Real Estate Photographer — Cape Winelands
We photograph homes that have to sell on a phone screen before anybody books a viewing. That means clean verticals, honest colour, windows that hold their view, and rooms that read the way they feel when you walk in. If you already shoot property and you care more about a straight line and a correct white balance than about heavy presets, we would like to see your work.
A typical brief is a two to three hour shoot: 20 to 35 delivered stills covering the exterior approach, every principal room, the kitchen and bathrooms, outdoor living and a twilight set where the property earns it. You arrive on time, you work politely around tenants and homeowners, and you deliver a card that our retoucher can work from without rescuing it.
Work is booked per shoot rather than by roster, so it suits a photographer who wants steady, well-briefed property work alongside their own client base. Volume increases through the spring and summer selling season.
Working in Cape Winelands
The Winelands run on hospitality and estate work — wine farms, boutique hotels, restaurants and heritage homesteads, with a heavy harvest and wedding season. Shoots are longer and slower here: an estate day can mean cellar, vineyard, suites and dinner service in one call sheet. Crew usually travel out from Cape Town in the morning, so early call times and a reliable vehicle matter.
Where the work happens: Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Somerset West and the surrounding farm roads.
What you'll do
- Shoot exteriors, interiors, outdoor living and twilight sets to the supplied shot list
- Bracket and flash-blend interiors so windows keep their view and whites stay neutral
- Keep verticals straight in camera; no rescue-in-post as a working method
- Light-tidy rooms on arrival and reset the space before you leave
- Deliver a labelled, culled card within 12 hours of the shoot
What you need
- Own full-frame body plus a wide zoom (16–35mm equivalent) and a tilt-capable tripod
- Off-camera flash or continuous lighting and the judgement to know when not to use it
- Own transport and a valid driver's licence
- Two or more years of interiors, architectural or property work you can show
- Reliable communication — homeowners and agents are on a clock
Nice to have
- Existing relationships with estate agencies or developers
- Lightroom/Capture One retouching to a publishable standard
- Comfortable adding a short vertical walkthrough on the same visit
What we offer
- Per-shoot rate agreed up front, paid on delivery terms confirmed in writing
- Briefed shot lists and confirmed access before you arrive — no wasted trips
- Your name credited on portfolio and case-study usage
- Ongoing bookings through the selling season for photographers who deliver consistently
How to apply
Send a link to your reel or portfolio, your city, your kit list, and one line on why this role. No cover letter needed. Coleman Gellatly reads every application and replies inside two working days.