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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 Kerry Bern - PFRE Photographer Of The Month For January

In: 
25/01/2016
11 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Kerry Bern, Ankeny, Iowa who the jury has voted January PFRE Photographer of the month. This month's theme is exterior twilight shots. Here are the contestants that the Jurors awarded points to this month: #2 - Kerry Bern, Ankeny, Iowa #9 - Brett Gray, Brisbane, Australia #16 - Andrew Pece, San Clemente, California […]
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How Do You Deal With Mixed Color Temperatures In Interiors Photography?

In: 
08/01/2016
10 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
John wants to know: How others fix white balance issues on white ceilings. Color casting from adjacent walls, interior lights of varied temperatures and some sunlight all make for a challenging fix. I have been adjusting by using local adjustments brush on the ceilings and using WB tool, a little desaturation and increasing brightness. Wondering […]

Congratulations Travis Rowan - 2015 PFRE Videographer Of the Year

In: 
31/12/2015
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Travis Rowan, of Maui, Hawaii who the video jury has just chosen as the 2015 PFRE  videographer of the year. The  stunning video to the right is Travis's video that won video of the month for May 2015 that got him included as a contestant for videographer of the year. The jurors struggled with this vote. […]

Explanation Of Real Estate Photo Licensing For Agents

In: 
30/12/2015
By: Larry Lohrman
Eric in Southern California asked for the following: I've been looking through the site for a basic simple explanation on copyrights and usage for real estate agents to understand. I've been a photographer for most of my life and doing real estate photos for about eight years and in working with several different agents in […]

Congratulations to Jason Roehner - PFRE Photographer of the year for 2015

In: 
24/12/2015
16 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Jason Roehner, PFRE Photographer of the year for 2015.  Click on the photo to the right to see the large version of this image. Below is the results of the jury's voting. Click on the month to see each photo or go to the PFRE Contest Flickr group to see all of them. This list […]

Congratulations To Hamish Beeston - Oct/Nov Videographer Of The Month

In: 
02/12/2015
10 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Hamish Beeston of Bristol, UK who the video jury has voted PFRE videographer of the month for Oct/Nov. Click on the image to the right to have a look at Hamish's winning video. Hamish has the distinction of being the first contestant ever to win both the still photo contest and the video […]

Congratulations To Hamish Beeston - PFRE Photographer Of The Month For November

In: 
24/11/2015
11 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Hamish Beeston, Bristol, UK who has won the November PFRE photographer of the month. Another UK winner! Wow, these UK shooters can't be stopped! Here are the contestants that the jurors awarded points to this month: #17 - Hamish Beeston -Bristol, UK #28 - Barry MacKenzie - London, Ontario #9 - Tim Krueger - […]

Examples Of Real Estate Video Shot With The DJI OSMO

In: 
23/11/2015
20 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Back in October I did a post on the introduction of the DJI OSMO. Just recently both Jim Barnes and Fred Light shared some of their real estate video done with the OSMO. Here are their videos: Jim Barnes's test video Fred Light's test video Here are Jim's comments on the DJI OSMO:

Sky Replacement For Real Estate Photography - Should You Do It For Free or Charge Extra?

In: 
18/11/2015
14 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Kimi in Minneapolis has the following questions about sky replacement, adding fire in the fireplace and putting images on TVs: The Minneapolis photography market is getting a bit more competitive these days, and one thing that a local photography company is doing as part of their package is replacing grey skies with blue, adding flames […]

Congratulations To Tony Colangelo - His Photos Helped Clients To Win 2015 Gold CARE Award

In: 
07/11/2015
17 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
This last week Tony Colangelo in Victoria, BC told me that his photos helped four of his clients win the top prize in the 2015 CARE Awards. The CARE awards are a big event for the Victoria Residential Builders Association. Tony said: Last week, the largest professional builders' association on Vancouver Island (the Victoria Residential Builders […]

Congratulations To Richard Hookway – PFRE Photographer Of The Month For October

In: 
26/10/2015
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Richard Hookway, of Hampshire, UK who has won the October photographer of the month. The UK folks dominated this month's contest. Probably because shooting with large poles has been popular in the UK for a long time. They may have invented PAP. Here are the contestants that the jurors awarded points to this month: #19 […]

How To Deal With Small Bathrooms On A Real Estate Shoot

In: 
21/10/2015
19 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Bill in Southern California recently asked: Helping an agent complete her interior decorating in a 2 bed/2-bath mid-century newly remodeled home earned me the invitation to shoot it for her upcoming listing. Searching through the PFRE blog postings, I couldn't find anything on how to shoot problematic spaces like the REALLY small 5' x 8' […]

What's The Best Online Booking Application For Real Estate Photography?

In: 
08/10/2015
16 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Wanda asks: Does anyone have a suggestion for a scheduling application that they use for their business. I have been trying booker.com but it just does not fit well for a real estate photographer. I have an assistant that is in the office from 9 -3 but most REALTORS want something that is available to […]

What Can Real Estate Photographers Do To Control The Color Problems When Shooting HDR?

