gig Harbor, Washington who the jury has voted PFRE Photographer of the Month for September. This is Dave's first win! Here are the entries that the jurors awarded points to this month:

Congratulations to Jacob Allen - PFRE Videographer of the Month for Jun/Jul/Aug/Sep

In: 
22/09/2017
3 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
to Jacob Allen, in Alameda County California who has won the June/July/Aug/Sept  PFRE videographer of the Month Contest. Here is his winning video. Here are the contestants in order of points the jurors awarded them:

A Short History of Real Estate Photography

In: 
20/09/2017
12 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Jody who has been in real estate for a long time says: I know you've done a lot of articles on the new/correct ways to photograph real estate but I haven't seen any articles about how the process is really changing. Just 15 years ago, you weren't even able to see a house for sale […]

How Do Photographers Deal with the Results of Cataract Surgery?

In: 
19/09/2017
9 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Larry in Virginia asks: I have a question about vision problems and photography. I had cataract surgery two years ago after having been nearsighted and wearing glasses daily for most of my life. I never had a problem with my vision in my photography with glasses.

Can You Shoot Interior Real Estate Interior Video with a Drone?

In: 
07/09/2017
10 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
in Oregon asks: I've been looking at the new DJI Spark drone for shooting interior videos. These drones are almost "micro size" with the 2-axis gimbal and because you are shooting inside, I don't believe there is any certification required from the FAA. I'm wondering if anybody else is considering this or currently shooting video […]

What Lenses Do Real Real Estate Photographers Use for Exterior Shots?

In: 
31/08/2017
By: Larry Lohrman
Heather in Calgary, Alberta asks: I have a question about exterior real estate photography. I currently have a Nikon D3S and use a Nikkor 14-24mm lens. The issue I am running into is lens flare when shooting exteriors. You can't put a filter on this lens because it is convex and the fixed lens hood […]

Congratulations Franz Rabe - August PFRE Photographer of the Month

In: 
25/08/2017
14 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Franz Rabe of Pretoria, South Africa who the jury has voted PFRE Photographer of the Month for August. This is Franz's first win! Here are the entries that the jurors awarded points to this month:

What Is the Best Way to Control White Balance When Shooting HDR or Enfuse?

In: 
23/08/2017
15 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Charlie in Illinois asks: I bracket my photos and the white balance of the merged pictures is rarely accurate. I currently don't change the white balance of the RAW files in Lightroom before exporting to Photomatix. Should I?

How Do You Properly Use a Slider to Make a Great Video for Real Estate?

In: 
15/08/2017
9 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
and Don in Southern Ontario ask: How do you properly use a slider to make a great video for Real Estate? This is a pretty good video on the mechanics of how to use a slider. As far as how to use a slider in a real estate shoot, I think it is instructive to […]

Should I Invest in Providing Matterport Tours as a Product?

In: 
10/08/2017
24 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
in South Carolina says: I own an aerial videography company and have done several virtual home tours using an Osmo with my DJI X5 camera for interiors. I recently started researching the Matterport camera system for actual 3D virtual tours, but it just seems too good to be true and I don't want to invest […]

Congratulations Michael Lefebvre - July PFRE Photographer of the Month

In: 
24/07/2017
18 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Mike Lefebvre of Sherborn, MA whom the jury voted the PFRE Photographer of the Month for July! This is Mike's first win! Here are the entries that the jurors awarded points to this month: Michael Lefebvre Wade Steelman Peggy Parr Wright Julie Legge Garey Gomez Matthew Stallone Andrew Pece

What Are the Recommended Photo Delivery Methods for Real Estate Photographers?

In: 
22/07/2017
21 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Bill in Northern Virginia recently asked the question: I have been experiencing some issues in sending clients their photos and videos. What are some recommended photo delivery services to use? First of all, I would not send video files to Realtors. Most Realtors won't have a clue what to do with a large video file. […]

How Do You Light and Photograph a Large Interior Space?

In: 
19/07/2017
9 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
in Iowa asked: I have been asked to photograph the interior of a commercial property. I went there in advance to see how I would set up my lighting, but honestly I'm having a hard time coming up with a plan. It is a gym with huge open spaces and very high ceilings. I thought […]

Why You Can't Use Auto Exposure Bracketing When Using a Flash

In: 
12/07/2017
5 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Ron in Northern California says: I love your resource here. I have a Canon 5D MKIII with 600EX-RT speedlite and ST-E3-RT trigger. I've been shooting for a couple of months using brackets and Lightroom HDR. I had some color consistency issues and after reading some your posts on using a manual flash I added flash […]

What Should Real Estate Photographers Base Their Pricing On?

In: 
07/07/2017
10 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Aaron in Ohio asks: I know most real estate photographers charge based on the square footage of a property but lately I have been charging a per image fee. It seems to be working but I have gotten some guff about it. I do this because some Realtors want upwards of 50 images for 1500 […]

What Is the Best Way to Allow Clients to Pay with Credit Cards?

