Featured on the Cover of The Photographer magazine

I’m proud to have been featured in the Texas Professional Photographers Association magazine, The Photographer, for the July/August 2022 issue! My image, “Living Space,” appeared on the cover. This interior shot was taken at a Santa Barbara revival home in Great Uptown Houston, where I worked with realtor Ruthie Porterfield at Sotheby’s to capture all that the property had to offer.
The large property had no shortage of beautiful spaces and views to shoot. There was almost no end in sight! I like this particular image because of the stunning natural lighting from the large windows, the symmetry of the fireplace and open doorways, and the textures from the rustic wood, leather, and natural stone.
I’m honored that TPPA chose to use this photo, particularly because they don’t frequently feature real estate photography. For years, I’ve struggled to find my place in professional organizations as an architectural photographer, as most of the members specialize in photographing people.
More and more, I’m seeing education and appreciation for my niche as an architectural photographer. I hope that I am somehow part of that progression, and I would like to thank TPPA and The Photographer magazine for helping me to extend my reach.

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How to Prepare for an Apartment Photography Shoot

So, you’ve booked a shoot with an architectural photographer. Great! High-quality photos are an absolute must when marketing your property to potential tenants. You’ll need exterior and interior apartment photography to showcase the building and its amenities – the pool, the common areas, the individual units.
However, to showcase your apartment complex in its best light, there are a few things you need to do to get ready. Even with the best lighting and photo editing skills, the images won’t turn out well if there are leaves floating in the pool or landscapers working in the background.
Without further ado, here’s how to prepare for Houston apartment photography.

1. Schedule cleaning and maintenance ahead of time
Ensure that all cleaning and maintenance is done shortly before the photoshoot. The lawn should be mowed, the landscaping tidied up, and any maintenance or remodeling projects completed before the day of the shoot.
2. Ensure your landscaping crew is not scheduled on the same day as the shoot
Please ensure that landscapers are not onsite during the scheduled time for the photoshoot. All equipment should be put away. Otherwise, I’ll be unable to take exterior images.
3. Clear the front parking spaces of the leasing office at my arrival time
Using cones if necessary, please keep people from parking in front of the leasing office so that it is clear for exterior photos. I’ll shoot this as I’m unloading so you can start using the parking spaces again.
4. Close the pool at my arrival time
I recommend having the pool cleaned before 10am on the day I arrive. I will shoot the pool right away, so ensure that it is closed to tenants at my arrival time. You can reopen it as soon as I have my images – it shouldn’t take more than 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Ask tenants to leave the gym and other common areas
In addition to the pool, I’ll also need the gym, conference room, lobby, and other common areas empty for photos. I ask for your help in requesting that tenants leave these areas for a few minutes while I photograph them. I will do my best to disrupt tenants as little as possible while I work.
6. Check the weather
In the days leading up to the shoot, check the weather. Cloudy weather is fine. In fact, photos look great when it’s overcast – there are fewer shadows to deal with! However, if it ends up raining on the day of the shoot, it’s likely that I will need to reschedule.

Thank you for your cooperation! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to photographing your apartment complex!

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March 2021 Issue of Professional Photographer Magazine

I have been a member of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) for 15 years. Before that, I was an aspiring photographer member and attended some of their conventions. The association has been a very big part of my professional career: highly educational classes and conventions, valuable business structure assets, and both equipment and liability insurance. I highly recommend PPA to any photographer either starting out our a veteran. I’ve alway wondered about my place in PPA, as it seemed to not have many architectural photographers as it’s members. That is why having my image on the March cover is so important to me.

It is my most prized accomplishment in my career to date. Putting one of the few architectural images on the cover places the niche firmly in the association. Ruthie Porterfield, the client hired me to photography this newly built home in Tanglewood, Houston. I won’t go into the technical details here, they are featured in the editorial about the cover. There are times when I see an image through the lens, and I know it could be special. Those moments are crucial. It’s a signal to get out of the car, set up the extra equipment, and make the extra effort to create what could be the most important image of your career.

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Why Do Videos Work in Real Estate?

In the competitive real estate industry, you need everything you can to make your listings stand out. One way you can do this is with professional real estate videos! Great videos are a surefire way to drum up interest in a property. Here are a few of the top reasons why Houston walkthrough videos are so effective.