In: 
05/10/2015
18 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Soo recently asked: I am a real estate agent and photographer. I like to do my own photos and I have a Nikon D750 with a 16-35mm lens. I use Photomatix for HDR for the convenience and Photoshop to edit. However, I have never learned how to get rid of the yellow color cast nicely […]

Congratulations To Steve Dolinsky - Aug/Sept PFRE Videographer Of The Month

In: 
01/10/2015
7 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Steve Dolinsky of Nyack, New York who the video jury has voted the PFRE videographer of the month for August/September. Here is Steve's winning video. And here is the ranking results of the jury's voting. To view the videos click on the entry numbers below and then click on the video link in […]

My Wacom Epiphany - Everyone With Multiple Monitors Needs A Wacom Tablet!

In: 
25/09/2015
16 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Epiphany: An experience of sudden and striking realization. Generally the term is used to describe scientific breakthrough, religious or philosophical discoveries, but it can apply in any situation in which an enlightening realization allows a problem or situation to be understood from a new and deeper perspective. Yes, that's what happened to me! After last […]

Congratulations To Travis Rowan - PFRE Photographer Of The Month For September

In: 
24/09/2015
13 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Travis Rowan of Maui, Hawaii who has won the September photographer of the month for September. Travis has won the PFRE video contest three times so he thought he'd try his hand at still photography. Travis is the second photographer/videographer that has won both the video contest and the still contest. Anders Carlson […]

Wayne Capili's Sony A6000 Epiphany

In: 
15/09/2015
24 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
This is a guest post by Wayne Capili. Wayne was the very first PFRE real estate photographer of the year  in 2008. Back then I called it PFRE Idol Contest. If you are a regular in the PFRE Flickr group you've seen a lot of  Wayne's work there. The photo to the right is work […]

The Canon 10-18mm Lens Is a Reason To Start Real Estate Photography With Canon

In: 
09/09/2015
7 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Elsa recently ask the following question: My name is Elsa and I ran into your website today as I was doing some research on the startup of a real estate photography business. I am 19 years old and I want to get this going as soon as possible. The earlier the better right. it would […]

Are There New Rules In California For Real Estate Photographers?

In: 
04/09/2015
18 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Micah, a real estate photographer that recently moved to California asked the following: I heard something interesting today that I hadn't heard of before but thought maybe you knew: Someone was telling me that photographers who shoot real estate in California need a real estate license in order to do it legally. Is this true? […]

Congratulations Alasdair McIntosh PFRE Photographer of The Month August

In: 
24/08/2015
8 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Alasdair McIntosh, York, UK, the PFRE photographer of the month for August. Alasdair is a first-time winner. He's been a regular contestant for a long while. I must say, I really like this beautifully composed exterior shot of this idyllic English cottage. Great job Alasdair! Here are all the contestants that the jurors awarded […]

Should I Be Shooting More In Portrait Mode Since Mobile Devices Are Used So Widely?

In: 
07/08/2015
18 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Billy posed the following question recently: With there being so much mobile traffic now a days and their native resolutions being in a portrait/vertical orientation vs landscape - have you or any other photographers considered framing more shots in this manner? I've yet to run across a real estate specific website that will auto scale […]

Congratulations To Charlie Dresen - June/July Videographer Of The Month

In: 
01/08/2015
8 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Charlie Dresen of Steamboat Springs, Colorado who the video jury voted the June/July videographer of the month. Here is Charlie's winning video. Here are the ranking results of the voting: #4, Charlie Dresen, Steamboat Springs, CO #6, Steven Dolinsky, Nyack, New York #5, Jared Saulnier, Portsmouth, NH #7, Allan Mackenzie, Moolooaba, Australia #2, […]

What Is A Good Hosting Service For A Real Estate Photography Website?

In: 
28/07/2015
By: Larry Lohrman
Bill asks: I'm about to set up a website for my photography projects. I'll be building the site with the URL "ResortHomePhotography.com", which I just bought through Google Domains. I use WordPress for my (still-under-construction) real estate web site but noted Google partners with several web hosting services: Blogger, Squarespace, Shopify, Weebly, & Wix. Do […]

Congratulations Brian Doherty - PFRE Photographer Of The Month For July

In: 
23/07/2015
9 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Brian Doherty of Boston MA who the jury has voted PFRE photographer of the month for July. Brian is a first-time winner. He's been a regular contestant for many months. Here are all the winners: #22, Brian Doherty, Boston, MA #14, Barry MacKenzie, London, ON #12, Tony Colangelo, Victoria, BC #11, Alasdair McIntosh, York, UK #19, […]

How Do You Build A Credible Portfolio Of Real Estate Work When You Are Getting Started?

In: 
17/07/2015
16 Comments
By: PFRE Admin
A photography portfolio conveys your style, and what type of work you do. A portfolio could be printed or online, or even both, but should also include only your best work. So, how do you build a credible portfolio of real estate work when you are getting started? Quick NavigationHow Do You Build a Credible […]

Congratulations To Dave Williamson in Perth On Winning His Copyright Court Action

In: 
15/07/2015
4 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Dave Williamson in Perth, AU has been engaged in a copyright dispute/misunderstanding since January of this year. This was a typical real estate photography dispute about listing photos being used by an agent different from the one they were licensed to. I wanted to highlight this decision because it helps to have clear resolved example […]

What Do You Charge To Shoot 1 to 3 minutes of UAV Video For Real Estate?

