Real Estate Imagery in Tuscaloosa, Demopolis & Vance


This is definitely "off niche" but I've really enjoyed doing some real estate work on the side and wanted to share some of it.


So this started late 2024 when I reached out to my neighbor, Kami, (who's a real estate agent) and inquired her needs for real estate photography. She mentioned there were no longer any local real estate photographers and that she only booked a professional photographer for homes requiring drone these days. I said if I got the right lens and learned how to do it, would she use me? She said she would so off I went to buy a lens! (Love a good excuse to purchase a lens, LOL)


I bought the lens and it sat in my bag for months. There were some fears I had about learning and failing. I didn't have the time to pour through YouTube videos and practice. Well..more like I didn't make the time.


Then the summer rolled around and my husband and I were seriously considering moving from Demopolis to Tuscaloosa. We talked with our neighbor again about a closed listing with her to see how the house performed in a pocket listing. If we could get a certain price, we would move. To have this listing, we needed photos, so I finally started practicing taking real estate photos. By this time I had already watched a lot of videos in my free time about HDR vs "Flambient" and some basic tips and tricks about how to maximize the potential in a room.


Before I shot my own home I offered to reshoot a listing for our neighbor for free. The photos had been previously taken on an iPhone and there was no harm in trying. Kami met me at the house and was very insightful on her process for making a room look perfect for a photo.

Aerial view of a red brick traditional two-story home with manicured hedges and landscaping on a lush green lawn.
Exterior view of a brick ranch-style home with white trim and landscaping, shown from multiple angles.
Brick patio area with outdoor dining furniture and trees visible in the landscaped backyard.
Elegant foyer entrance with hardwood floors, white walls, curved wooden staircase and a decorative round area rug.
Formal dining room with bold red walls, arched window, crystal chandelier and traditional wooden furniture.
Spacious master bedroom with four-poster bed, hardwood floors, ceiling fan and antique wooden furniture.

The images that were good were really good. The images that were not as good were just so-so. I am fortunate that I was able to get feedback from our neighbor on where I went wrong and I was able to immediately correct with my own home.


A few days later I had Kami come over again and shot my own home. I already could tell I had more confidence with this session. The photos were put into the listing and we sold the home in a couple months. We were on our way to Tuscaloosa!

Charming brick ranch home with large windows and manicured landscaping sits beneath mature shade trees on a quiet street.
Single-story brick ranch home with wooden deck and fresh red mulch landscaping around mature trees in backyard.
Modern living room features exposed brick walls, plush gray sectional sofa, and contemporary decor accents.
Bright dining area with white tile floors, beige walls, and large windows showcasing natural light.
Modern white kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and pendant lighting in an open concept layout.
Contemporary bathroom featuring white vanity, blue walls, and chrome fixtures with natural lighting.
Spacious bedroom with hardwood floors, sage green walls, and large windows showcasing natural light.
Panoramic view of a bright bedroom with hardwood floors, ceiling fan, and large windows overlooking trees.
Modern home gym setup with dark equipment, mirrors, and tile flooring in a well-lit space.

Once we arrived in Tuscaloosa, our agent who helped us buy the home saw my work and immediately booked me for real estate photos for two homes in Tuscaloosa and Vance, AL. This was my first paid gig for real estate photography but I already felt more than confident.


It helped having portrait photography experience and working with clients so really the only piece that was new was the HDR technique for real estate photography.


The Vance home:

Large brick ranch-style home with tan siding and brown roof set against a cloudy sky and green lawn.
A panoramic view of lakefront houses with calm water reflections and cloudy skies stretching across the horizon.
Aerial panoramic view of suburban residential neighborhood with green lawns and trees surrounding single-story homes.
Elegant living room with hardwood floors featuring geometric inlay patterns and a crystal chandelier overhead.
A bright modern living room features white walls, hardwood floors, and a crystal chandelier above plush seating.
Interior panoramic view of an elegant white living room with hardwood floors and large windows letting in natural light.
Modern living room with brown leather sectional sofa, red accent chair, and geometric patterned area rug.
Modern kitchen with honey oak cabinets and stainless steel appliances extending into a bright dining area.
Cozy bedroom with blue and white floral bedding, light beige walls, window with natural light, and wooden furniture.
Spacious bedroom with tray ceiling, floral bedding, and large windows letting in natural light.
Panoramic view of a bright bedroom with beige walls, ceiling fan, and white furniture.
Modern office space with white walls, hardwood floors, and natural light streaming through large windows.

The Tuscaloosa Home:

Panoramic view of a spacious backyard with lush green lawn, trees, and brick ranch-style home in natural sunlight.
Modern ranch home exterior with brick and siding features a gray front door and covered porch entrance.
Sunlit backyard garden with brick pathway leading to white gazebo and lush green lawn surrounded by trees.
Cozy living room with exposed wooden beams, leather sectional sofa, and decorative area rug on hardwood floors.
Open concept living space with leather furniture, wooden beams, and view into dining area and kitchen.
Modern white kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and ornate cabinetry in a bright open layout.
Modern kitchen with cream-colored cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops in a U-shaped layout.
Bright bedroom with cream walls, ceiling fan, and multiple beds featuring floral bedspreads in a guest suite layout.
Interior bedroom with ceiling fan, large windows, gray bedding, and rustic wooden furniture.

The last two homes were also my first ones completely solo (no agent with me to help move clutter around). My approach is to minimize disruption to the home owners as much as possible so before I showed up to the site, I coordinated with the home owners to move as much clutter as possible into closets and cabinets. This way I am not spending two hours on site with them. touching their stuff and moving things around. I am thinking about putting a 2-3 page guide together for future home owners to follow to prep for the best potential real estate photos possible. Let me know if that may be useful to you (contact me here)!


Last on my real estate work (as of this week because I have more coming up next week), we have a guest home at our Tuscaloosa home we just bought and decided to list it on AirBNB. I took those photos as well and have really enjoyed the process of getting it furnished and listed.


Check out our AirBNB if curious (or heck, book it!): The Alabama Guest House

Or you can book with us directly for a 10% discount: Contact me here and say you want to book our AirBNB.

Five connected exterior photos showing a tan vinyl-sided house with white trim and landscaping from different angles.
A large backyard with green grass, trees, and wooden fencing structures visible from multiple angles.
Digital keypad door lock with brushed silver finish and round doorknob mounted on white door.
Modern white kitchen with stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, and black and white geometric backsplash tile.
Minimalist white kitchen counter with small appliances and a geometric tile backsplash pattern.
White washer and dryer appliances sit against a white wall with wooden flooring in a minimalist laundry room.
Modern fitness center with red accent walls features multiple exercise machines and equipment in a clean, well-lit space.
Contemporary media room featuring black leather recliners arranged in rows with red wall accents.
Modern bedroom interior with wooden flooring, skylights, and minimalist gray walls showcasing contemporary design elements.
Modern office space with light wood flooring, gray walls, and fluorescent ceiling lights in a long hallway.

I've enjoyed growing this aspect of my photography. I still have my heart set on growing my wedding photography business, but during the work week I am very willing to pick up local Tuscaloosa real estate photography. To learn more about my wedding photography services, click here.


If you like the images above and need a Tuscaloosa real estate photographer, contact me. Or if you need help improving your Tuscaloosa AirBNB photos, I'd love to help you update them. Your photos are guests (or home buyers) first peek into your space and it could make or break them deciding to book with your (or scheduling a showing). You don't realize how much the first impression with your photos matters. Spend the couple hundred bucks and it will pay divdends in the long run (my home sold in 2 months in a slower market + our AirBNB is already booked out for all remaining home football games).

 

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