Real Estate Media Photographer — Seasonal Subcontractor (KC Metro)

About Carlson Home Photography

Carlson Home Photography is a real estate media company serving the Kansas City metro. We produce photography, listing videos, drone photo and video, 360 degree virtual tours, floor plans and more for residential agents and builders across the KC area.

We're growing fast. To keep up with busy season demand, we're bringing on seasonal subcontract photographers who want consistent work from March through October, a supportive environment, and a clear path to earning more as they grow with us.

What you'll do

• Shoot residential real estate listings across the KC metro during busy season
• Services include: flambient/HDR photography, drone photo and video, listing videos and reels, 360 tours
• Offload your shoots to our editing team — no post-processing on your end
• Our QC specialist handles project review and delivery so you can focus entirely on shooting

Compensation

Compensation varies based on shoot volume and services completed. The busy season earnings typically fall within the range listed. Subcontractors regularly see 2–3 shoots per day during peak months.

• 40% of the project total for completed services — paid bi-monthly via Venmo (1st and 16th)
• Fast-track to 45% for photographers who arrive fully equipped and capable across all services
• 45% at 6 months tenure once you're delivering all CHP services independently
• 50% for lead photographers who assist with training (our top tier)
• CHP covers all editing costs 
• $200/week during the onboarding shadow period (approx. 2-3 weeks)

Seasonal Structure | please read before applying

This is a seasonal subcontractor role. Our busy season runs March through October, and that's when the majority of shoot volume — and earning opportunity — happens. During the slow season (November through February), shoot allocation is prioritized for our full-time employee photographers to keep them busy, which means subcontractors should expect very limited or no shoots during those months.

This role is a great fit if you're looking for high-volume seasonal work, want to build real estate media skills in a structured environment, or are growing a photography business and want to supplement your income during the spring and summer market. It's not the right fit if you need year-round guaranteed income from a single source.

Equipment

You're welcome to bring your own gear. Minimum standard: full-frame camera body (example: Sony A7III equivalent or better) with 5-bracket shooting capability, wide angle lens of at least 16mm full-frame equivalent.

Don't have everything yet? We offer an equipment lease-to-own program. After 8 months of shooting with CHP, the gear is yours — lease payments are automatically deducted from your bi-monthly payouts. No upfront cost, no separate invoice. Available gear includes camera body, lenses, drone, gimbal, flash, 360 camera, and more.

Requirements

• FAA Part 107 drone certification (or willingness to obtain — we can help point you in the right direction)
• Reliable transportation and the ability to be on location across the KC metro
• Minimum 4 days of weekday availability (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm preferred; weekend flexibility a bonus)
• Strong attention to detail and a professional demeanor on-site with clients and agents
• Experience in real estate photography preferred, but we're willing to train the right candidate

Onboarding

New subcontractors go through a 2 to 3 week paid shadow period, working alongside our lead photographers to learn the CHP workflow. You'll spend time with multiple photographers on the team before shooting independently. We invest in you because we want you to stick around.

How to apply

Apply through this listing. Include a link to your portfolio or sample work if you have it. If you don't have a portfolio yet but have the drive and availability, apply anyway — we review every application.

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