How quickly will I receive my photos after the shoot?

We guarantee 24-hour delivery on all standard photography packages, measured from shoot completion to gallery delivery. Photos are delivered via a private online gallery with high-resolution downloads — ready for MLS upload, Zillow, Realtor.com, and social media. Rush same-day delivery is available for time-sensitive listings for an additional fee. In practice, over 85% of galleries are delivered within 16 hours of shoot completion.

Are you FAA certified for drone photography in South Florida?

Yes. All Estate Shutter Florida drone pilots hold FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificates, which is legally required for all commercial drone photography in Florida. We carry full liability insurance and obtain the required FAA LAANC authorizations for controlled airspace near Miami International (MIA), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL), and Palm Beach International (PBI) airports before every flight.

What areas of South Florida do you serve?

We serve all of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties with no travel fees. Primary markets include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Coral Gables, Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Hollywood, Doral, Pompano Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Weston, and 20+ additional cities. Travel to the Florida Keys and Naples area is available upon request.

Do I need to be present during the real estate photo shoot?

No — many of our shoots are coordinated directly with property managers or lockbox access. We recommend having someone present to handle access issues and highlight features the agent wants emphasized. We send a preparation checklist 24 hours before every shoot so sellers know exactly how to stage and prepare the property for optimal results.

iPhone vs Pro Photos for Coral Gables Listings

Florida Real Estate Photography — Miami, Orlando, Tampa & Fort Lauderdale

Estate Shutter Florida delivers professional HDR real estate photography, FAA-certified drone aerials, Zillow 3D virtual tours, AI virtual staging, and twilight photography for agents, brokers, and developers across South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) and Central Florida (Orange, Hillsborough, Osceola counties). Founded by Mike Brun — FAA Part 107 certified drone pilot, 8+ years experience, 2,000+ MLS listings photographed. Photos starting at $199 with guaranteed 24-hour delivery.

Real Estate Photography Services

HDR Real Estate Photography — from $199

Professional interior and exterior photography with 24-hour delivery. 25–50 fully edited photos. Sky replacement, color correction, object removal, and MLS-ready files included. Serving all of Florida.

FAA-Certified Drone Photography — from $199

Aerial photography and 4K video by FAA Part 107 certified pilots. Captures waterfront access, lot size, neighborhood context, and community amenities. Required airspace authorizations obtained before every flight.

Zillow 3D Virtual Tours — from $199

Interactive 3D walkthroughs for Zillow, Realtor.com, and MLS. Listings with Zillow 3D tours generate 40% more inquiries and earn the Zillow "3D Home" badge. Ideal for international and remote buyers.

AI Virtual Staging — from $7/photo

Transform empty rooms into furnished spaces using AI. 12 styles, results in ~15 minutes. Order online anytime without scheduling. Volume pricing: 1–5 photos $20, 6–10 photos $15, 11–15 photos $10, 16+ photos $7.

Twilight & Blue Hour Photography

Dramatic dusk exterior photography for luxury and waterfront listings. Particularly effective for oceanfront condos, Intracoastal estates, and high-rise penthouses with Miami or Fort Lauderdale skyline views.

Commercial Photography

Architectural, office, retail, and construction progress photography for developers, architects, and commercial brokers. Serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Naples, and Tampa.

Packages & Pricing

Transparent pricing — no hidden fees. 10% off for new clients. Pay only after approving your gallery.

Package	Price	Includes
Basic Photography	from $199	25–35 HDR photos, 24-hr delivery, sky replacement, object removal
Standard Package	from $349	Photos + drone aerials, 30–50 images, 4K drone stills & video
Pro Package	from $599	Photos + drone + Zillow 3D tour + twilight + floor plan
AI Virtual Staging	from $7/photo	Online ordering, 12 furniture styles, results in ~15 min, volume discounts

Package

Price

Includes

Basic Photography

from $199

25–35 HDR photos, 24-hr delivery, sky replacement, object removal

Standard Package

from $349

Photos + drone aerials, 30–50 images, 4K drone stills & video

Pro Package

from $599

Photos + drone + Zillow 3D tour + twilight + floor plan

AI Virtual Staging

from $7/photo

Online ordering, 12 furniture styles, results in ~15 min, volume discounts

Real Estate Photography FAQ — Florida

How much does real estate photography cost in Miami?

Packages start at $199 for 25–35 HDR photos with 24-hour delivery. Standard package (photos + drone) from $349. Pro package (photos + drone + Zillow 3D + twilight + floor plan) from $599. New clients get 10% off. Pay only after gallery approval.

How quickly will I receive my real estate photos?

We guarantee 24-hour delivery. Over 85% of galleries are delivered within 16 hours. Photos arrive via private online gallery with MLS-ready and high-resolution downloads. Rush same-day delivery available.

