Vacation Rental Photography: The Guide to Stand-Out Airbnb Photos

Are you looking for ways to increase your bookings?

Your property images are the portal through which a traveler enters to become your guest!

In the vacation rental market where almost every property offers its distinct panache in an aesthetically pleasing design and taste, your portfolio of pictures is the best way to showcase your property's outstanding features authentically.

This article will guide you on how to use vacation rental pictures that transcend the "professional" standard to engage with your ideal guest and entice them to visit your property.

Photography Power!

What's the first thing travelers look for when planning their vacation? Photographs, of course!

Ideally, vacationers know where they will travel to but are unsure of where they will stay and that is where your property photographs come in handy. Travelers process images much faster than words. A property listing that is accompanied by stand-out photographs will have the power to draw the attention of potential guests.

Furthermore, travelers nowadays seek an intriguing experience. They want to be able to share their travels on social media. You can offer all this and more if you highlight your property's unique features in your photographs it will create a significant impact on the number of bookings you receive.

You may wonder “How?” So we are here to help you unravel the mystery!

Vacation Rental Photography Drives Revenue!

An excellent photoshoot is one of the most valuable marketing tools for your property. It's your least expensive option for building more value than your competitors and the best way to differentiate your property. Look at it as micro-advertising your space and a detailed preview of what travelers can expect when they arrive!

The key to consistently getting reservations is having a variety of photos that showcase your vacation rental's features and amenities. If you do it right, the photos you create will be worth thousands of dollars in bookings!

Stand Out Airbnb Photos Promote Professionalism

Excellent photographs depict the host as being committed to providing an exceptional experience for visitors. When they see well-maintained premises, a few things stick in their mind.

• A warm, inviting atmosphere permeates your property
• You maintain an excellent level of hygiene at your property
• The facilities and amenities you offer are excellent

Your photos also convey how you manage your business and how you expect your guests to treat it.

Guide to Great Vacation Rental Photos

1. Organize your Space

Guests form their first impression of your vacation rental based on your listing’s photos. So, it's all about the visual impact you create. Consider doing a deep clean of your entire property. Bring your cleaning tools out and get to work. This means getting into every nook and cranny!. Clean every visible surface from floor to ceiling.

The Interior,

• Wipe down tabletops, chairs, beds, windows, windowsills, blinds, decorative items, etc
• All Appliances - be it in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, or living room, including mirrors and shower curtains!
• Fresh linen - spruce it up and fluff out the pillows
• Straighten out wall hangings and lampshades
• Floors - Make them shine!

__The Outdoors, __

• Remove any fallen leaves or branches, trim bushes, mow the lawn
• Spruce up with a few potted plants
• Clean the outdoor furniture
• Clean out the pool (if you got one)

Pro Tip: Use a detailed cleaning checklist to support this task.

2. Vacation Rental Staging

Staged vacation rental photos convert into higher click-throughs, and increase the booking conversion rate. When you stage settings of your space for photographs, remember to keep the needs of the guests foremost as you plan the interiors and exteriors.

Simply design your space so that your guests can imagine themselves in it. You want travelers to swipe through your photos and feel the emotion and need to see themselves in the exact setting

__Some staging ideas to guide you: __

• Natural flower arrangements are an excellent way to add some color
• The ideal placement of guide books, local maps, and coffee table books
• Board games or card games opened out and spread on a coffee table
• Place setting on the dining table, including amenities you provide at the rental
• A Bottle of wine and glasses, tastefully set by a fireplace with a cozy blanket
• A Towel, suntan lotion, a novel, and sunglasses, set by the Pool!
• Decorate walls with locally sourced art pieces to add color to the setting
• A fresh fruit platter and a steaming pot of coffee with mugs set on a kitchen counter
• Incorporate splashes of color for items such as throw pillows, blankets, and area rugs
• Roll the toilet paper up and put the toilet seat down!
• Showcase the hygiene protocols and commodities such as hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial soap dispensers (especially during the current pandemic)

Pro Tip: Strive to capture more than just a placed setting and help guests envision their stay while browsing through the photos.

