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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 April 2025 PFRE Photographer of the Month Winner Dave Koch, with a featured image of his winning photo titled "Primary Bedroom"

Congratulations Dave Koch! April 2025 PFRE Photographer of the Month

Congratulations Dave Koch, April 2025 PFRE Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was "Primary Bedroom".Dave Koch - Entry 1056 Peter Wingfield - Entry 1051 Paul-Dan Dragoman - Entry 1053Here's what Dave has to say:Thank you so much — this real ...

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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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PFRE prides itself on the depth and breadth of the information and professional development resources it makes available to our community. Our goal is to help real estate and interior photographers be successful while bringing the community together and elevating the industry as a whole.
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Congratulations to Andre Mckenzie--March 2020 PFRE Videographer of the Month!

In: 
04/04/2020
8 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Andre Mckenzie from Toronto, Ontario who has won the March 2020 PFRE Videographer of the Month Contest! Here is Andre's winning video.  This is one of the more unique real estate videos I've ever seen and I'm sure it will raise plenty of questions within the community.  I should note that when Andre […]
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Congratulations Danielle Robertson--March 2020 PFRE Photographer of the Month!

In: 
24/03/2020
13 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Danielle Robertson from Scituate, MA--March 2020 PFRE Photographer of the Month. The theme this month was "kitchen" and we had 55 entries from around the world.  Every March we get to see a great cross section of different kitchen designs across the globe and this year was no exception. Pierre Galant won last […]

Is Zillow Entering the Field as a Direct Competitor?

In: 
19/03/2020
22 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Mike, from Palm Harbor, FL recently wrote in to advise me of a survey he received from Zillow. I found it both interesting and disturbing at the same time. I thought it would make for an important post for a couple of reasons. First, to give our community a heads-up of what might be coming […]

Copyright Registration and the Importance of "Chain of Evidence Custody"

In: 
09/03/2020
31 Comments
By: Mike Boatman
Author: Mike Boatman This is my personal viewpoint. This is my opinion based on my personal experiences. Other people have different experiences and therefore, their viewpoint may be different than mine. Understanding What You’re Up Against I will boldly repeat something that I stated in my previous article because I believe it is worth repeating: […]

Congratulations Matt Davis--February 2020 PFRE Photographer of the Month

In: 
24/02/2020
15 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Third time's a charm! Congratulations to Matt Davis from London, UK for defending the living room contest for three years in a row! What an outstanding accomplishment! The living room/family room contest always brings out a good crowd and this year was no exception. I had 56 entries from around the world. The demand for […]

Congratulations to Nick Swartzendruber -- January 2020 PFRE Videographer of the Month!

In: 
31/01/2020
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Nick Swartzendruber from California who has won the January 2020 PFRE Videographer of the Month Contest! Here is Nick's winning video.  Nick has been consistently raising the bar of real estate cinematography over the past few years and this video is no exception. You can see more of Nick's work at Drone Cowboys. […]

Congratulations Kristine Kohl--January 2020 PFRE Photographer of the Month!

In: 
23/01/2020
15 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Kristine Kohl from Kennewick, WA; January 2020 Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was twilight and I had 70 entries from around the world; by far, the most entries ever! As always, a big thank you goes out to everyone who participated and to the jurors who continue to volunteer their […]

Congratulations to Ollie Paterson - 2019 PFRE Videographer of the Year!

In: 
23/12/2019
6 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Ollie Paterson from San Diego, CA. Ollie won the April and November Videographer of the Month contests and has now been named PFRE Videographer of the Year for 2019. Here's what Ollie had to say about his win: “Thanks for this huge honor; it really means a lot. It’s been great being part […]

GEAR REVIEW: Godox AD400 Pro Flash vs. Neewer I6Tex Flash

In: 
21/12/2019
11 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
It’s funny how things work out. Yesterday, I posted an article on extending the life of lithium-ion batteries, as there appears to be an increasing number of shooters moving to flashes powered by these types of batteries--particularly those from Godox/Flashpoint. Well, this morning, while checking out a few YouTube videos, I ran across a quick, […]

Congratulations to Garey Gomez - PFRE Photographer of the Year for 2019!

