Looking for the best tips for Airbnb photos? Having your property presented properly with photography is one of the key steps to attracting more potential guests. For that reason, property hosts pay attention not just to room descriptions, listings, and other elements of presenting their properties, but also to creating quality Airbnb photos. They can showcase accommodation options at their best and serve as the best marketing tool. With properly made photos, your vacation rentals can stand out and attract more clients, too. In today’s post, we’ll explore some of the useful Airbnb photography tips to help you get started with attractive photos for your STRs.
Top 12 Tips for Airbnb Photos
The recommendations and Airbnb photo requirements we’ve gathered below are aimed not just at making your property look good. They are also aimed at giving a clear overview of your vacation rentals. The reason for that is simple – images are often the first thing visitors see when opening a property listing page. From choosing right angles to using AI enhancement tools for photos, their recommendations cover various photography aspects. Let’s look at them closer.
1. Get the Right Equipment
One of the first tips for Airbnb photos is to get the right equipment. This doesn’t mean buying professional gear to make a few photos of your property. A modern smartphone with a built-in quality camera is often enough. Still, having a tripod and wide-angle lens can improve your shots’ quality. You can also use them later on your vacation rental website. Additionally, if your property doesn’t have much natural light, it is also worth getting lighting equipment. To make your shots look even more professional, you can also get:
- Gimbal stabilizer for recording smooth property video tours;
- Remote shutter to take photos without touching the camera;
- Extra batteries and memory cards for longer photography sessions;
- Cleaning kit to help you keep the camera and lens free of dust.
2. Keep Spaces Clean
Before taking photos, make sure your rooms are tidy and prepared for guests. Remove anything that may distract viewers from the room and spoil the initial impression. For example, some Airbnb photography tips recommend hiding cables, cleaning supplies, personal belongings, etc. With a well-organized space, photos will not only look better. They will also help your future guests understand what they can expect on arrival at your Airbnb.
3. Start with the Best Photo
One of the next tips for Airbnb photos is making sure to take quality photos. Such images are what your potential guests see when they view your property page. When uploading images and adding them to your listing’s gallery, start with the one that advertises your Airbnb’s selling point. For example, you can show off the property’s living room, a comfy bedroom, or a balcony with a stunning view using Airbnb pictures. This will convince your guests to explore the rest of what your property has to offer. The first photo needs to:
- Match guests’ expectations;
- Show the space clearly;
- Choose an inviting and bright image;
- Showcase your property’s selling points.
4. Use AI Photo Enhancement Tools
While some Airbnb photos can be worth publishing, it is always recommended by many Airbnb photography guidelines to work on them. One of the easiest ways to do it is to use AI enhancement apps. They can help you correct lighting, reduce noise, and improve colors without you needing to pay extra for professional retouching services. Remember to avoid AI tools that completely change the look of your property in a photo. The main goal here is to enhance images, as it can help you create professional-looking photos. Here are the top 5 AI enhancement tools we recommend using:
- Zugrow;
- Topaz Photo AI;
- Luminar Neo;
- Canva;
- Fotor.
5. Highlight Unique Features and Amenities
Your Airbnb photos need to draw attention right away. It’s not just about your property looking impressive – the images need to showcase your amenities. That’s why the next one of our tips for Airbnb photos is to not just photograph the main rooms. Pay attention to features such as a swimming pool, fireplace, and the outdoors. Advertise your amenities via multiple photos shot at different angles. This can help your guests understand why your property is worth staying at.
6. Include Exterior and Surrounding Photos
As we’ve previously mentioned, it is important to showcase not just your accommodation and interior. Showing off the exterior and surroundings of your vacation rental property is also worth it. It gives your visitors a better understanding of what their stay at your vacation rental will look like. Properly done outdoor photos can add a lot to your Airbnb gallery. For example, consider photographing the following:
- Parking and property access points;
- Outdoor areas;
- Building facade and overall appearance;
- Relevant attractions;
- Attractive views from the property.
