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Easiest Way To Make Money with A Camera

Intro To Real Estate Photography

By Cole ConnorPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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MY STORY

If you don't know me, my name is Cole, and I am an artist and entrepreneur who has built multiple businesses over the course of 6 years in Columbia and Beaufort, South Carolina. I've built a 6 figure business, done all the side hustles, been niched down, been not niched down, and ultimately have served hundreds of clients since I was 23 years old. And I know you can do the same.

But it wasn't always like this.

At 22, I was delivering pizza with a starving artist mentality and working on my music in all of my spare time. I served food, did construction work, was an office assistant, drove for Uber, worked for a PR firm until one day, it CLICKED that I could go out on a limb with being an entrepreneur.

In 2016, I launched my "business" which was more like a throw-up of everything I knew I could figure out how to do. While figuring it all out, I accumulated lots of debt. I mean lots. I did web design, marketing, social media, photography and finally, it hit me.

REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY

I lucked up one opportunity from my mom and stepdad's construction business to take photos of the finished product. I could charge $100, and it took me less than an hour to do. It wasn't all fun and games. Lots of ups and downs along the way, but that one shoot lead to me running a 6 figure business less than 3 years later.

This is why today I'm so passionate about helping creatives to stop their imposter syndrome and "starving artist" mentality and start harnessing their creative power to make money and build legitimate businesses without the same pain, struggle, and hassle I went through.

WHY I BELIEVE THIS IS THE EASIEST TO GET TO YOUR FIRST 5K/MONTH FOR BEGINNERS:

1. Thousands of homes are sold every day, everywhere in the entire world - this world can slow down, but it does not stop. I was around when the WORLD stopped in March 2020. I had no business for like a month, and then real estate agents figured out a way to go out and get it. Which I was thankful for.

2. Real Estate Agents know they have to spend money on real estate photos. You don't have to convince them usually. I became an agent in 2021 - to see if It was a good fit for me - and it helped to show me how important it is to have us, real estate photographers, around. They appreciate us, and we appreciate them.

3. You can upsell almost every sale to services like 3D Tours, Videography, Amenity Photos, Drone, etc so that a home can go from making you $100 to $800 and beyond.

4. Real Estate Agents are not one-off clients. They are repeat clients, and if you do good work especially in a small town, word travels fast. Back to the upselling, they are repeat clients that you can upsell to as you build that relationship and as they grow.

So now you're convinced, right? Let's get into the nitty-gritty.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY:

ANGLES

This is ultimately what makes real estate photography different from other niches. You have to know what photos to take to make a room really shine. In every home, I'm always taking MORE than enough photos even to this day.

I take multiple angles in the corners of rooms to showcase as much of the space as possible. I focus on areas like the front of the house, kitchens, and MASTER bedrooms.

For the nicer homes, I make sure to take detailed shots of the areas I focus on to showcase the little things that make the home stand out.

No matter what I shoot with a WIDE ANGLE LENS at least 16mm on a full-frame. It's just not the same if you attempt to shoot with over 16mm. I wouldn't even try it honestly. Just invest in a lens that is wide enough to really start gaining some real estate agent clients.

LIGHTING

It's so important for a real estate listing that the photos are bright and delicious. Save your moody shots for portraits or million-dollar homes in the hills. The bottom line is most real estate agents want BRIGHT. That's why I've chosen to use HDR real estate photography.

I use the AEB on my sony a7iii and take between 5–9 photos, blend them together and brighten them up with my real estate preset.

This type of photography mixed with my workflow really streamlines the process allowing me to create beautiful images to deliver to clients within 24 hours without exhausting my creativity throughout the day.

GAINING CLIENTS

Once you practice and learn the basics, it's not hard to take beautiful HDR images. The hardest part of this job is gaining clients in the beginning and growing in a positive way.

That's why I took the time to create the course Real Estate Photography 101 and the FREE Masterclass.

I've gained clients through cold emailing, calls, networking, content and so much more. If you can focus, stay professional, deliver results and stay consistent, you will succeed and build a business you couldn't dream up!

If you're interested in going a step further into how I was able to go from nothing to making multiple 6 figures in real estate photography, I highly recommend tuning into the FREE Masterclass where I really break it down step by step from building the foundation of your business to gaining clients.

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