Questions & Answers - Scheduling, Licensing, The Shoot

---

Appointments can be requested by calling 408-569-4044‬ during business hours Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. We recommend two to three days advance notice but can often accommodate a next-day appointment.

Call and speak directly to plan media capture for your listing!

Cancellations owing to inclement weather do not incur a cancellation fee.  With all other cancellations we require at least 24 hours of notice. Cancellations made for the following reasons will incur a fee equal to 50% of the total booking fee, due to travel by the photographer to the property:

1. An unprepared site for shooting that would require more than 30 minutes of preparation to be readied or the client decides to reschedule. 
2. Transportation delays arriving at the property on the part of your client in excess of 30 minutes.
3. The photographer cannot access the property owing to a mistake on the part of the client to adequately arrange for access.

You may reschedule by calling 408-569-4044.  Please cancel at least 24 hours in advance to avoid a cancelation fee.

There is no cancellation fee if you notify us the day before the photo shoot. For same day cancellations of daytime shoots, there is a $50 fee.

Payment is due as soon as we send you an invoice, e-mailed to you after all the media is delivered,  payable upon receipt.

Licensing Terms

When media is delivered, we grant to you a non-exclusive, royalty-free license for use of the images, video and other media created for you. You are free to use this media to carry out normal business tasks associated with offering real estate properties to the public for sale or lease. This includes uploading the photos to your MLS, uploading videos to YouTube, printing brochures, creating social media postings, etc. This pre-approval to use the content in an unfettered manner also makes it unnecessary for us to complete photography authorization forms required by some MLS organizations. We retain a limited license to use the images and media it captures for our own marketing purposes.

It is up to the client to decide whether the weather poses a sufficient obstacle to a successful shoot. Please contact us promptly with your decision so we make scheduling adjustments. We encourage clients to consider a rescheduling when: 

• Rain is forecasted - since each shoot included drone media, at least the exterior photograph/video would need to be postponed
• Heavy fog is expected owing to the difficulty of altering images to reflect nicer conditions. 

Cloudy days are not at all a problem provided no rain is expected. Often, lighting is best on days moderate cloud cover. 

We can reschedule the shoot to the next available date at no charge. If you prefer to keep the appointment to capture the interior photos and other media, we can photograph the interiors of the home. We will then reschedule the exteriors for a $50 return shoot fee.

Great news:  We can enter via a combo lock. If the homeowners or tenants will be present in the home without an agent, please ensure that they know when the photographer is arriving. It is also vital to make sure the property is ready before the photographer arrives.

Our packages include interior and exterior photos, a video tour, 360 tour, and aerial photos and video capture. Suggested time to allow is 2-3 hours depending on size of the property. 

We want to capture the front exterior when the sun is shining on the front of the property, if at all possible. Below is the best time of day to photograph based on the direction the front faces:

• East – Morning
• West – Afternoon
• South – All day
• North – Does not get direct sunlight. Unfortunately, on sunny days the front will shadow itself. A dusk shoot or overcast day is ideal for north-facing properties. 

It depends on your preference, but we place not limit on the number of photos we take to professionally showcase your listing. Generally, featured rooms (kitchen, family room, master suite) get photos taken from 3 views.  Secondary bedrooms and bathrooms get taken from 2 angles.   Exterior photos depend upon the size of the yard.  We exercise the general maxim "More is better"! 

Of course we can! Though we generally focus on the layout and overall space of a property, unique features that the client believes are worth paying special attention to can and will be photographed upon request. Please let us know in advance all such features that you want emphasized in your photography package.

We cover South County (Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy) and Hollister.  A drive time fee may be applicable to locations that are outside that area.

• 30-40 miles away = $25 Fee

• 40-50 miles away = $35 Fee

For Residential properties, the photos, 360 tour, floor plan, and property page will be ready the same business day. Often the video can be completed the night of the shoot, too.  We will send you a links via email to the Google Drive folder and a text notification to alert you to the email.

All our clients are sent e-mail and text notifications when your media has been processed and uploaded. You can download the photographs via a ZIP file to any computer or you may download photos individually from the Google Drive online folder.

Standard Floor Plans are delivered THE SAME DAY AS THE SHOOT!  Upgraded floor plans (an up-charge) are delivered asap after the shoot depending upon the complexity of the upgrade floor plan design.

Aerial Drone Photography is delivered THE SAME DAY AS THE SHOOT!  

Zillow 3D tours are delivered THE SAME DAY AS THE SHOOT!

Walkthrough Video is delivered THE SAME DAY AS THE SHOOT!.

We don’t usually upload media for clients because your MLS listing must be accessed with your account credentials.  Our local MLS does permit assignment of “Assistant” status to someone you designate by submitting an authorization form and the yearly fee of $120. If you are interested in setting this up so your photos can be uploaded for you, reach out and we can step through the process.  An added benefit: we can check the fields in the listing where the media links are entered to make sure your media is in the best location to be picked up by the real estate platforms.

Yes! We upload your video walk-through tour directly to YouTube. The link to the video on YouTube is included in the email that goes out the evening of the shoot with the other media links.  If you want access to the video file, call Dave and the video will be added to the Google Drive folder with the other media.

No.  Our service offering is focused solely on assisting realtors with professional marketing media. There is such a need for help showcasing  homes online, I’ve committed all my time to that niche. It’s what I love to do!

No, we provide digital media, only.  If you want brochures for an open house, there are online tools to automate brochure creation.

Video and 3D tours offer a much more immersive experience than slideshows, and so we do not offer slideshows.

 Video tours are a guided experience. Similar to any Hollywood movie, a video tour is a passive experience that allows the viewer to experience the property the way the videographer wants them to. A captivating story can be told with moving images and music to create an emotional connection. On the other hand, 3D tours are self-guided and allow the viewer to virtually visit the property, moving through it as if they were really there, at their own pace and under their own direction.