7. Use Natural Light
It is highly recommended to use natural light in your Airbnb photos as much as possible. This one of the Airbnb photo tips aims to make your property gallery look more inviting, so take advantage of that whenever possible. To do that, open curtains and blinds and clean the windows before shooting.
As one of the Airbnb photo tips, it is recommended to avoid extremely bright sunlight and pick the time when light looks the most attractive for your property interior. This way you can keep a balance between light and shadows in your Airbnb pictures and on your vacation rental website. If the rooms receive little natural daylight, feel free to use additional lighting, while avoiding it from looking artificial.
8. Shoot Into a Corner
Want to make professional Airbnb photos of your interior look more spacious and attractive? Try this one of the tips for Airbnb photos – position your camera towards the corner to let it capture more space in a single shot. With multiple walls being visible, potential guests will get a better understanding of how the room looks. Here are some extra tips to make your room shots look spacious:
- Choose a clean corner that is free of distracting objects;
- Keep vertical lines straight to avoid walls looking distorted;
- Make sure your camera is at a natural height – this keeps a realistic perspective;
- Capture multiple room features such as beds, decor, and windows.
9. Show the Guest Experience
Your Airbnb photos shouldn’t just advertise your property. Using them, you can also help your guests imagine what their experience there will be like. For example, by showing a breakfast setup outdoors or a prepared workspace inside your property, you can tell more than just by photographing rooms. Remember to keep these shots natural to convey how guests can enjoy staying at your vacation rental.
10. Use a Consistent Visual Style
It is always necessary for your photos to remain visually consistent throughout all your listing pages and galleries. By following one of the tips for Airbnb photos and applying similar lighting, compositions, and color schemes, you can make it easier for guests to browse your property online. Having a similar style throughout all photos helps to create a more cohesive impression. For that reason, avoid mixing natural-looking photos with heavily edited ones so as not to ruin the experience. Try to maintain consistency in:
- Color tones;
- Editing;
- Lighting;
- Seasonal appearance.
11. Choose Quality Photos
After your shooting and editing is done, you will probably have a lot of images you’d like to share. However, choosing the best ones is the key and is often mentioned as one of the useful Airbnb photo tips. Instead of uploading every photo you have, pick the top-notch ones that present your accommodation properly on your Airbnb page and hotel website. These images should look bright enough but also balanced to remain clear across varied screen resolutions. Before uploading, review your gallery once again and remove photos that you find repetitive or not useful enough.
12. Update Your Gallery Regularly
While your gallery may look fitting after you upload all photos, it only reflects the property in its current state. That’s why following Airbnb photography tips about updating your gallery is vital. Reviewing it, adding new shots, and removing outdated ones can help your listing remain attractive and relevant. Consider updating your gallery if any of the following have taken place:
- Furniture upgrades;
- Renovations and repairs;
- Interior redesign;
- New amenities.
Conclusion
As you can see, taking a photo to present your property needs solid preparation. Hopefully, with our tips for Airbnb photos, you can get better results and attract more attention to your property. Be it the right lighting setup or highlighting popular amenities, each detail can make your listing look eye-catching. By taking time to review your image gallery and learning how to take good Airbnb photos, your property will shine online and make your Airbnb page look its best. Properly made photos will also give your vacation rentals these benefits:
- More attention from potential guests: Thanks to eye-catching Airbnb photos, your listing can easily stand out among similar rental properties.
- A better first impression: By posting high-quality images, your listing gallery will make your vacation rental Airbnb page look more trustworthy. It will also attract more attention to the property description and reviews.
- Clearer expectations: Through the well-presented photos, you can help guests understand what your short-term rental property offers before they even use a guidebook. Before booking, your future guests will already know what to expect from staying at your vacation rental.
- Higher booking potential: Using compelling photos is the best way to let your guests picture the benefits of your accommodation. If you use properly taken and processed photos, your clients will be more likely to become your guests.
