8 Secrets to Vacation Rental Photography for Property Owners

Discover 8 expert secrets to vacation rental photography. Elevate your listings and maximize bookings with proven techniques for property owners.

Vacation rental photography is your best bet if you're looking for ways to supercharge your listing. Even if your vacation rental is a luxurious home packed with amenities, it won't do the trick unless you highlight it with professional photos online.

In today's highly competitive short-term rental industry, visitors book with the promise of a decent stay and the feeling of what it would be like living in your property. The best way to convey that is through high-quality photos.

We know not all hosts can afford a professional photographer. That's why we've compiled our top tips when it comes to vacation rental photography for the do-it-yourselfers. So, before listing with Houfy, take care of your vacation home pictures.

Vacation Rental Photography Tips and Hacks

1. Clean and Organize Your Space

First things first, don't touch your camera unless your house is spotless. Trust that visitors will look at every tiny detail of your listing photos, and you don't want any dust on surfaces or wrinkled sheets. Here are a few things to take care of:

Interior

• Dust surfaces
• Mop floors
• Spruce up and fluff out pillows
• Wipe all appliances in the bathroom, kitchen, living room, or bedroom (including mirrors)
• Straighten up any paintings or frames

Outdoors

• Remove fallen leaves and branches
• Mow the lawn
• Add a few plants
• Clean the pool
• Clean any outdoor furniture

Real estate photography for vacation rental business

2. Take Advantage of Natural Light

Natural daytime light is your best ally in real estate photography. Open all your curtains and turn on the lights across all rooms.

Don't use the camera flash; it'll ruin your vacation rental photos. Avoid reflections on surfaces and mirrors, and make sure you're not included in the pictures.

You can wait until sunset and capture additional pictures for more aesthetic flair. Alternatively, take extra photos at night if you have fairy lights or beautiful interior lighting you'd like to showcase.

3. Use a Professional Camera

A high-resolution digital camera and wide-angle lens can take your short-term rental photography to the next level. Obviously, if you don't have expensive equipment, you don't need to buy it now. You can rent or use your smartphone to capture stunning vacation rental photos.

Just make sure to take multiple photos to have options when selecting later. Capture your home from different angles to show visitors the whole picture. We also recommend taking photos at different hours to display how your vacation rental home appears during the day and night.

Vacation rental owners capturing stunning photos

4. Capture Both Interior and Exterior

Guests want to see your house from both the inside and the outside. Wait for the perfect weather when it's sunny with blue skies to capture photos; a rainy and gloomy day will be visible in pictures and will push people away.

Apart from the interior, make sure you capture exterior shots where porches, pools, backyards, and lawns are visible. Guests will also appreciate pictures from nearby attractions such as local shops, beaches, museums, and restaurants.

5. Highlight Your Amenities

Your vacation rental amenities can be the reason why guests book. Especially if you offer luxury ones, let guests know by helping visualize them. For instance, take photos of a morning breakfast in bed or relaxing moments in the pool.

Add some flowers in a vase for extra color, and place a coffee mug and books on the table. Alternatively, capture a relaxing bath time with a bottle of wine, glasses, and flower petals.

The key here is to stage your photos to show how guests' needs are met in your rental. This will lead to higher clicks and bookings.

Professional photographers capture Airbnb photos

6. Take Photos Based on Holidays

Try capturing photos for different seasons and holidays. For example, throw a blanket on your couch during Christmas, add a chocolate mug on the table, and turn on the Christmas tree. Snap and go.

Use prompts such as flowers, pots, and vibrant wall pieces in spring. For summer, focus on outdoor amenities like BBQs, sunbeds, pools, or sofas. Finally, capture photos of the vacation rental's exterior during fall, with the falling leaves, the brownish colors, and the snow.

Repeat the same process during popular holidays like Halloween or Valentine's Day. For instance, add some Valentine's welcome treats for guests upon check-in and take pictures of red-hearted chocolates and wines to entice them.

Vacation rental photography for short-term rental properties

7. Evoke Emotions

The whole purpose of professional photography for vacation rental properties is to infuse users with the travel bug and encourage them to book. Emotion sells. So unless your photos evoke that feeling of "I want to be there right now!", you must try harder.

Naturally, not all photos can be emotional. Some are just going to show the space and size of the rooms. Finding the right balance is key.

For instance, instead of just capturing the pool, use a model to display total relaxation and rejuvenation. Or, instead of displaying the fireplace, light it up and showcase a cozy evening by the fire.

8. Edit Photos Prudently

You don't have to be a Photoshop pro to edit your property images. Some basic enhancements here and there are all it takes to polish your pictures before uploading them. We recommend:

• Adjusting the exposure and shadows
• Straightening your frame
• Cropping any excess information
• Bringing up the highlights

Also, avoid any filters, which can make your photos look fake. You want to keep them as close to reality as possible, or visitors might think you have something to hide. Remember to maintain a consistent editing style across all photos.

Capture Stunning Photos of Your Vacation Rental Property!

To sum up, vacation rental photography is one of the most critical aspects of advertising your properties online. What's the point of having a beautiful house if you don't know how to promote it?

These tips will help attract potential guests from the get-go and boost your direct bookings. Keep in mind that photos need to be renewed from time to time based on seasonality and benefits.

If you don't have a direct booking website yet, at Houfy, we can help you create one without additional fees. This will be your online space and a safe place to advertise your properties without middlemen like Airbnb. List with us today, and take charge of your business and profits.