Photographing vacation homes

From out of the blue an Airbnb host contacted me saying he has maybe six homes to photograph in his gated community in Pennsylvania in a popular vacation destination. He found me, he said, after searching all over the Internet when his friend, whose home I photographed a few months ago, recommended me perhaps too highly.

One would think I’d be super-excited to land a jackpot six homes all near one another. They are, after all, an hour’s drive away. But instead, I somewhat warily conceded. In his e-mails he sounded too excited and spoke with a freshness like he already knew me—perhaps his friend described me too well—whereas I was just starting to get to know him, a total stranger whose claim of my being recommended I had yet to verify. Six homes could, for all I know, be just a ploy for a discount (as he did eventually ask) and, even worse, not be that easy to organize what with the weather constantly changing and their rental homes’ vacancies having to coincide so they can be booked for photography in a minimum set of days. The logistics can be a nightmare.

But as the Airbnb host promised, there were eight—not six—homeowners in total participating. (Seven I eventually photographed with one still waiting in the wings for a break in her solid summer bookings under hopefully auspicious weather.) The weather did mess up one group’s shoot and threatened another but in the end all went well.

In thanks I waived my travel fee as a form of “group discount” and was happy to offer the original Airbnb host—who initially declined preferring instead a discount for all but eventually accepted—“finder’s fee”.

And I was happy to have met all the 5-star hosts. Meeting people has always been a thrilling, interesting, and surprising aspect of my mercenary-cum-photographer side-gig. I have a regular desk job but this preoccupation of mine that I so love doing—photography—although beginning to feel more and more like real occupation, will always involve art and appreciation whose price no discount could ever reduce.