In: 
25/06/2015
21 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Anthony recently asked the following: I've searched here and the Flickr group, but the answer to these questions still elude me. What is a reasonable rate for basic video? What is a reasonable rate for certified drone flights/photos? I've done a poll for standard real estate video that is fairly recent but I've never done a […]

Congratulations Tony Colangelo, Victoria, BC - June PFRE Photographer of The Month

In: 
24/06/2015
21 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Tony Colangelo, Victoria, BC, Canada.  Another close competition again this month with a 3 way tie for 2nd place. We had some discussion about how this theme (large interior adjoined space) is a bit fuzzy as to what it really means. Matthew Stallone and others took exception to whether Tony's image is a […]

Giving A Presentation On Real Estate Photography To An Office Of Agents

In: 
17/06/2015
4 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Kerry Bern moderates a real estate photography group on Linkedin and pointed out that one of the group members (Ray Kenney) posted a video of a presentation that he gives to real estate brokerages. Kerry says: I thought he did a great job with his presentation. The important part he didn't go in to the meeting […]

What Is The Best Way For Real Estate Photographers To Straighten Verticals?

In: 
10/06/2015
19 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Kelli asks the following: I have been a professional photographer for many many years but I am interested in real estate photography as opposed to family/senior. I am having a really hard time getting my verticals right and I would love to perfect this before going public. Do you have a resource (blog post/video tutorial)? […]

Why Not Defer Some Or All Of Your Real Estate Photography Shoot Fee To Closing?

In: 
09/06/2015
19 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Because real estate listing agents don't get paid until a sale closes, the deferred payment option keeps coming up. Keith recently ask the following: I've read lots of posts about business models...pay up front, pay at close, pricing, etc. None of the pay at close really seems to address a combo - pay a bit when […]

Congratulations Travis Rowan - May PFRE Videographer Of The Month

In: 
01/06/2015
6 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Travis Rowan, of Maui, Hawaii who the video jury voted the May 2015 PFRE  videographer of the month with this stunning video. As usual with these contests, there's a lot to be learned from looking at the juror comments in the contest Flickr group. Thanks to the jurors who had the time to […]

Congratulations Anders Carlson - PFRE Photographer Of The Month May 2015

In: 
25/05/2015
16 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Anders Carlson of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.  The jury just finished voting on the entries and the competition this month was very close. The top four entrants were all within just a few points of each other. This is Anders' third win. He won in both May of 2012 and May of 2013, all three […]

Congratulations To Peggy Taylor And The FastPix Team In Tampa Bay!

In: 
15/05/2015
10 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Peggy Taylor and her team in Tampa Bay. Peggy announced another milestone in her real estate photography business - she is retiring an passing on her business to her sister. Long time PFRE readers already know Peggy because I've been doing posts about her business success for many years. I also have her […]

Image Sharpening For Real Estate Photography

In: 
12/05/2015
11 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
This weekend Greg asked: I study photos on Houzz frequently. I notice how sharp many of these photos are and wonder how they achieve that level of sharpness. I'm using a 5D3 and a Canon 17-40 and I'm not even close to these. Are they using large format, fixed lenses, some special sharpening software, or […]

Congratulations Luke Phillips PFRE Videographer of The Month For April

In: 
02/05/2015
4 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Luke Phillips of London, UK for winning the April PFRE videographer of the month for April. His stunning video captured the attention of the video jurors. Here are the points awarded by the jurors: 102 pts, #10, Luke Phillips, London, UK 98 pts, #2, Dino Tassara, Lahaina, Maui 98 pts, #12, Wes Neil, […]

Enfuse E-book Now Included With The Enfuse Video Series

In: 
27/04/2015
By: Larry Lohrman
We'd like to announce that as of April 22, 2015 I have included Simon Maxwell's e-book on Enfuse with the Enfuse video series. So you now get both the video series and the e-book for $125 USD. All video subscribers can now download the e-book PDF directly from the page all the videos are on. […]

Congratulations Brandon Cooper PFRE April Photographer Of The Month

In: 
25/04/2015
12 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Brandon Cooper, in Fort McMurray Alberta, CA. Brandon is an agent in Fort McMurray. You dazzled the jurors with your master bedroom shot! Here are the results of the jury voting: 61 pts, #31, Brandon Cooper, Fort McMurray, Alberta 22 pts, #29, Ethan Tweedie, Big Island, Hawaii 14 pts, #13, Tony Colangelo, Victoria, BC […]

Floor Plans and Room Dimensions for Real Estate Listings

In: 
10/04/2015
17 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Photographers offering floor plans and room dimensions for real estate listings are becoming a hot trend. You may sometimes wonder whether there is anyone else who can offer these services, how they charge for it and whether they succeed with specific floor plan creation apps or software.  Quick NavigationFloor Plans and Room Dimensions for Real […]
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