The Airbnb Photo Tips

Before you take photos to upload to your Airbnb listing ad, here are some Airbnb Photo Tips to make your listing stand out.

What To Do Before The Photoshoot

1. Furnish The Basic Spaces

✔ The Basic Needs For A Bedroom

✔ Bathroom Amenities

✔ Kitchen and Dining Area Tips

✔ The Living Room

Once you finish furnishing your Airbnb home, do not rush to take photos to upload it to your listing immediately. Take the time to clean up your place.

2. Tidy Up

One of the most important things to take care of in a hospitality industry like this is the cleanliness of the space.

Remove all the clutter so that your space will look more inviting and spacious.

If you are renting out the whole place, don’t leave any trace of your belongings, such as your photo frames on the wall. Unless you are only letting your guests book your bedroom within the house you are also staying in, then personal things in common areas are justifiable.

Tips For Preparing Your Airbnb Space For Photography

• When arranging the things inside your home, do it in such a way as if you are already welcoming your first guest. If you plan to give a welcome basket with freebies such as bedroom slippers, toothbrush, toothpaste and other small items, arrange them neatly inside the basket.

• Don’t put the towels in the bathroom. I prefer to put the clean ones in the bedroom closet. You can roll them too and place on top of the bed.

• You can arrange the eating utensils on the table to show them they can use the table for eating. If you have a working desk, place a laptop on it to show them their working place. Just be sure to put a disclaimer if you are or are not providing the computer.

• Add quirky touches to boost the overall uniqueness of your space, such as a painting that cannot be bought in stores.

• If you have the budget to put big mirrors, add them. Mirrors, especially frameless ones, can make small spaces look spacious.

3. Have A list Of What You Want To Shoot

You know your place better than anyone else. If you have a beautiful view from the balcony, include it on your list. Write everything down or save it on your phone’s notes.

Make a list of the highlights of your place such as a gym, pool, fireplace or even a bathtub.

4. Get A Professional Photographer’s Help

A good camera is no match for a professional photographer. What I mean is, they will know what angles are best and how to showcase them in your space, regardless of whatever camera they are using. What use is a high-end camera if your shots are poorly composed and shot with bad lighting.

Getting a piece of advice from a professional photographer is a good starting point. Show them your space and ask for anything you can improve on, at least from a photographer’s point of view. My photographer friend advised me to put hints of warm lights instead of just the basic white LED light.

It is better to prepare the space hours before or even a day before you schedule the official photoshoot.

I highly recommend that you sign up for an Airbnb Professional Photography. I did. Their photographers are well-trained for jobs like this. They also cost little compared to the earnings you can get from having superb-looking photos.

Aside from beautiful photos, Airbnb will put a “Verified Photo” caption on the lower part of the final images once they upload them in your listing. It can make your viewers trust your listing more.

What To Do During The Photoshoot

If you are doing the photo shoot by yourself or with a friend who is also not a professional on this, note these basic Airbnb space photo rules.

1. The images should be at least 1024 x 683 px. If you don’t know that, just set your camera to the highest resolution possible. The higher the resolution, the better.

2. Never take your photos in a portrait format. That means positioning your camera horizontally to take landscape shots.

3. Do your shoot of the inside spaces during the day. Open the curtains so that the natural light can come in. Turn on the lights if the normal daylight is not enough. NEVER shoot against the sun.

4. Always give your shots a sense of perspective. Shoot from the corner.

5. It’s ok to take multiple shots of the same areas with varying angles so you’ll have more to choose from later on.

6. Don’t limit your shots to the insides of your home. Go out and take shots of your beautiful garden if you have it.

7. When shooting from outside, it is best to do it when the sun is not too bright, preferably during the first and last hours of the sunlight. During those time frames, the light is softer and can bring a broad range of color.

8. If you plan to show-off your unique night lamps, shoot at night and dim the lights for a  softer look.

You don’t have to worry about these technicals if you have a good professional photographer’s service. Just make sure you are present during the photo shoot so that your checklist will be complete.

What To Do After The Photoshoot

If you have taken the photos by yourself, you’ll have instant access to them. Before uploading them to your Airbnb listing ad, make sure they meet the size requirement. If you don’t have a means to check it, try uploading one photo and preview your listing ad. If the picture doesn’t break, then the resolution is high enough.

If you know how to use a photo editing program, reduce the shadows in the photos. Brighten the picture BUT never put fancy filters.

Once you are ready to upload, add as many images as you can. Make sure that there’s a variety. Do not put 5 different angles of a dining table. Just a good one will do. Variety means all the spaces, including outdoors and your neighborhood, if possible.

If you have engaged in an Airbnb photography service, use your shots of the space first while waiting for Airbnb to upload your photos.

Once your professional photos are available, choose the best shot to put as the main photo. It can take some time to know which photo works best. That’s okay. The most important thing is to give justice to all your efforts in beautifying your place – and that is by having stunning pictures!

What Do You Think?

I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Cheers!

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