In: 
19/12/2019
23 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Garey Gomez from Atlanta, Georgia; PFRE Photographer of the Year for 2019! Garey finished third place in the 2018 Photographer of the Year contest with two POTM wins in June and August, last year. He then followed that up with a win in the "Master Bedroom" category in April 2019, leading to a […]

Congratulations to Ollie Paterson--November 2019 PFRE Videographer of the Month!

In: 
03/12/2019
16 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Ollie Paterson from San Diego, CA, who has won the November 2019 PFRE Videographer of the Month Contest! Here is Ollie's winning video. Ollie also won the April 2019 VOTM contest with this great video. There are many conflicting opinions on the value and purpose of real estate videography/cinematography but regardless of your […]

Congratulations Brian Berkowitz--November 2019 PFRE Photographer of the Month!

In: 
25/11/2019
18 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Brian Berkowitz from New York; November 2019 Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was open (meaning any real estate photo was acceptable) and I had 53 entries from around the world. As always, a big thank you goes out to everyone who participated, and to the jurors who continue to volunteer […]

Skydio 2 vs DJIMavic2Pro: A Battle for Drone Supremacy in Our Field?

In: 
31/10/2019
By: Brandon Cooper
I’ve been using drones in my real estate photography business for a few years now and I’ve always been amazed at both the capabilities of these devices, and the speed at which new advances are made. I've recently stumbled across a video for the new Skydio 2 drone and its specs are remarkable, particularly its […]

Congratulations Matt Van Emmerik--October 2019 PFRE Photographer of the Month!

In: 
22/10/2019
11 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Matt Van Emmerik from Kelowna, BC--October 2019 Photographer of the Month! . This is Matt's third win in 2019! The theme this month was Elevated Exterior Shot - Aerial, Pole, or UAV and I had 21 entries from around the world. As always, a big thank you goes out to everyone who participated, […]

Aspect Ratio for MLS and Free Lightroom Preset

In: ,
17/10/2019
9 Comments
By: Garey Gomez
As a real estate photographer, it can be challenging to shoot real estate photos with the right composition and still achieve an aspect ratio required by most MLS. So, how do you handle delivering photos outside of landscape orientation?  Quick NavigationRecommended Aspect Ratio For MLSImport the Photo in LightroomImport the PresetApply the PresetFine-Tune the SettingsFrequently […]

What Sliders and Stabilizers Are Videographer's Using for Real Estate?

In: 
14/10/2019
9 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Ben from Toronto writes: I'm getting into real estate videography and am trying to decide whether I should purchase a slider, a gimbal, or both? There seem to be a ton of options out there with a wide range of price differences. I was hoping you could help point me in the right direction? Ben, […]

Do I Really Need to Be Shooting in RAW?

In: 
10/10/2019
21 Comments
By: Tony Colangelo
Author: Tony Colangelo Sandy from Port St. Lucie, FL, writes: “I’m new to real estate photography and I’m trying to wrap my head around so many things. I’ve watched a few YouTube videos where different people say that for real estate photography, you don’t really need to shoot in RAW because the image is only […]

Is Your Trigger Affecting Your White Balance?

In: 
02/10/2019
27 Comments
By: Tony Colangelo
Author: Tony Colangelo Like so many others in my community, I use the Godox/Flashpoint flash systems. Not only do they offer a wide variety of flashes to cover different needs, they utilize a coordinated triggering system that allows all flashes within the Godox/Flashpoint family to be controlled by one trigger. One of the things that […]

Congratulations to Nicholas Marshall--PFRE Videographer of the Month September 2019!

In: 
30/09/2019
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Nicholas Ford Marshall from San Dimas, CA who has won the September 2019 PFRE Videographer of the Month Contest! Here is Nicholas's great video. Here are the top three contestants in order of points awarded by the jurors: Nicholas Marshall #7 Andre Mckenzie #2 Tacey Jungmann #4 You can check out all the […]

Congratulations Brian Berkowitz--September 2019 PFRE Photographer of the Month!

