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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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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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Posts By Larry Lohrman

Larry Lohrman
Latest posts by Larry Lohrman (see all)

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 […]
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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, […]

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.  Floor Plans and Room Dimensions for Real Estate […]

Congratulations Ryan Fletcher - Feb/Mar 2015 PFRE Videographer Of The Month

In: 
02/04/2015
6 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Ryan Fletcher, of Kailua Kona, Hawaii who won the Feb/Mar 2015 PFRE  videographer of the month award 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 post […]

The Scandinavian Style Of Interior Photographer Jonas Berg - Gothenburg Sweden

In: 
31/03/2015
By: Larry Lohrman
This months PFRE photographer of the month contest had a photo that really captured my interest. The photo was by Jonas Berg of Gothenburg, Sweden. Click on the photo to the right to see a large version of Jonas' contest submission. What caught my interest about this image was how uplifting the light in the room was. […]

Congratulations Seth Parker PFRE Photographer Of The Month For March

In: 
24/03/2015
24 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Wow! Big contest this month! Sixty one entries. Congratulations to Seth Parker of Huntsville, Alabama. Click on the image on the right to see a large version of Seth's winning image. The competition was much closer this month than last. Jonas Berg of Gothenburg, Sweden came in a very close second. Seth and Jonas were […]

Canon's New EF 11-24mm f/4L Lens Gives New Meaning To UFWA

In: 
09/03/2015
13 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
I can remember when I first got my Canon 16-35mm wide angle and used it to shoot a listing for my wife. She scolded me severely and sent me back to reshoot several of the rooms where I had racked the lens out to 16mm. She said at 16mm effective the small intimate living room […]

How Do Real Estate Photographers Handle Window Blinds?

In: 
25/02/2015
21 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Today Kelly asked me: How do most real estate photographers handle window blinds? Do they raise them all the way up to let in more light and show the view? Open them at an angle? Open them completely but not raise them? I think It's impossible to make any blanket statement about what to do with […]

Congratulations Jason Roehner - February PFRE Photographer Of The Month

In: 
23/02/2015
10 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
This month Jason Roehner's image to the right dazzled the PFRE jury and won by a landslide. Click on the photo to the right to see the large version of this image. This is Jason's third time that he has won the PFRE photographer of the month. Below are the results of the voting. Note […]

Congratulations Charlie Dresen - Steamboat Springs, CO - January PFRE Videographer Of The Month

In: 
02/02/2015
9 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations Charlie Dresen - Steamboat, CO, PFRE Videographer Of The Month For January 2015. I've linked the videos to the numbers below but if you want learn something about property video be sure to read the read the comments by the jurors in the Videography contest forum. Thanks to the jurors that took the time […]

Congratulations Terry Burger, Atlanta, GA - PFRE Photographer Of The Month For January

In: 
26/01/2015
17 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Terry Burger, Atlanta, GA PFRE Photographer Of The Month January. A bunch (53) of great images this month as usual. If you haven't already, it's worth your while to browse the contest entrants and read the comments. As usual, there is so much competition that just getting points in this contest makes you a winner! Update […]

How Do You Learn Composition For Interior Photography?

In: 
20/01/2015
19 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
A while ago Sandy raise an excellent question: Are there any books out there that would be beneficial to learning composition techniques for RE photography? I think I could use a little help with the basics. My initial answer was no, I know of no books that talk specifically about interior photographic composition, and recommended […]

How Many Photographs Do You Deliver To Clients For A Typical Real Estate Shoot?

In: 
15/01/2015
63 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Jason recently asked the following: I have a question that may be good for a poll: How many photographs do you deliver to clients for a typical real estate shoot? In my area, I see many delivery 40 to 50 per which I think is out of control. I'm trying to get a sense of what […]

Real Estate Photographers - Always Shoot RAW!

In: 
06/01/2015
52 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
the holidays, Willie asked: "Why shoot in RAW instead of jpeg?. This reminded me of the days years ago when I used to have heated discussions here on PFRE about whether or not you should shoot RAW. The video to the right by Jared Polin is a funny argument from that era. Nowadays there's no […]

Congratulations Barry MacKenzie 2014 PFRE Photographer Of The Year

In: 
24/12/2014
19 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
This year's award of PFRE Photographer of the year goes to Barry MacKenzie of London, Ontario. Here are the points awarded by the jury: 46 pts - Barry MacKenzie 29 pts - Aaron Flores 25 pts - George Gutenberg 24 pts - Sebastian Erras 10 pts - Ryan Wicks 4   pts - Kate Benjamin 2   pts - […]

Congratulations Hamish Beeston, Bristol UK - PFRE Videographer Of The Year 2014

In: 
22/12/2014
8 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations! Hamish Beeston, Bristol, UK has been voted the PFRE Videographer Of The Year 2014 for his outstanding video of Queens Court in London. Since all of the videos from this year are world-class the voting was very close! Here are the jury voting results: 84 pts, Hamish Beeston, Bristol, UK 80 pts, Patrick Kerwick, Santa […]

How Long Do You Take To Deliver Real Estate Photos?