In: 
27/06/2017
By: Larry Lohrman
Eric in Florida says: Years ago I accepted credit cards, but the fees got too expensive. Most of my clients pay with a check and some cash at the shoot. I invoice some of my good agents and receive payment in a week or two.  Some clients pay late but will offer their credit card […]

Congratulations Aaron Kraft – June PFRE Photographer of the Month

In: 
24/06/2017
11 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Aaron Kraft of Jackson, Wyoming who the jury has voted PFRE Photographer of the Month for June. This is Aaron's fourth win. He's previously won in May of 2017, August 2016 and October 2016. Here are all the entries that the jurors awarded points to this month:

Congratulations to Hamish Beeston - PFRE Videographer of the Month for April/May

In: 
01/06/2017
4 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Hamish Beeston, Bristol, UK who has won the April/May  PFRE videographer of the Month Contest. Here is his winning video. Here are the contestants that the jurors awarded points to this month: Hamish Beeston John Lindsay Allan MacKenzie Joshua Vernon-Rogers Dave Dwyer Jarett Horton Patrick Bertolino

Congratulations Aaron Kraft – May PFRE Photographer of the Month

In: 
23/05/2017
9 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Aaron Kraft of Jackson, Wyoming who the jury has voted PFRE Photographer of the Month for May. This is Aaron's third win. He won in August 2016 and October 2016. Here are all the entries that the jurors awarded points to this month: Aaron Kraft Garey Gomez Stefano Pedroni Matt Rosendahl Alasdair McIntosh […]

Should You Work As a Contract Real Estate Photographer?

In: 
17/05/2017
7 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
John asks: I am an aspiring photographer but I'm trying to decide if its worth it for me or not. I have tried to contact some of the regional real estate photography companies to contract shoot for them but I can't get a good read on the photographer compensation. How much do real estate photographers […]

A Foolproof Digital Workflow for the Professional Real Estate Photographer

In: 
29/04/2017
By: Larry Lohrman
This is a guest post by Marc Weisberg of Irvine, CA. Marc is giving a workshop in NYC, June 5th and 6th. Having a foolproof digital post production backup system for architectural and real estate photographers is essential. Below, is a detailed look at the workflow and post production system I use at my studio. I've […]

Congratulations Brian Doherty – April PFRE Photographer of the Month

In: 
24/04/2017
12 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Brian Doherty of Boston, MA who the jury has voted PFRE Photographer of the Month for April. This is Brian’s fourth win as the PFRE Photographer of the Month. The other three wins were November and June 2016 and July 2015.

How Many Photos Should Real Estate Photographers Provide?

In: 
14/04/2017
33 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Michael in Illinois recently asked: My MLS has changed the real estate photography playing field. The number of photos allowed used to be limited to 25. They now allow an unlimited number of photos for each listing. So for me, this is a great advantage, since my competition in this market typically provides only 25 or so […]

How Do Real Estate Photographers Deal With Dark Colored and High Gloss Walls?

In: 
08/04/2017
7 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
in South Carolina asked: Shot a higher end house the other day and encountered a tough scenario: black walls, dark wood, lots of windows. Any tips or tricks for shooting black walls? Flashes were doing very little at full power. Also in the same house, high gloss red paint! I left the flashes in the bag […]

Congratulations Gary Kasl – March PFRE Photographer of the Month

In: 
22/03/2017
13 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Gary Kasl in Carlsbad, CA, who the jury has voted PFRE Photographer of the Month for March. This is Gary's first win as the PFRE Photographer of the Month. Because there were 36 great kitchen images, the voting was very close. Here are the entries that the jurors awarded points to this month in order […]

Is Compositing Ambient and Flash Shots in Photoshop for You?

In: , ,
18/03/2017
16 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
recently asked the following: I would love to know via a poll how many real estate photographers do a Lightroom to Photoshop composite process vs. lighting the way Scott Hargis does where you spend much less time post processing.  I see so many tutorials on YouTube for compositing, and it seems like it's a very big […]

How Do You Avoid Having Shadows When Shooting Rooms with a Ceiling Fan?

In: 
07/03/2017
11 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Rob in Southern CA asks: What's the best way to avoid shadows on ceilings fans, chandeliers, etc? When using strobes I know I can blend in an ambient exposure but I'm looking for a technique or trick without those extra steps. Yes, shadows from things that hang from ceilings are a pain! The trick to […]

How Do You Deal with Bright Windows When Shooting Interior Real Estate Property Video?

In: 
06/03/2017
7 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
in South Carolina asks: I have a question regarding the creation of interior videos. HOW can a video be recorded which allows proper exposure of the room AND the view through the windows? This has eluded me for years! What is so simple to do with a flash in still photography, seems impossible in video […]

Congratulations to Vic DeVore – February PFRE Videographer of the Month

In: 
02/03/2017
4 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Vic DeVore, of Clermont, FL who the video jury has voted PFRE videographer of the month for February 2017. Click here or the image to the right to look at Vic's winning video. Here are the results of the video jury's voting: Vic DeVore Travis Rowan Ryan Haschke Brad Barnson Gary Kasl Full […]
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