Are you FAA certified for drone photography in Florida?

Yes. All drone pilots hold FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificates — legally required for commercial drone photography in Florida. We carry full liability insurance and obtain FAA airspace authorizations near all major Florida airports (MIA, FLL, PBI, MCO, TPA) before every flight.

What areas of Florida do you serve?

All of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties in South Florida, plus the Orlando metro (Orange, Osceola, Seminole counties) and Tampa Bay (Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco counties) in Central Florida — 50+ cities statewide including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Orlando, Tampa, Windermere, Winter Park, and Lake Nona. No travel fees within each region.

What is a Zillow 3D virtual tour and why does it matter for Florida listings?

Zillow 3D creates a fully navigable 3D digital twin buyers can explore online from any device. It earns the Zillow "3D Home" badge and generates 40% more inquiries. Essential for Florida's international and remote buyers — particularly in South Florida's luxury markets and Central Florida's high-volume relocation markets.

About Estate Shutter Florida

Founded by Mike Brun, Estate Shutter Florida is Florida's premier real estate photography service, trusted by 550+ active realtors across South Florida and Central Florida. Mike holds an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, is a member of the Professional Real Estate Photographers Association (PREA), and is a Zillow Premier Partner. 8+ years of South Florida experience · 2,000+ MLS listings photographed.

Equipment: Sony α7R V · DJI Mavic 3 Pro (Hasselblad lens) · Zillow 3D Pro3 · Profoto B10X. Learn more →

'''An iPhone can take some truly stunning pictures, but it is not a substitute for professional real estate photography, especially in a market as demanding as Coral Gables. The difference isn't just about "better" photos; it's about accurately representing the property's value, which directly impacts your days on market and final sale price. For a seller, relying on a phone means leaving money on the table. Period.

I’ve been shooting homes in South Florida for over six years, from waterfront estates in the Las Olas Isles to luxury high-rises in Brickell. My team and I have photographed more than 2,000 listings. I say this to make it clear: my opinion comes from real-world experience, not just a love for fancy cameras. I see agents make the "phone photos will do for now" mistake, and I see the consequences when they call us a month later to reshoot a listing that has gone stale.

So, What's the Real Difference?

The camera in your pocket is a marvel of technology. Its software can fake a lot of things. But shooting a property, especially with the intense light and shadow we get here in Coral Gables, is about capturing reality in its best light, not faking it. Here’s a blunt breakdown of where a top-tier smartphone falls short compared to a professional setup.

Feature	iPhone / Smartphone	Professional Setup (Sony α7R V & Profoto Flashes)	Why It Matters for a Coral Gables Listing
Dynamic Range	Struggles with high contrast. Blows out windows or crushes shadows in interiors.	Captures detail in both the brightest highlights and darkest shadows simultaneously.	Essential for showing the view from a window and the detail of the room. Critical for Coral Gables homes with lanais, large windows, and waterfront views.
Lens & Distortion	Single, ultra-wide lens distorts rooms, making them look warped and unnatural. Vertical lines curve.	Specialized, tilt-shift lenses correct perspective, keeping vertical lines perfectly straight.	Distortion makes a space feel "off" and cheap. Showing the true geometry of a room is key to conveying quality and space, especially in historic homes.
Resolution & Detail	Good, but files are heavily processed and fall apart when enlarged or scrutinized.	Massive 61-megapixel files from my Sony α7R V retain incredible detail for print and digital zoom.	High-resolution images allow potential buyers on the MLS to zoom in and see the fine details of finishes, materials, and craftsmanship without artifacting.
Lighting Control	Relies entirely on ambient light and basic software "night mode".	I use multiple off-camera Profoto B10X flashes to sculpt light, fill shadows, and ensure true-to-life color.	You can't rely on South Florida sun alone. Professional lighting creates a bright, airy, and consistent look from room to room, regardless of the time of day or weather.
Color Accuracy	Tends to oversaturate colors. Whites often look blue or yellow depending on the light source.	A calibrated workflow from capture (with a color checker) to post-production ensures colors are accurate.	That custom cabinetry or designer paint color needs to look the same online as it does in person. Inaccurate color is a broken promise to a potential buyer.
Aerial Views	Not an option.	As an FAA Part 107 certified pilot, I use a DJI Mavic 3 Pro drone for stunning aerials.	For a property in Coral Gables, especially one with a large lot or near the water, drone photography services are non-negotiable for showing context and scale.

The High Cost of "Good Enough" in Coral Gables

The biggest mistake I see agents make is thinking of photos as a line-item expense rather than a core marketing investment. They see a starting package price, compare it to "free" on their phone, and make a decision that costs them dearly in the long run.

