About Larry
I’ve been active in photography since the mid-70s and have been doing interior photography part time since 1985 when my wife (Levi Cannon) became a real estate agent. I was a software engineer and technical manager at Boeing until 1999 when I quit Boeing and joined my wife full time in real estate. Since 1999 I’ve become increasingly interested in interior photography.
In 2000 I started creating and hosting our own virtual tours so that we have more control over the content, quality and technology. Creating virtual home tours has lead me to be increasingly interested in 360 VR photography. I have a blog on this subject.
I started this blog in 2004 after seeing other real estate agents and photographers struggle with the same problems shooting interior photography that I’ve solved over the last several years. I enjoy helping agents raise the level of their photography and discussing interior and 360 photography.
I do interior and 360 photography in the Seattle, WA area and in the Salem, OR area mostly for our own real estate listings but occasionally for other Realtors. My photographic website is www.lohrman.com.
Photography For Real Estate 
Vince deStefano said
Hi Larry,
Fantastic and informative website.
I am starting a photography bussiness for real estate. http://www.propertysnaps.com.au
I have a cannon 350d camera and I am planning to buy a nikon 8400 for aerial shots.
At the moment I am still looking for a mast.
Any tips you have for me would be great, take a look at my website (still being finished so ignor spelling mistakes) You can see my portfolio on there, Any feedback on the photos and my bussiness would be great!
Thanks
Vince DeStefano
larrylohrman said
Hi Vince,
Nice website! This should go a long ways towards promoting your business.
I would use room shots for your interior shots instead of the stairwell shot. Also include a interior shot with window with a view so you can demonstrate how you deal with this situation. Realtors always want this kind of shot.
It’s interesting to see your prices. Even with exchange rate conversion your are prices are about much lower than RE photographers charge in the Seattle area.
Rob said
Hi Larry…
What a great site and the 360 gallery is wonderful. I am a 37 year old retired cop (due to injury). My wife also is an agentlike yours. Just yesterday she said I should help her out and take photographs of her listings so she didn’t have to. I also parused your other site as well. Nice job!
I have little experience with digital photograpy,execept my 3.2 megapixel camera so your sites will help me out quite a bit. Wish you were closer so I could get some lessons!
Thanks for your information.
Rob
Healdsburg, CA.
FYI – Your contact page will not allow me to send you email, apparently the server is down or something.
Here is the error:
Internal Server Error
The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.
Please contact the server administrator, webmaster@lohrman.com and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.
More information about this error may be available in the server error log.
Apache/1.3.37 Server at lohrman.com Port 80
Jean Poitevien said
Larry do you have any recommendations for a RE Photographer in Washington, DC?
Carson Coots said
I really like your blog… I have learned so much from your articles. There are not many places online to find good real estate photography information… this site is a real gem. Thank you for adding me to your real estate photographer directory as well. It’s an honor.
Mark said
An excellent site this Larry, absolutely delighted to have come across it. I am just moving in to low altitude aerial photography for estate agents locally, here in the United Kingdom and already have picked up several tips from this place, which I’m rather delighted at seeing. I see that you are sometimes in the Salem area of Oregon, excellent, with friends in Portland that I will be visiting this summer, any chance of hooking up and meeting? Just about to acquire my first telescopic mast from a company up the line and across the border in Wales, 20 metres tall. Btw the website is not active yet, but will be online later in the spring. Kindest regards and best wishes!! Mark
Hojin Chang said
This site is an invaluable resource for realtors that are interested in improving their photography.
Clarinda said
I could read a book about this without finding such real-world apsacrohep!
Anna Newton said
I’m 45 yrs and just found out I can’t work anymore, so I decided to do something that I couldn’t hurt me, and wasn’t hard to do, but I needed some help finding it. I came across your website after looking for a while. I take a lot of pictures, from my Digtal Camera and I love taking pictures. So, I though if I took some class in photography. I could start a business in Virtual Tour for Real Estate companies. Not sure how to get started, or if I need anything else beside the program to get started? If you have any helpful ideals that can help me get started please email me!
Thank you
Anna Newton
Dominik Eller said
Hi Larry
just browsed the strobist and got stranded here.
As working over ten years in marketing and developing real estates in germany – before getting sick of it and doin´ photography only – I´m totally with you about how important the pictures of the property are.
Your pointing through light and pleasent look, removing everything that could distract, I totaly agree.
But there´s one point I´m straightly oposit to yours and that´s the lens.
I would recomend just a 28-35mm lens on 35mm/fullframe (d)SLRs or for digital DX nothing less then 20mm. Here´s why:
If I shoot the way you used to (and most of the ones outside doin´) in the advertising my room seems to be very large and nice, that´s why you all are doing that.