Remember when staging, to create an illusion that someone has just stepped out and will return soon and to use items that are available to the guest on your property, so they can recreate the scene for themselves

3. Top Photography Tips to Think

Are there any Unique Selling Points (USPs) you would like to highlight? Eg: The Locality, Architecture, Space, The Charming outdoors, local attractions, etc

Provide the viewer with the visual context in your photos. A minimum of 20 photos of your home, including the yard and its extra features, and if possible, a floor plan

Pro Tip: Include shots of local shops, events, bars, beaches, etc. This will form a link between your property and neighboring attractions

Photograph your property at different times of the day so that you can display how it appears at night as well as in the morning.

Pro tip: Take outdoor shots at dusk to capture the magical time of day and see the amazing outcome! Let us know in the comments when you do!

4. Professional Photography may be your Best Bet!

As a host, you naturally want to show off your property in a positive light by highlighting its best features. So, the first thing we recommend is to hire a professional photographer. The difference between a regular photo and a professional photo is quite distinguishable. You can feel the difference between pictures with poor lighting that fail to catch a person’s eye, and pictures that create the “wow” factor that makes them say, “I wish I was there right now”. This is what keeps people engaged as they swipe.

Let's delve into the details, so you can decide for yourself!

__Why it’s a Good Idea! __

Professional photographers know what makes a magnificent picture, so you'll get photos that create a seamless visual story about your property showing off some of your vacation rental’s best features! Let's look at the key advantages you stand to gain.

Professional Equipment

A high-resolution camera has special settings for indoor photography, such as aperture and shutter speed, that control the lighting. The right equipment can help capture perfect photographs. Pro’s can easily photograph an entire room, even the smallest of spaces, by using a wide-angle lens. Most likely they would also carry with them an External flash, a tilt-shift lens, light filters, optical zoom lenses, etc to support the entire operation.

Enhance Efficiency

In most cases, a Pro takes multiple photographs of the same location from different angles. This process helps them improve and identify the best angles and capture pictures in the best lighting.

Photo Editing Tools

Photographers use editing software to remove blemishes, fix errors, and improve digital images. These are essential tools to achieve the perfect photographs of your property. Overall, you want your images to be well-edited but consistent.

How to find a Professional Vacation Rental Photographer

Selecting a credible professional photographer with a credible portfolio will ensure that your investment in professional photography should also lead to an increase in the value of your listing overall.

• Do a Google search for photographers in your locality
• Ask for recommendations from other vacation rental owners
• Have a look at their past projects
• Look at reviews from previous customers

Pro Tip: Find a photographer who ideally has experience in shooting interiors and architecture

Decision Drivers When Selecting an Airbnb Photographer

It's important that the photographer understands your requirements for creating an overall experience through your property photographs. Communicate and be clear about your expectations.

Ask for the pricing structure. This will help you figure out your budget and your investment.

What services would they provide?

• The number of photographs, the quality, (VRBO suggests sizes 3840 x 2160 pixels or higher)
• How soon it can be scheduled and what is the turnaround time?
• Drone Footage - For example, if you have a lakeside view or a beautiful landscape you may consider asking for drone footage.
• Video footage - most travelers expect to see credible video footage on their search. Request to incorporate a few clips of your interior and exterior.

When you calculate the return on investment (ROI) (recovered from your first few bookings), you will quickly realize the importance of following the right strategy. According to recent surveys adding professional photographs to listings increases the click-through rate by 63%

How can Hostaway Help?

At Hostaway we are well aware of how your property photos play a pivotal role in the vacation rental business. This is why our platform allows you to easily upload high-quality photos and publish them on our multiple vacation rentals websites.

Follow our vacation rental photography tips to make your listing stand out - and keep in mind beautiful pictures are the first step in attracting guests! The success of your vacation rental depends on your photos. A property can be amazing, but if guests are unaware of its appearance, what good will it do?

Bring your property to life through your camera lens and let your guests discover the story your property has to tell!