What to capture in your listing photography?

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

What to capture in your listing photography?

Lake Tahoe.jpg

 

Hello everyone,

 

The photos on your listing are usually the first thing that a potential guest will see. They help to build trust and paint a picture of what staying in your home might be like.

This shows that getting your photos right is really important, but this is often easier said than done and this has come up before in the CC. It is easy to include too many photos, photos of areas that aren't needed and images that are low in quality. 

What are your tips for photography on a listing? What do you think are key things to capture to reassure guests and portray your home in the best way possible?

 

I look forward to hearing from you. 🙂

 

Thanks,

 

Lizzie


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50 Replies 50
Ria16
Level 10
Northland, New Zealand

@Lizzie I recently had a very helpful host book here and she told me she was surprised I didn’t include photos of the sheets which  have a little lace detail . It’s not something I even thought about 😉 

I do think it’s important to have a ‘drawing in’ photo on your profile listing to make it stand out a little or capture the viewers attention. I’m not a great photographer so natures sunrises work for me 😉

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Aw, well that is a nice compliment about your sheets @Ria16. Perhaps in the future if you take another photo of your bedroom, you could make sure the lovely lace detailed sheets are on it, then you get the best of both worlds. 🙂 

 

I agree about the 'drawing in' photo, what kind of thing do you think works well for this? 


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


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Hello,

 

Can you tell me what kind of sheets do you use ? and how do you manage with ironing because it's a lot of work and time..

Ned-And-Laura0
Level 10
Simi Valley, CA

I was viewing other hosts in my area, to check out the competition, I saw some terrible photos.  Blurry low light, turned 90 degrees sideways, flash gare off the windows causing everything to be out of focus, closeups of wallpaper, a teddy bear on a chair, really odd things.  So I just took as clean and clear photos as I could of the whole space, from way back in the corner of the room.  Really squeeze into the corner.  This gets the majority of the room in the pic and makes the room look nice and big.  All the lights on during the day with the blinds open also helps a lot.  If the light is too low, most cameras on smart phones will have trouble focusing.  I tried to be as honest as possible.  I had the room made up exactly as I would when the guests arrive.  The photos of the view are standing in front of the unit, not from the roof or anything and on a clear sunny day.  

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Great observations here @Ned-And-Laura0, thanks for sharing. 🙂

 

I think lighting is really important as you say, it is suprising how much opening the window blinds or curtains can do to change the mood of a room. Would you ever wait for a sunny day to capture your photos (mind you, in California these days are probably a little more frequent than here in the UK!)?

 

Do you normally take your photos on your phone or with a stand-alone camera? Do you think it matters these days?


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Kabir5
Level 2
Abuja, Nigeria

Little details also come to play as guests are usually more interested in detailed information this can provide. 

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Yeah, I agree @Kabir5. I feel it is often the little details in a home that add the character. What sort of little details do you think are important to capture?

 

Do you think it is important to restrict the number of photos you have like this?


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

Condition of the bathrooms and pictures most definitely. 

Kathie21
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

As a potential guest I detest having to scroll through close-up photos of set out tea trays and vases of flowers.  They are so staged and phony, and tell me absolutely nothing.  Ditto pictures of sunsets - I know the sun sets.

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hello @Kathie21,

 

It is really nice to have a guest's perspective on photos here.

 

What do you think are must-have photos that you would like to see include, so you know enough about the listing you are viewing ie. the bedroom? 

 

(For me though, I have to say, I am a bit of a sunset fan...so I'm happy to see these photos! 🙂 hehe)


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

Kathie21
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

I want to see photos that show me:-
Whether the bed is accesible from both sides or is shoved up against a wall.
Whether the space is big enough for our backpacks to go somewhere without us constantly tripping over them (especially for a short stay, as we wouldn't be unpacking).

The kitchen, including whatever coffee-making gadget is available (as well as fridge, microwave and stove).

The seating - I have a bad back and can't sit on low squashy sofas, so I need to know there's an alternative available (even if it's just a dining chair).

The bathroom - whether it's a shower cubicle or a wet room that is going to leave me with damp socks if I use the toilet after I've showered and got dressed

The whole of the room(s), even if it needs photos from several different angles so I can reconstruct it in my mind - I like to know that the TV is actually watchable from the seating area without cricking my neck.

 

Some descriptions are so woefully sketchy on details that comprehensive photos are even more important! 

Kathie, I’m a believer that love is in the details. But sometimes too many details can take away from the true Beatty of the room. A newspaper on a desk is okay..but taking pictures of flowers and things that are not needed is WAY TOO MUCH. I see this often in Airbnb listings and it makes it unnecessary. It makes me thing that you’re trying to oversell something. 

 

my rule of thumb is ... stage the room, great the right lighting and add the details. If its a good picture, people would want to look at the details. In other words, you’re not selling your house but you’re room. Therefore, before you take the picture, stage it and make it a painting. But dont overdo it by adding pictures of flowers, and other things that are not necessary. 

AIRBNB photos are your best business card and thanks to my unmissable tips you will maximize your space. 😉

 

Never be afraid of turning off the lights and pulling the curtains. The dark photos will do justice to your rooms, but even better the wavy shots.

 

Main photo: the latrine. If you want to emerge in the sea of proposals that are on the site, wide angle on the toilet bowl. Only if it is dirty and rusty. Seats strictly raised.

 

Get into the habit of publishing photos of rooms that guests will not have access to, such as your bedroom or third-floor tenant's balcony

 

To get good results publish a photo of a beach, although it is far 600 miles.

 

Do not forget photos of the streets and surroundings. Possibly the nearby cemetery. Remember: to get good results, choose an autumn rainy day.

 

And one last thing. You will naturally know, read or heard it stated, o noted that to make the photos turn into bookings, it is advisable to add a map as well. Do it, but of another city.

 

There is audacity in you, you just buried it. Pull it out. If you have a noir, macabre spirit, with white tape, draw the outline of a body like a crime scene on the entrance or hall floor. Near some numbered markers will make the image more cinematic. Title your ad: "Heart of darkness”. Guaranteed reservations.

 

Best,

 

Emily

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Interesting tips here @Emily352! I'm not sure how far you would get with these, did these work for your listing? hehe

 

I know you have a lot of experience with hosting and you have highlighted many key areas to think about when considering your photography though such as lighting, local sites, weather conditions, objects of note.

 

If we now just spin your suggestions and label you tips here as 'what not to do', then I think these are great examples. 🙂  

 


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.