They Give Buyers the Opportunity to Tour a Property Remotely

Real estate videos have never been more relevant than right now in the midst of a pandemic. Just because people aren’t able to tour real estate in person doesn’t mean they don’t need to search for homes. Real estate videos are the solution! They make it easy for people to check out a property anytime, anywhere and get a similar idea of the property that they would get with an in-person tour.

Videos Make Your Listing Stand Out

After a buyer has been looking at real estate listings for a while, they can all start looking the same. Pictures will grab the buyer’s attention more than written words. But for the ultimate attention-grabber, you should use real estate videos. They’re much more engaging.

Video will also automatically make your listing more memorable than others that only have photos. When a buyer connects with a listing and remembers the details more easily, they will be more likely to make an offer.

Real Estate Videos Speed Up the House Hunting Process

Watching a video tour of a home is often quicker than reading a lengthy property description and clicking through dozens of photos. A video is easier and faster to consume. The viewer gets even more information than they would just clicking through photos. Yet, it’s also less time-consuming.

Videos are Less Confusing Than Matterport

These days, it seems like everyone in the real estate industry is excited about Matterport. This technology gives a buyer the opportunity to take a 3D tour of a property. However, just because something is new doesn’t always mean it’s the best solution. Matterport can actually be tedious to use. It doesn’t necessarily flow together well the way that a professionally filmed and edited video does. Matterport has its place, but if a buyer isn’t very tech-savvy, then they may not like using Matterport.

Videos Help Buyers Picture Themselves in a Home

Real estate videos help people actually picture themselves living in a home. The movement helps them imagine what it would be like to live their day-to-day life hanging out in the living room, entertaining in the kitchen, and sleeping in the master bedroom. It’s a little more difficult to imagine this with static photos. When a buyer can picture themselves in a home, they will be more likely to actually want to buy it.

Add a Real Estate Video to Your Online Listing with Patrick Bertolino

If you want to amp up your real estate listings, get Houston walkthrough videos made by an experienced videographer like Patrick Bertolino. Get in touch today to get started on your professional real estate video!

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3 Reasons You Should Incorporate Aerial Photography in Your Real Estate Listing

If you’ve been looking for ways to make your real estate listing stand out from others, you’ve probably thought about aerial photography. But you may have wondered: is it really worth the investment? Or is Houston drone photography just a gimmick?

While drone photography may not be right for showcasing every kind of property, there are times when you should definitely utilize it. Here are some examples of when you should add drone photography to your listing to spice it up!

Showcase the Surrounding Area

Buying real estate is about so much more than the home itself. If there are attractions in the area surrounding the home, it’s important that they show up in the online listing. Aerial photography gives you a nice snapshot of everything near a property. You might want to showcase:

A nearby golf course
A gorgeous lake near or on the property
Wide-open surrounding landscape
Nearby playgrounds or scenic parks

Looking up the area on Google Earth just won’t do it justice. Only a drone will allow you to truly capture what life near the home looks like.

Give Buyers a Clear Picture of the Layout—Literally!

Pictures are often more powerful than words. This is especially true when it comes to real estate. There are certain things that just don’t translate well in a property’s description. Layout is one of these things. Aerial photographs give potential buyers a quick understanding of how a property is laid out—both the home itself and the land it lies on.

If the property is an acreage, drone photography is especially important. It can show the entire property in a single photo! If a property has a pool or other outdoor amenities, drone photography is the best way to show it off to scale.

Boost the Online Listing

It’s no secret that real estate listings with photos perform significantly better than those without. But every listing these days has great images. Just hiring a professional photographer isn’t enough. Photographs taken by a drone will distinguish your listing from similar properties and make you more likely to actually close the sale.

Aerial photographs allow buyers to see the most information in just one photograph. Buyers don’t necessarily want to pour over dozens of photos to examine a property. When they’re looking at multiple properties, this will take even more time. Homebuyers want a convenient purchasing process. When a listing provides aerial photographs, they will be able to make an informed decision in a short amount of time. If you want to make a real estate sale fast, having drone photography could help make that happen!

Choose the Best Houston Drone Photographer to Take Your Aerial Images

Do you have a listing that needs drone photography? As a Houston real estate photographer, I have extensive experience enhancing real estate listings with gorgeous aerial photographs. Don’t settle for just any drone photographer. Use my experience and cutting-edge equipment to make your listing look its very best. Contact me today!

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