7 Essential Vacation Rental Photography Tips to Boost Your Business

Elleysmith
Mind Talk
Published in
5 min readJul 2, 2021

“A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart, and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it.”

The above saying couldn’t have been more true had it not been for vacation rental. Guests, irrespective of where they are coming from or for how many days, search about the property including the tariff, rooms, amenities, surroundings, and several other things. However, photographs of your rental property are arguably one of the most crucial factors that engage them. Viewers scan hundreds of listings by just browsing the pictures before they even begin to read the description you worked so hard on. Images are, indubitably, the most basic elements to convince guests that your property is the right fit.

Now you might think clicking pictures is no big deal; all it requires is a camera. Unfortunately, that’s not true. A good picture is backed by a team of professional photographers, photo editing experts, high-resolution cameras, and editing skills. This might seem too much to grab at once but here’s the good news: vacation rental photo editing services and tips are all you need to get everything done.

In this article, we will highlight some of the most effective holiday cottages/vacation rentals photo editing tips that can work wonders for you and your business. Let’s get started.

Vacation/Holiday Rental Image Editing and Capturing Tips

When we say holiday rentals image editing tips, we mean waving goodbye to dull, fuzzy, and substandard holiday rental photographs, and making room for high-quality, engaging, and stunning images.

1). Staging

Before we give you any staging tips, it is important to brief you on what staging or a staged picture is. In layman’s language, “staged photography concerns the photographic image that has been arranged or set-up.” In other words, before capturing any picture of your property, make sure the space is clean, decluttered, and tidy. Staging your vacation rental before displaying it to travelers gives them an idea of how the stay is going to be. Remember, people aren’t looking to buy your property, they want to spend their vacation.

  • Make use of props to add color, form, scale while arousing emotions.
  • Add fresh flowers to a vase
  • Stack books on the coffee table
  • Place an open laptop on the desk or table
  • Place coffee mugs/wine glasses
  • Organize the dining table

2). Use a High-Definition Camera

No wonder, a camera plays the most pivotal role when it comes to capturing high-quality pictures of your vacation rental. A high-definition/resolution camera offers you multiple functionalities including optical zoom lenses, background removal, image resolution, and several others that help you get perfect shots. In addition, it also gives you control to adjust lighting via shutter speed and aperture while helping you shoot indoors. Don’t forget to use a tripod to test different angles without blurring the images.

With high-quality images by your side, you won’t have to worry about pictures being pixelated while you list them on your website or portal.

3). Capture the Surroundings and Exterior View

As important as it is to capture the interior of your property, you must not forget to capture the exterior view because you never know what will entice viewers to choose your property for their staycation.

Whether it is the lobby, patio, garden, cafe, or your entryway, capture everything smartly because these are some of the things that your guests will notice as soon as they enter your property. The more pictures you display, the more confidence they’ll display. However, make sure you leverage professional holiday cottages/vacation rentals photo editing services to make the most of your business.

4). Try Different Angles

Imagine looking at a property with only a single picture of the room. Wouldn’t you want to look at more pictures to make the final decision? Yes, right?

The same applies to your guests and viewers. When looking for a stay, people want to have a look at everything closely, including multiple shots of the room, bathroom, cupboards, lobby, gyms/pools (if any), and everything around. This not only gives them the idea of the property they are going to stay in but develops trust and assurance.

Make sure you take multiple shots from different angles by indulging in a full-blown photoshoot. Once you have taken enough shots, select the best ones and use them to portray your property in the best way possible. You could also give 360 degree virtual tours for a captivating, engaging experience.

5). Look Out for Good Weather

It goes without saying, a picture captured in natural, well-lit surroundings comes out the best. This is perhaps the reason why experts recommend shooting in weather that’s neither dark, grey, or rainy. Instead, choose sunny or bright weather that adds a natural warmth to the picture and gives viewers a positive vibe. Furthermore, good weather enhances your property’s interior by highlighting the furnishings and making it naturally brighter.

In case your property is located in snowy regions, use it to your advantage by capturing shots with piled-up snow (outside the rooms) to arouse excitement among viewers.

6). Pay Attention to Details

Your photographs are the first impression your guests make of you and your property. It is, thus, exceptionally crucial to provide impressive yet professional photos. No matter whether you own a luxury property or a comfortable cottage, you want your guests to have an ever-lasting impression. Among other holiday rentals image editing techniques, paying attention to details is quintessential. This involves:

  • Keep a watch on reflections caused by windows or mirrors as it can hamper the quality of the image.
  • Try including the key areas of the room/property. For eg: a well-organized dining area or reading corner to catch viewers’ eye.
  • Light a fire in the fireplace (if applicable)
  • Make sure the bed covers, curtains, and pillows are clean, ironed, and neatly done.
  • Turn off the TV screen, arrange/remove remote controls
  • When capturing the washroom, include the toiletries and make sure everything is squeaky clean.

7). Editing is the Key

Once you have a bunch of good pictures, get down to editing. You can either use PhotoShop or simply edit them via your system. Begin by adjusting the brightness, contrast, highlight as per the lighting conditions, and see what works for you. Another way is to auto-edit/enhance if that solves the purpose.

However, in order to achieve exceptional pictures, you must remember certain things:

  • Stay consistent with the editing across all images
  • Don’t go overboard with saturation as it might result in unnatural pictures
  • Avoid using filters since you want to display the property as naturally as possible
  • Hire holiday rentals image editing experts for best results

Get Professional Holiday Rentals Image Editing Services By Experts

You have as little as five seconds to capture the attention of your prospects, and only superior quality, well-captured vacation rental pictures can do that. Hire a team of holiday rentals image editing experts from PhotozWorld who ensure your holiday cottages, guest houses, luxury hotels, serviced apartments, or any other retreat property images are brightly lit, visually appealing, and enticing enough to persuade viewers. We adhere to your business requirements and bring out pictures that convince, convert and sell.

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Elleysmith
Mind Talk

Elley Smith is well-known photographer associated with PhotozWorld, a leading professional photo editing service provider.