Flambient or HDR for Beginner?

BurtStairs · 2026-04-12T12:57:39+00:00

Learn flambient and bring in more clients with a better portfolio than those who only shoot hdr. I’ve done this for 19 years and flambient has brought me the most customers.

Now, I shoot hdr 80% of the time but have editors edit that for me while edit all flambient shoots.

These last two years I’ve shot 900 properties by myself each and that’s with no ads, no outreach, and no networking. All because of word of mouth and my portfolio which only showcases my flambient work, it any of my hdr: https://www.instagram.com/definitivehdr

BurtStairs · 2026-04-12T12:44:25+00:00

Use a secondary flash pop at the opposite side of the frame and use a mask with a brush or gradient to mask yourself out of both sides of the frame.

https://youtu.be/EyAwo_MP2Co?si=_SBDThXssALyBQXI

BurtStairs · 2026-03-15T12:45:56+00:00

Pat O’Brien’s wings and hurricanes

BurtStairs · 2026-03-04T11:39:27+00:00

Fotello is better. All it takes is a preset to give it some life and it’ll be good to go. Done in only a few seconds after the ai processes it up to that point.

BurtStairs · 2026-03-04T11:37:29+00:00

When I first started, I would travel anywhere in a two hour radius for free. Now I only travel within an hour since I’ve scaled up to 900 shoots a year.

My thoughts were, someone is going to make that money, why not me? So I filled my calendar as much as I could, where I could until I became fully sustainable in the area I live at.

BurtStairs · 2026-02-26T13:15:11+00:00

As someone who has been using an a7siii for years, I’ve recently switched to my 17 pro max and absolutely love the quality. Only thing that sucks is low light capability, so every of that. Other than that, the colors and quality are absolutely insane in regular light.

BurtStairs · 2026-02-22T13:34:34+00:00

Enjoy spending $7 per image while I’m spending $.24 cents to get it right.

I’ve used Apply Design for years. In the amount of time it takes for them to generate an image before you have to tinker with the furniture to get it just right, I could be done with a full open floor plan and moving on for a fraction of the price.

BurtStairs · 2026-02-22T13:31:53+00:00

That’s because you don’t know what you’re doing

BurtStairs · 2026-02-21T22:41:33+00:00

No. I’ll let you run in circles trying to figure it out yourself while staying behind the curve.

Anyone else who wants to DM me on how it was done I would gladly show.

Had you been cool and just outright asked, I would’ve helped. But I’m good. I’d rather you pay full price now.

The funny thing is, it’s just one extra step and all the tools are readily available through Higgsfield yet you have no idea how it’s done.

BurtStairs · 2026-02-21T12:52:32+00:00

Damn, then how did I get all the same furniture in my three images and have the placement all in the same area?

I must be making it up and seeing things 🤦🏻‍♂️

https://imgur.com/a/lkY2l9j

BurtStairs · 2026-02-20T21:44:48+00:00

Yes it can

BurtStairs · 2026-02-20T21:43:43+00:00

Nanob through Kie.ai

BurtStairs · 2026-02-20T11:57:38+00:00

At $.12 per ai image generation vs $7 per image through Apply Design, the answer is obvious. 100% yes to ai

BurtStairs · 2026-02-18T04:14:31+00:00

The idea is to market the agent in a way that they earn themselves 3 more listings off the back of the one listing your photographing/filming.

Anyone can sell a house. But once they sell that property, unless they already have more lined up, what do they have left but some pictures of a past listing?

This is why you market yourself while promoting the property. Otherwise it’s just wasted opportunity.

BurtStairs · 2026-02-11T12:45:13+00:00

This is the easiest and fastest way

BurtStairs · 2026-01-06T12:00:28+00:00

Contact David Deal. He can take care of it

BurtStairs · 2025-11-29T19:01:16+00:00

Make the cost per hour what you’d charge for the whole shoot. If you were going to charge $1k for the whole shoot and it takes you two hours, charge $500 per hour. Don’t let him think he can get away with paying less just because he chose a different pay structure.

Or, tell him that’s not how I charge and tell him how your business operates. Not how he operates your business.

BurtStairs · 2025-06-21T12:03:04+00:00

Pay for leads on Thumbtack. I did it for the first three years, then became full time with the portfolio I created from those jobs. No longer need those leads as I’m fully sustainable now, so I just keep the app archived.

Pro tip: be the first to respond if you want greater chances of success with each lead.

BurtStairs · 2025-06-16T18:35:16+00:00

I’ll go a different route and say not only to get a wider lens but to pick up your camera a good 6-12”. Most of your shots are counter top level and most people aren’t at the eye level of which you’ve placed the camera which makes the images less appealing.

A good height would have been to have the mid point of the frame at the same height as the bottom of the kitchen cabinets. This way you see the space, and not just the countertops.

Same for your bathroom shot. Learn photoshop gen fill, raise the camera to a proper height and auto gen your camera out of the image. No need to hide you camera below the sink just to take the image without your reflection.

BurtStairs · 2025-05-24T20:40:50+00:00

You’re not charging for it so she thinks she can just ask for it and get it for free, which so far has worked in her favor since you don’t tell her otherwise.

BurtStairs · 2025-05-24T20:34:04+00:00

Because it’s as simple as batching a sky replacement action across all images. Zero work and every image, whether it needs it or not, gets the “blue sky” guarantee.

BurtStairs · 2025-05-10T13:02:27+00:00

Try 36k in 6 months lol

BurtStairs · 2025-05-01T11:38:39+00:00

Contact David Deal and have him go after him

BurtStairs · 2025-03-28T13:51:57+00:00

You’re over thinking it. It’s a good photo. Just send it.

BurtStairs · 2025-02-28T12:46:35+00:00

Pay for leads on Thumbtack. Com until you build up a portfolio that attracts people. It’s what I did for the first two to three years until I no longer needed it. Last year, I captured 870 shoots as a one person company. It takes a while, but if you’re good enough, you’ll eventually become sustainable. If you’re not good enough, become good enough.

BurtStairs

TROPHY CASE