In: 
23/09/2019
13 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Brian Berkowitz from New York; September 2019 Photographer of the Month!  The theme this month was patio, deck, or garden space and I had 29 entries from around the world. As always, a big thank you goes out to everyone who participated, and to the jurors who continue to volunteer their valuable time […]

How to Shoot Dark Wooden Spaces

In: 
10/09/2019
7 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Dan in California, writes: "I'd like to hear how most of you deal with wood. Wood on the ceilings, wood on the walls, wood on the floors. Many homes I shoot, and some commercial buildings have cedar or knotty pine ceilings, including more and more of the $1 million+ homes I work on. I also […]

Congratulations Matt Van Emmerik--August 2019 PFRE Photographer of the Month!

In: 
24/08/2019
9 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Matt Van Emmerik from Kelowna, BC--August 2019 Photographer of the Month! And no, this isn't a misprint. Matt has pulled off the elusive back to back win. The theme this month was daylight exterior and I had 44 entries from around the world. As always, a big thank you goes out to everyone […]

What’s Your Preferred Camera Height for the Exterior "Hero" Shot?

In: 
14/08/2019
14 Comments
By: Tony Colangelo
Robin, from New Bedford, MA writes: “When I go through the Flickr group, I see some people shooting exteriors from a low camera height and others who seem to put their camera much higher--like on a pole or something like that. Do you have a suggestion about what is the best camera height for exterior […]

Congratulations to Peter Polyak--PFRE Videographer of the Month July 2019!

In: 
31/07/2019
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Peter Polyak from LuxHunters in Miami, FL who has won the July 2019 PFRE Videographer of the Month Contest! Here is Peter's great video. Here are the top three contestants in order of points awarded by the jurors: Peter Polyak #2 Nicholas Marshall #6 Ollie Paterson #4 You can check out all the […]

Congratulations Matt Van Emmerik--July 2019 PFRE Photographer of the Month!

In: 
23/07/2019
15 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Matt Van Emmerik from Kelowna, BC--July 2019 Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was Master Ensuite and I had 43 entries from around the world. As always, a big thank you goes out to everyone who participated and to the jury who continue to volunteer their valuable time and thoughtful insights. […]

The Case for Vertical Compositions in Real Estate Photography

In: 
10/07/2019
9 Comments
By: Pierre Galant
Author: Pierre Galant Some of my real estate clients insist on not doing any vertical shots. Their reasoning is that they do not display well on traditional real estate outlets such as the MLS and syndicated sites. This makes sense to some degree, however, I believe this is a short-sighted perspective. While those sites are […]

Congratulations to Andre Mckenzie--PFRE Videographer of the Month June 2019!

In: 
01/07/2019
1 Comment
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Andre Mckenzie from Silverhouse HD in Toronto, ON who has won the June 2019 PFRE Videographer of the Month Contest! Here is Andre's great video. Here are the contestants in order of points awarded by the jurors: Andre Mckenzie #1 Ollie Paterson #2 Matt Van Emmerik #3 You can check out all the […]

Congratulations Tim Cotter--June 2019 PFRE Photographer of the Month!

In: 
24/06/2019
6 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Tim Cotter from Bend, OR--June 2019 Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was Formal Dining and I had 44 entries from around the world. As always, a big thank you goes out to everyone who participated and to the jury who continue to volunteer their valuable time and thoughtful insights. Tim […]

What Is the Best Way to Pull Windows While Shooting Video?

In: 
13/06/2019
13 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Pete in Seattle, writes: I have a Sony A6300 using the 10-18mm lens along with a Flycam stabilizer. I process the video from the camera with Adobe Premiere Pro. I have seen that shooting video at two stops under is recommended however, I still can't get the windows to look like they do in my […]

Announcement: The Art and Science of Great Composition Video Tutorial by Tony Colangelo

In: 
05/06/2019
14 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
I am so excited to officially announce a brand new video tutorial from Tony Colangelo, a long-time contributor to PFRE and one of the most respected people in my community. Over the years, many people have benefited from Tony's advice on the PFRE Flickr group and especially, from his in-depth comments made as a juror […]

Congratulations to Zoltan Present--PFRE Videographer of the Month May 2019!