In: 
11/12/2014
21 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Todd recently asked the following: I love that every so often you post polls that help me get a better understanding of the industry. Did you ever do one on the typical length of time between shooting and delivering the final images? No, I never have. But here is the poll that Todd requested. As […]

Congratulations Jacob and Jamie McNeil PFRE Videographers Of The Month For Oct/Nov 2014

In: 
02/12/2014
6 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations Jacob and Jamie McNeil, of PlatinumHD Canada, PFRE Videographers Of The Month For Oct/Nov 2014. The video jurors  used a new more structured scoring system this month. And again, if you haven't read the comments by the jurors I invite you to take a look in the Videography contest forum. Here are the points […]

What Lens Should Real Estate Photographers Use On APS-C DSLRs?

In: 
29/11/2014
By: Larry Lohrman
Several readers have already asked if the 18-55mm lens that came with that DSLR that they just picked up at a Black Friday sale will work for real estate. So my guess is there are others that have the same question. The answer is no, not completely. The 18-55mm kit lens that usually comes with low-end […]

Using Vintage Lenses On Sony A7, A7r and A7s

In: 
03/11/2014
7 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
PFRE reader Jukka Töyli in Tampere, Finland is an avid Sony enthusiast. Recently Jukka sent me some tips that he'd like to pass along for other real estate shooters interested in the new mirrorless cameras (Sony A7, A7R and A7s or MFT). Jukka says: I just found out that old vintage lenses can be really good and affordable. […]

Congratulations To Mike Leland PFRE Photographer Of The Month For October

In: 
31/10/2014
By: Larry Lohrman
Mike Leland of Tucson, AZ has won the October, PFRE Photographer of The Month award. Update 11/2: I have to apologize, initially I said that this is Mikes third win of this contest. It's not, its his first. I mistakenly thought that Mike is the same Mike Leland that won this contest in Sept & […]

Put Your Real Estate Photos In The Right Order!

In: 
29/10/2014
By: Larry Lohrman
Tim Wilson pointed out this article at Inman.com today. Tim said what caught his attention in the article was the following: What I found super-intriguing was that the sequential order of the photography made a difference. The participants I interviewed wanted to see the photos flow in an order emulating how they would naturally walk […]

Which Is Best For Real Estate Photography - Canon 70D or 7D?

In: 
24/10/2014
9 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Isabel in Costa Rica says: Hola, I have a basic gear question for you: I want to buy the best equipment for RE photography without spending a fortune. According to all the reviews the best Canon lens for interior photography is the Canon EF-S 10-22 mm. I decided I am going to buy this lens, […]

PlanEdge: Create Floorplans On A Tablet With A Laser Measure

In: 
21/10/2014
15 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
PFRE reader Sean Elliott at Exposure Property Marketing told me about some new floor plan creation software. Sean said: Whilst the market is quieter I thought I would take the opportunity to contact you about a new product I am using at Exposure Property Marketing.  I have helped a software company here in the UK Boxcubic […]

Congratulations To Travis Rowan - Winner Of Aug/Sep Property Video Contest

In: 
04/10/2014
17 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Travis Rowan, of Maui, HI, who has won the August/September property video of the month contest with his video at the right. Click the image to the right to watch the video. Also click the numbers listed below to see each video that the jury awarded points to. This is the second win in a row for Travis. He won the […]

Congratulations Aaron Flores - PFRE Photographer Of The Month For September

In: 
25/09/2014
12 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Congratulations to Aaron Flores, Phoenix, AZ who has won the September Photographer of the month contest with his photo at the right. Click the image to the right to see a larger version of Aaron's image. Aaron is a second time PFRE photographer of the month. He won this same theme (Patio, Deck or Garden Space) last September! I […]

How To Connect With Agent Clients When You Are Starting Out In Real Estate Photography?

In: 
05/09/2014
15 Comments
By: Larry Lohrman
Not too long ago I got some real estate photography business starting out questions from Chris in New Jersey. I think the questions are classic and important enough to look at in detail. Here is Chris's initial question: I have been trying to get a real estate business up and running since October of 2013 […]
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