How to take great photos of your vacation rental, STR?

Several studies show that the photos in your vacation rental ad are of paramount importance. Along with the price and the geographical location , photography is one of the 3 main criteria in the decision of a reservation by the traveler. How many photos should I publish in my ad? What are the techniques to know to become an expert in real estate photography? You have to make travelers want to click on your ad and not on another one.

95% of travelers viewing a property ad spend around 20 seconds on the first photo. In addition, 40% of travelers believe that their choice of accommodation is mainly influenced by the photos more than by the description or the price. In order not to lose nearly half of potential tenants, it is essential to take quality and eye-catching photos . Most travelers don’t even look at the rental price if the first photo doesn’t match them. Here are some tips to follow in order to get the most out of your photos:

What camera?

To take a quality photo you need the right equipment. The best is obviously to have a Reflex or a Bridge but nowadays Smartphones also take very good photographs. It is also possible to take your photos with compact cameras, preferably with a wide angle. If you don’t have a good quality camera, ask around if someone can lend you one. In addition to the camera, the use of a tripod is strongly recommended in order to avoid leaning photos and blurry photos.

Watch out for the light!

A word of advice: it is best to take all your photos on the same day in order to maintain consistency between your shots.

For a photo to be successful, it must be bright . It is therefore recommended to take your photos during the day, preferably when the weather is sufficiently sunny. You can shoot in the morning or evening for softer light, or in the afternoon for stronger light.

Avoid using artificial lights and your camera flash as much as possible. Attention, backlighting is to be avoided . Night shots can be interesting if you have an illuminated swimming pool for example. Open your curtains and do several tests to be sure you get the perfect shot. Play with shadows and contrasts. Once your photos are finished, watch them on the big screen to see if the rendering is satisfactory.

Take pictures in summer or winter!

Please note : photos must be taken according to the seasons . If you own a chalet in the mountains, take photos of the landscape in winter but also in summer, and remember to change the order of the photos by putting the snowy photos in winter and the photos taken in summer between the months April and October for example. If you live near vineyards, also choose the right season to photograph them, and if you live in the south, prefer spring photos.

A perfect frame

Wide shot or close-up, the framing allows you to enhance your piece. The traveler likes to have a complete vision of your room in order to project himself there more easily. The most effective technique is to stand with your back to the corner of a room in order to obtain an overall view.

Take several photos of the same room, changing angles if necessary. For rooms like the bathroom, the toilet or the kitchen, do not hesitate to take close-ups of your bathtub, your sink or your toilet. It may seem strange but tenants are looking for a clean rental and the overall plans do not always make it possible to realize the cleanliness of the premises. On vacation rental sites, the recommended format for your photos is landscape format, as this allows you to have an overview of your rooms, you can also publish one or two panoramic photos. A word of advice: favor the floor to the ceiling because future tenants can thus realize the distance between the furniture, and keep the horizon straight .

In summary :

• Prioritize long shots and wide shots
• Take some close-up photos to show the cleanliness of the place
• Stand in the corner of a room for the shot

Staging

For the traveler to be able to project themselves into your home, the places must be as neutral as possible. Don’t leave anything on the floor or on the chairs, and don’t hang personal photos on the walls. Tidy up the apartment to make it more photogenic. You must take at least one photo per room if not more. You also need to showcase your property . Do you have a table on the terrace? Dress it nicely, with nice plates, flowers, food and open the umbrellas. Prepare your garden trimming the hedges and mowing the lawn. For the bedrooms it is obvious that the beds must be made with nice clean sheets, remove the dust from the furniture and bedside tables and put away all the laundry lying around.

‍

Equipped kitchen ? Video projector ? Take a picture!

It’s all in the details: highlight the equipment that your travelers will appreciate, such as a video projector or a coffee machine. For the bathroom we advise you to clean the mirrors, open the shower curtain, close the toilet lid and fold the bath towels. The staging is very important but you must always make sure that the photos are an exact reflection of what travelers will find on arrival. We advise you never to stage yourself in your photos because they must be neutral and without any human presence.

Area

Do you own a chalet or a house in the countryside? Take pictures of the city and the street, the shops and restaurants without forgetting all the surrounding tourist attractions : the beach, the mountain, a river… Travelers are also at home to discover a city or region.

How many photos to take?

Several vacation rental sites, including Trip Advisor , and AirBnB , advise posting 24 photos in your listing . So don’t be stingy but be careful not to photograph the same thing twenty times. Obviously the number of photos varies according to the property you own. If it’s a villa with a garden and a swimming pool you’ll have more pictures to post than if you have an apartment in town. Put yourself in the shoes of your potential tenants by giving them as much information as possible.

Do we retouch?

Retouching a real estate photo is important, the main goal being to improve the quality and visual impact and not to modify reality by changing the color of the walls or by hiding a crack on a wall. White balance, exposure, color vibrancy or sharpness are the main parameters to adjust . Be careful not to overdo it, if your photo is well edited, your edits should not be visible. The ideal is to have your photos retouched by a professional.

Bring order

When a traveler sees your ad, only one photo appears. But when he clicks all the photos are visible and it is then necessary to think of a strategic order in order to attract the attention of the traveler. Our account managers advise putting your pool (if you have one) first. Then put the photos in the order of the usual visit: the entrance/living room, the dining room, the kitchen, the bedrooms, the bathroom then finish with the photos of the surroundings.

Photographs are important for your vacation rental ad to be visible and therefore more profitable . In order to meet the expectations of travelers and satisfy their expectations do not underestimate this step.

Delegate the management of your photos

If you are not an expert in photography and do not have the appropriate equipment, you can choose to delegate the management of it.

Remember, the investment in your photos can pay for itself in one reservation.

Recommended Products