When starting off in real estate photography, one often wonder, what is the average number of photos per real estate photography shoot?
Photographers can shoot anywhere between 30 and 100 images of each property. But, on average, how many photos do real estate photographers shoot? With so much variety in the number of images captured by real estate photographers, it’s hard to know what the average is. However, we were able to find some data that sheds light on this topic. Real estate photographers are some of the busiest people in photography. In order to keep up with the constant demand for images of luxury homes for sale, real estate photographers have to work quickly and efficiently in each shoot. Our research found that the average real estate photographer shoots about 35 images of each home they shoot—split almost evenly between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Preparing yourself mentally, technically and creatively will give you an advantage when it comes to landing gigs as a photographer. That said, let’s take a closer look at what we discovered about the average number of photos per real estate photography shoot.
What We Discovered About The Average Real Estate Photographer
The average real estate photographer will shoot 35 images per property. This ranges from 10 to 50 per property on average
While the average number of photos is 35, there are a lot of variables that affect this number.
Real estate photography is all about timing and efficiency. If you cannot get the photos shot and edited on time and sent back to the realtors, it will slow down their marketing campaign efforts.
The real estate photographer has a very short amount of time to capture all of the images in a house. Usually if it is a smaller home, one can make their way through a shoot much faster. If the home is bigger, it requires more shots and more angles to capture.
In this industry, there’s often little time to go back and reshoot images if some part of the house is missed. The photographer needs to get everything right the first time. Often, this could mean shooting more than enough shots.
Just getting started? Check out this comprehensive tutorial from Inside Real Estate Photography.
What Types of Shots Are Included In This Average?
Real estate photographers shoot a wide variety of photos. Two main types of shots are exterior and interior.
It’s not uncommon for real estate photographers to shoot anywhere from 30 to 100 images per property, depending on the size.
In general, real estate shoots will include the following:
- Exterior shots – This includes the grounds in front and behind the home, as well as any balconies, landscaping and fencing. Lately, drone photography has become more popular adding on average 5-10 shots.
- Interior shots – The photographer will shoot each room of the house, as well as any built-in features such as fireplaces, chandeliers and staircases.
- Details shots – This could be any small feature of the house that’s important to show in the listing, such as an ornate tile or a built-in bookshelf.
- Additional shots – These could include shots of the neighborhood, a nearby landmark, or a shot of the whole house from above.If you are considering adding drone photography to your real estate photo package, check out our blog about how you can improve your drone photo skills.
How Many Images Are Indoor Vs. Outdoor?
Outdoor images make up about 25% of the average real estate photographer’s shoots.
Indoor images make up about 75% of the average real estate photographer’s shoots.
While outdoor shots are common for residential properties, they’re often less important for commercial properties, which tend to be photographed indoors.
That said, the percentage of indoor vs. outdoor images in a particular shoot will depend on the type of property being photographed.
For example, if the photographer is shooting a log cabin, they may want to focus more on the outdoor images since a log cabin is primarily an outdoor structure.
If they’re shooting a modern penthouse apartment, the majority of the shots will be taken inside the unit. Outside of that there will be empty properties and staged properties. As you can imagine, the staged home will receive more interior shots as there are more to display.
To learn more about the average number of photos per real estate photography shoot, check out the portfolio of great photographers to see what they offer in their REP packages. We searched the internet for a list of 10 photographers that had amazing REP experiences.
Why Shoot More Than One Photo?
Sometimes you may be tempted to think, “Why do I need to take more than one photo of a room? One photo is good enough!”
The fact is, one photo might be good enough for some situations.
But, when you’re shooting for real estate, you need to make sure your images are perfect. There’s no room for error.
Real estate photographers have to carefully showcase everything about the property.
They have to get the lighting, the angles, and the details just right in each image.
And, they have a very limited amount of time to get it all done.
Real estate photographers need to get through a huge amount of shoots in a day. When it comes to how many times a photographer should shoot a particular room, each room will be different. Some rooms will require one or two really good images; other rooms will require a handful of images to get it right.
Therefore, you can stay on the safe end by providing multiple angles for rooms during your shoot. This gives you more option in post-production to decide which are the best angles to deliver.
Bottom line
Real estate photographers have to shoot quickly and efficiently in each shoot. When you shoot quickly, you don’t have time to focus too much on one image and make corrections. You should plan on having multiple go-to angles for whichever property. Standardize your process of shooting, a checklist of different angles, shot selections, mock shots for each type of property you come across. This time spent in planning will give you a big leg up when you are out there on the fields.
Instead, you have to get as many shots as possible, knowing that you can come back later and choose your best photos. Generally, we found that the average real estate photography pack consists of 35 images for an average size home in the US.
If you’re shooting for real estate, you need to make sure your images are perfect. This requires shooting more than one image of each room—even up to 10 or 20. And, since real estate shoots happen quickly, you’ll want to be prepared before you walk into the shoot. Have full confidence that if you are using the correct style of HDR or Flambient style, your post-production will make the images becomes perfect.
You should know what images you need to capture, how many shots you’ll need of each, and how you’ll light each room using methods like HDR (high-dynamic range) with or without flash.
Post-production is an integral part of real estate photography. It not only require a lot of time but also attention to keep everything consistent and at the best quality. Here at Havah Edits we provide real estate photo and video editing services for REP business all over the world.
# What We Discovered About The Average Real Estate Photographer