Problem is, that reality can not mess with it. You face that if you showing your client the real estate and his first impression is:
>>Uhh! I thought it was bigger.>Honesty´s best policie
Dominik Eller said
Hi Larry
just browsed the strobist and got stranded here.
As working over ten years in marketing and developing real estates in germany – before getting sick of it and doin´ photography only – I´m totally with you about how important the pictures of the property are.
Your pointing through light and pleasent look, removing everything that could distract, I totaly agree.
But there´s one point I´m straightly oposit to yours and that´s the lens.
I would recomend just a 28-35mm lens on 35mm/fullframe (d)SLRs or for digital DX nothing less then 20mm. Here´s why:
If I shoot the way you used to (and most of the ones outside doin´) in the advertising my room seems to be very large and nice, that´s why you all are doing that.
Problem is, that reality can not mess with it. You face that if you showing your client the real estate and his first impression is:
>>Uhh! I thought it was bigger.>Honesty´s best policie
Marc Lacoste said
I disagree. Mild wide angles of ~30mm leads to bland, uninteresting interior images. The goal here is to make your photos popping out of the stream of lambda views. Really wide angle, at least 90° Horizontal fov (18mm focal on 24*36, 12mm on APS) is imperative. Unless you want to sell the home with a gorgeous photo of the potted plant below a blown window.
I’m in direct relation with buyers, and for the honesty claim, it’s not a problem. I say that my photos aren’t misleading because of the wide view, it’s because my profession is used to poor quality pictures. I say they doesn’t deserve it, neither the sellers. I have to train the eye of the viewer.
Abhilash said
Hi Larry,
Iam running a Image editing ,photo restoration..and image manipulation firm.I would like to know whether I can get good work from you .
We are currently working for most of the photographers and Graphic companies.I would be happy if we work .
We offer upto 80% cost savings with best quality and develop and modify pictures as per your need.
Please reply to this mail.Iam waiting for your reply.
Regard’s,
Abhilash
marketing@saibposervices.com
Saibposervices.com
Kenn Goutal said
I’ve been viewing this site for less than half an hour
and it’s already a gold mine!
I was a software engineer for 30 years
when I got laid off in December of 2001.
For various reasons Which We Shall Not Discuss
(in order not to start a political flamewar),
it was hard for me to find software work after that.
I still do the occasional sub-contract,
and occasional work on web sites for clients I find directly.
(Interestingly, they find me, not the other way around.)
I was deathly ill for a year due to less than sparkling
santitation during open-heart surgery. The wonders of MRSA.
I am now in the process of turning my long-time hobby of
photography into a business. My past experience leads me
in the direction of landscape/scenic/outdoor photography,
and the subject of railroads.
However, for a long time it has struck me how truly awful
the great majority of real-estate photographs are —
bad angle, bad composition, to dark, washed out, too much
contrast, not enough contrast. So I thought that perhaps
I should turn my expertise to that area.
I have been somewhat put off by two things:
Suddenly professional RE photographers are springing up everywhere, so it seems as though the niche is filling up quickly. And with the advent of “prosumer” digital cameras,
suddenly everybody thinks they can take perfect photos,
and don’t need a trained, experience, equipped professional.
But an opportunity has (again) found its way to me,
so I’ve casting about on my beloved Internet for information
about the *business* of this specialty.
Well, I think I’ve found the mother lode!
Many many thanks for putting together and maintaining this site.
Jerry Swanson said
Hi Larry
I commend you for a professional web site with good information and great photographers.
I am listed with Photography For Real Estate.
I use the Canon 1DS with Aperture. After ten months I still have not learned all the features.
The Apple Store has experts to teach the program but one hour a week is not great.
The Aperture information was appreciated. I have been using Aperture and have found this a long learning experience.
I look forward to learning from these people and offer comments about the business.
Best regards
Jerry Swanson
Jerry Swanson Photography
1490 McCarthy Road
Eagan, MN 55121
jerry@swansonphoto.com
612.750.1288
http://www.swansonphoto.com
http://www.PhotoServe.com > architecture
larrylohrman said
Jerry,
Thanks for the feedback. I love participating and encouraging the global collaboration that blogging, flickr forums and the Internet allows.
Also, thanks for the Aperture feedback. In a global collaborative forum like with input and discussion on such subjects it is possible to collectively sort out the best software, practices etc very quickly.
Anonymous said
Hello,
Yes I would like to stay a business of my own photo real estate for real estate companies and builder .How can I get started. Please me info. I have some real estate experiences.Iam looking forward to hearing from you soon. I know I will enjoy this. Arnellya. I live in Tennessee.
larrylohrman said
Arnellya,
I need you e-mail address. Send me an e-mail – to: larry@lohrman.com and I’ll be glad to help you get started.
Larry