In: 
31/05/2019
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Zoltan Present from Luxhunters in Miami, FL who has won the May 2019 PFRE Videographer of the Month Contest! Here is Zoltan's great video. Here are the contestants in order of points awarded by the jurors: Zoltan Present (Luxhunters) #1 Kelsey Norris #2 Ollie Paterson #3 You can check out all the entries […]

Congratulations Anastasia Alkema--May 2019 PFRE Photographer of the Month!

In: 
24/05/2019
9 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Anastasia Alkema from Atlanta, GA--May 2019 Photographer of the Month! For the first time ever, the theme this month was detail shot and I had 37 entries from around the world. As always, a big thank you goes out to everyone who participated and to the jury who continue to volunteer their valuable […]

Realistic Real Estate Photos - Part 1: Why "Window Pulls" Don't Make Sense

In: 
23/05/2019
34 Comments
By: Garey Gomez
Window pulls allow you to pull the view outside the window and make it visible, allowing you to show the outside of your property in the same photo. However, they may deny you the opportunity to display the details of your interior. So, do window pulls make sense? Quick NavigationWhy Window Pulls Don’t Make SenseSituations […]

Real Estate Photos Are Distorting Reality, Frustrating Home Buyers

In: 
17/05/2019
26 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
My post today is based on an article that was brought to my attention by David Williamson in Perth, Australia. The article's tagline was particularly interesting to me: "Wide-angle lenses, Photoshop, and virtual staging: Real estate photo enhancement is reaching new heights as desperate sellers look to sell imperfect homes."     Rosemary Counter - Macleans […]

Congratulations to Ollie Paterson--April 2019 PFRE Videographer of the Month!

In: 
30/04/2019
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Ollie Paterson from San Diego, CA, who has won the March/April 2019 PFRE Videographer of the Month Contest! Here is Ollie's winning video. Here's what Ollie had to say about his winning video: Thanks so much to PFRE, the judges, and everyone involved in the competition. It is a huge honor to be […]

Preparing Your Images for MLS and Printing

In: 
29/04/2019
By: Tony Colangelo
Jennifer, from Oakville, ON, Canada, asks: I’m a bit confused about resizing images. I’m not exactly sure about color space terminology and what a good "DPI" is for MLS. It’s my sense that MLS requirements for web pics are different from region to region across my area (I’m in central Canada) and I’m assuming it’s […]

Congratulations Garey Gomez! - April 2019 PFRE Photographer of the Month

In: 
24/04/2019
14 Comments
By: Brandon Cooper
Congratulations to Garey Gomez from Decatur, GA, April 2019 Photographer of the Month! The theme this month was master bedroom and I had 30 entries from around the world. As always, a big thank you goes out to everyone who participated and to the jury who continue to volunteer their valuable time and thoughtful insights. […]

Conquering the Glare of Stainless Steel Surfaces

In: 
22/04/2019
3 Comments
By: Tony Colangelo
Lane, from Topeka, KS writes: It doesn’t seem to matter how hard I try to get it right, my kitchen shots get killed by bright reflections and glare coming off of stainless steel appliances. This gets really bad with the fridge, which ends up looking like a circus mirror! What can I do? There’s no […]

Photoshop Technique: Using Color Blend Mode for Color Corrections

In: ,
04/04/2019
11 Comments
By: Garey Gomez
? When shooting interiors, I frequently run into problems associated with color contamination. Whether it's a strong color cast, glare on a glossy or reflective surface, or even stained or blemished flooring or furnishings, there's one trick I use all the time in my workflow to help me correct those issues: Color Blend Mode. The […]

What Kinds of Stabilizers Are Property Video Shooters Using?

In: 
28/03/2019
By: Larry Lohrman
Last week Robert asked: I am looking to enter the field of real estate video.  I was wondering what is the best 3 axis hand held gimbal you or your readers might recommend - or would a good dolly work for interiors. I shoot primarily with the Canon 5D Mark III and a 16-35mm lens. […]
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