Pricing updated October 16, 2026
Standard real estate photography is $325 for one property up to 2,500 sq. ft. Larger properties, additional coverage and travel are quoted separately. Includes shoot planning, photography, standard editing of the agreed final selections and digital delivery. Standard editing covers color, exposure, cropping and basic tonal adjustments—not unlimited images, revisions or advanced retouching. Your quote confirms the finished-image count, editing scope, revision allowance, turnaround and usage. Additional images, detailed retouching, compositing, crew, locations and travel are quoted and approved before extra work. Final pricing depends on project scope and location. Message Kanyon Studio for an official quote before booking.
Renters scan differently than vacation guests
An Airbnb guest is buying a weekend. A renter is buying a year. The vacation guest wants the cover photo to feel like a holiday. The renter wants to know if the kitchen has a dishwasher, whether the bedroom fits a queen, where the laundry is and what the parking situation looks like. The photo set has to answer those questions in order, without making anyone scroll to find them.
So a rental set is sequenced practically. Exterior and entry first so they recognize the building. Then living room, kitchen, each bedroom, each bathroom, laundry, outdoor space and parking. Straight verticals, even light, true color. No dramatic angles that make a room look bigger than it is, because the renter will see the room at the showing and a photo that oversold it costs you the lease.
Vacant is fine. Dirty is not.
Most long-term units are photographed empty, between tenants. That works. Renters expect empty rooms and can picture their own furniture in a clean vacant space. What kills a vacant set is what is left behind: a paint can in the corner, a bare bulb, blinds hanging crooked, a stained carpet nobody had cleaned yet.
The rule is that the unit should be photographed in the condition you would hand keys over in. Cleaned, patched, bulbs matching, blinds level. If the unit turns and the cleaner comes Tuesday, shoot Wednesday. The prep checklist covers everything else and takes twenty minutes.
Virtual staging is available by quote for selected vacant-room images. Unedited originals are included only when agreed before the shoot. Confirm the original-image and labeling workflow in your quote, then verify publication requirements with your broker or MLS.
What a property manager actually needs
If you manage a portfolio, the photos are a system, not a one-off. Every unit shot to the same standard, the same color, the same sequence, so a renter browsing your listings sees a company rather than a random collection. One point of contact, one gallery per unit named by address, and one itemized invoice at the end of the month instead of a card charge every shoot.
That is how property management photography works here. Send the unit list and the access details, get confirmed times by email, get one gallery per unit on the agreed timeline.
Timing around the turn
The unit is worth the most the day it goes vacant and loses value every day it sits. Shoot timing and gallery delivery are confirmed before booking. Standard turnaround is 48 hours for select services. Next-day delivery may be available by prior arrangement; rush fees and deadlines are confirmed before booking.
Light matters less than it does for short-term rentals, since renters are not booking a sunset. Interiors are shot midday when rooms are evenly lit. If the unit has a view or a good patio, that frame gets scheduled for the hour it looks best.
Long-term versus short-term, side by side
| Long-term rental | Airbnb or VRBO | |
|---|---|---|
| Lead photo | Exterior or living room, recognizable | The frame that wins the tap |
| Sequence | Practical, room by room | Emotional, amenities early |
| Furnishing | Usually vacant | Fully staged |
| Light | Midday, even | Scheduled for the view |
| Platforms | Zillow, Apartments.com, your site | Airbnb, VRBO, direct booking |
| Rate | $325 for one property up to 2,500 sq. ft.; message for an official quote | $325 for one property up to 2,500 sq. ft.; message for an official quote |
Frequently asked questions
How much does long-term rental photography cost in San Diego?
Standard real estate photography is $325 for one property up to 2,500 sq. ft. Larger properties, additional coverage and travel are quoted separately. Includes shoot planning, photography, standard editing of the agreed final selections and digital delivery. Standard editing covers color, exposure, cropping and basic tonal adjustments—not unlimited images, revisions or advanced retouching. Your quote confirms the finished-image count, editing scope, revision allowance, turnaround and usage. Additional images, detailed retouching, compositing, crew, locations and travel are quoted and approved before extra work. Final pricing depends on project scope and location. Message Kanyon Studio for an official quote before booking.
Should I photograph a vacant unit or wait until it is furnished?
Photograph it vacant and clean. Renters expect empty rooms and a clean vacant set is better than a set with someone else's furniture. Virtual staging is available by quote for the main living space if the unit feels cold.
What sizes do Zillow and Apartments.com want?
Landscape images at least 2,000 pixels wide upload cleanly on both. Every gallery includes those sizes plus full resolution files.