A listing with amateur photos screams "discount" or "unmotivated seller." In a sophisticated market like Coral Gables, buyers and their agents are scrolling through hundreds of listings. Yours has a split second to make an impression. Dark, warped, or blurry phone photos get an instant swipe-left.

Think about a recent shoot I did at a gorgeous waterfront home in Deering Bay. The living room had floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the bay. An iPhone would have given the agent two terrible choices: expose for the room and have the windows be a wall of pure white, or expose for the view and have the interior be a dark, shadowy mess. Using my Sony and three carefully placed Profoto flashes, I was able to capture the stunning water view and the bright, detailed living space in a single, vibrant image. That’s not a trick; it’s just using the right tool for the job.

Where Phone Photos Fail: A Deep Dive

The Warped Reality of Wide-Angle Lenses

Your phone uses an ultra-wide-angle lens to make rooms look bigger. But it does this by distorting the image, bending straight lines near the edges of the frame. Vertical lines like doorways and window frames curve unnaturally. This distortion might not be obvious to the average person, but it creates a subtle sense of unease and cheapness. It’s the visual equivalent of a funhouse mirror.

For luxury properties in Coral Gables, where architecture and straight lines are paramount, this is a fatal flaw. My specialized lenses are designed to keep those lines perfectly straight, presenting the home as it was designed and built. This communicates stability, quality, and an honest representation of the space.

Florida’s Light is Unforgiving

The dynamic range—the ability to see details in both bright and dark areas—is a phone camera's kryptonite. I see it all the time on Zillow. A beautiful Coral Gables kitchen with dark wood cabinets and a bright, sun-lit breakfast nook becomes a mess of crushed, detail-less blacks and blown-out, glowing windows.

Our eyes can handle this contrast, but a camera sensor needs help. A professional full-frame sensor like the one in my Sony α7R V, combined with a technique called "flambient" (blending flash and ambient light), allows me to produce an image that looks natural and shows detail everywhere. A buyer can appreciate the grain in the wood cabinets and the sailboats on the water outside the window in the same shot.

Beyond the Still Photo

Your marketing package shouldn’t stop at stills. A phone can take a shaky video, but can it produce a smooth, stabilized video walkthrough service that tells a compelling story about the property's flow? Can it create an immersive 3D virtual tour service using a high-end Matterport Pro3 camera that lets a buyer from New York walk through the home as if they were there?

This is where the gap between amateur and pro becomes a chasm. We’re providing a full suite of marketing assets designed to engage buyers on every platform. We can even offer virtual staging services to furnish an empty room, something that requires high-resolution, correctly-lit base images to look realistic.

The Bottom Line is Your Bottom Line

According to data from the National Association of REALTORS®, homes with professional photographs sell faster and for more money. While the exact numbers fluctuate, the principle is constant. In my own experience serving over 550 agents, listings shot professionally go under contract faster than those with DIY photos.

In Coral Gables, where the median home price is significant, can you afford to leave tens of thousands of dollars on the table to save a few hundred on photography? Can you afford an extra 30-60 days on the market?

Using your phone is a signal to the market that you’re cutting corners. And if you’re cutting corners on the most crucial marketing element, where else are you cutting them? That’s the question that runs through a potential buyer’s mind.

My job is to make your listing look as good online as it does in person. It’s to attract serious buyers, justify your asking price, and help you sell your property faster. The gear I use—the Sony, the DJI drone, the Matterport camera—are simply the tools I need to do that job to the highest standard.

If you

Frequently Asked Questions

Are new iPhones good enough for real estate photos?

While new iPhones have impressive cameras for personal use, they lack the dynamic range, lens quality, and manual control needed for professional real estate photography. They often struggle with high-contrast scenes (bright windows and dark interiors), distort rooms with their wide lenses, and cannot match the color accuracy of a pro setup.

How much do professional real estate photos cost in Coral Gables?

The cost can vary, but our photography packages at Estate Shutter Florida start at $199. Think of it as an investment, not an expense. The cost of professional photos is minimal compared to the potential financial loss from a lower selling price or extended days on market.

What is the main advantage of professional photos over iPhone shots?

The main advantage is control over light and perspective. We use multiple off-camera flashes to create bright, natural-looking interiors and specialized lenses to ensure rooms look spacious and architecturally accurate, without the distortion common in phone photos.

Can I just use an iPhone for my Zillow and MLS photos?

You can, but it will likely harm your listing. Buyers in a market like Coral Gables are discerning and can spot amateur photos instantly. Professional images make your listing look more valuable, attract more views, and lead to more serious inquiries.

Do I really need drone photos for my Coral Gables listing?

For many properties in Coral Gables, yes. Drone photos are invaluable for showing a property's location, lot size, proximity to water, and overall layout. It provides a perspective that is impossible to get from the ground and is a standard expectation for luxury listings.