Listing Photos: How to get them right

Airbnb photos are the first thing that attracts potential guests when browsing through listings. When done correctly, each photo can become a powerful tool that will help to boost guests’ attraction to your listing. Airbnb listings with great photos get more views and appear higher in search results. It’s therefore essential to take great Airbnb photos to use in your listings and marketing strategy.

PRO TIPS:

• You do not need a fancy camera or fancing lighting equipment. Your cell phone will work out just fine. Hold it Horizontally.
• Shoot your photos during the day in the best daylight you have entering your home and rooms.
• Turn all the lights on in each room and the house when you are taking your photos.
• Clean and declutter the rooms. Put away personal stuff.
• You want to tell a story about your place with your photos
• Create a flow with your photos. Approaching your place from the exterior, show the exterior areas, come inside, show the flow of the house and the rooms and the layout
• Pretend it is the first time you are entering your place – what would you want to see as a guest and what do you want to show to the guests.
• You can create up to 100 photos per listing
• Having more photos is not always better for the listing – but not having enough photos does not give a guest a good idea of what your place is like.
• Choose high-quality, high resolution, clear, bright pictures
• Do not use dark, grainy, or out-of-focus pictures
• Stage the rooms
• Provide a caption and details for all of your photos.

1. Clean and Declutter

Before you begin shooting, make sure your vacation rental is spotless and pristine. Nothing puts guests off faster than pictures of a messy, unclean vacation rental. Follow these steps to clean up your Airbnb: 

• Arrange your furniture and plump up sofa cushions.
• Wash and pack away any dirty dishes and make sure there are no visible stains in any areas you want to shoot. 
• Vacuum and mop your floors to make them look sparkling.
• Pack away any clutter that could make your rental space seem smaller than it is.
• If you have lots of ornaments or books, be sure to pack them away. It’s nice to have some decoration, but too much could make your house seem more like a storage facility than a house.

2. Prepare each room

Inspect each room before you begin to take your Airbnb photos to ensure they are prepped and ready. Make sure the curtains or blinds in the living room are open, and that the coffee table has one or two magazines on it. For the bathroom, ensure the bathtub, shower, and sink have been thoroughly cleaned. You can add some candles around the bathroom, and some folded towels for a more luxurious feel. Ensure your kitchen countertops are sparkling, and that your pots, pans, and utensils are neatly arranged.

Once your rental is ready for the photoshoot, you’re all set to begin! But before you start, remember your primary goal. Your Airbnb photos should be a visual display of your rental property and should highlight it at its best.

3. Turn on all the lights in the daytime

Having great lighting in your Airbnb photos will make them look more professional. Natural light helps to enhance the contrast, depth, and colors of your property. When shooting photos for your Airbnb listing, first open the blinds and curtains to let in natural sunlight.

One thing that Airbnb photographers can overlook is that you should always turn on all the lights before shooting. Turning on the indoor lights will eliminate any dark corners from your Airbnb photos. It also provides your potential guests with a clear view of what your place has to offer.

This is useful when taking photos of the kitchen or bathroom where there’s not as much natural light as the rest of the house. Turning on the lights will also help guests to see how clean your property is.

4. Shoot into a corner

Always try to rather shoot into a corner of a room instead of shooting directly facing a wall. Shooting into a corner adds more dimension to the photo’s composition. It also gives a better perspective of the room space and will make the room look bigger and more inviting. 

This rule applies to every room, including the kitchen and shower. In the bedroom, you would likely make the bed the focal point of the Airbnb photo, and the sofa in the living room. For the bathroom, the shower or bath would be the best central focus, while the stove/oven would be ideal for the kitchen.

5. Pay attention to the details in your Airbnb photo

Most Airbnb hosts get so caught up capturing major amenities of their property, that they forget about smaller details. Small details may seem insignificant but they can make or break a booking decision. When guests imagine themselves staying at your rental, the little details help complete the picture.

Show the things that fill your property with personality and are there to make guests feel welcome. If you own collectibles or have a veggie garden, add some photos of them to your listing. Guests want to see that your home has character and is more than just an upscale Airbnb property.

6. Take panoramic shots

Panoramic shots are the best way to show off an entire room in a single photo. If you don’t have a way to take panoramic shots, then use a wide-angle lens for some shots. This type of Airbnb photo will give potential guests a better idea of the size of a space. It will also make you a more trustworthy host, as it shows you have nothing to hide. 

7. Take photos from different angles

It’s rather boring for guests to look through dozens of Airbnb photos all taken from the same angle.  Add some variety by taking photos from different angles, like ceiling down or ground up. However, make sure that you are also capturing the amenities that guests want to see. Don’t only do it just to seem artistic!

8. Paint a lifestyle with your Airbnb Photos

While some guests appreciate more practical photos, the majority choose a property based on the lifestyle that it offers. Use your Airbnb photo collection to show what kind of lifestyle guests could enjoy there. If your property offers rustic living, you could include a copper stovetop kettle and a cheeseboard. If it’s a sleek, urban pad, you could add luxury toiletries to the bathroom, for a glam touch. If your guests enjoy the outdoors, show where you keep your outdoor gear, ready to use.

These types of photos will help attract specific types of guests to your property. You will likely earn more from certain demographics than others, so try to cater to your ideal guests in your photos.

9. Take photos around town

Once you’ve perfected your rental’s interior and exterior photos, don’t forget to take pictures of your neighborhood! People love to see where you live just as much as the property in which they will be staying. So make sure to get a few photos of nearby restaurants and local attractions. 

Don’t just take one photo and leave it at that. Dedicate a bit of time to capture the essence and feel of your neighborhood in your photos. If it’s in the middle of the city, capture some shots of the nearby hustle and bustle. If it’s in a charming, quiet neighborhood, take shots of the local park or bridge. 

How to Level Up Your Airbnb Photo Section?

• Organize your photos into separate categories

After you have finished taking your Airbnb photos, it helps to organize and categorize them. If you upload your photos in no particular order, guests won’t be able to get an idea of your rental’s layout. Try to group your photos by room and area, so you can begin deciding which ones are the best. 

• Upload your most attractive photos first

Choose one photo from every room and area to upload first. This gives viewers an idea of what they can expect to see in your rental before browsing the pictures. Uploading your most attractive photos first will draw viewers in, and entice them to look at more. 

Once you have given viewers a taste of what your rental offers, you can upload the rest of your photos in categories. Most listings start with the kitchen images, before moving onto the living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, outdoor areas, and neighborhood. Try to aim for 20 – 30 photos to create a comprehensive overview.

• Caption all your Airbnb photos

It’s very important to add a caption to every photo that you upload. People browsing online have a shorter attention span than in real life. Captions can help to maintain your audience’s attention while they browse your Airbnb photos. Don’t add a caption that adds no value to the photo. For example, writing “This is the bathroom” or “bathroom 1” for a bathroom picture offers no context. The viewer can already see it’s the bathroom, and they’re likely to skip through your photos faster. 

Try to write a caption that highlights the focal point of each picture. If you have a bathroom picture of your shower, mention the maximum temperature it can reach. If you have a picture of your bath, describe how guests can run a bubble bath, and relax with a good book. You should be using your captions to highlight and promote your rental’s unique amenities to guests.