If you own a holiday property then your most important asset for marketing has to be top quality, professional images.

In this post I will outline a number of tips on how to get the most from your property photos and ensure maximum bookings.

Don’t scrimp

A few years back someone told me a quote they had read - ‘*people want to stay somewhere nicer than their own house’.* So true!
Careful interior styling & decor makes a huge difference as does good quality furniture, themed-artwork, appealing colour schemes and lifestyle add-ons such as hot tubs, wood burning stoves and a good entertainment system - not all your old cast-offs! I used to see a lot of holiday lets with old furniture (threadbare sofas, tacky artwork & tatty lamps) but most property owners have realised this is a false economy and investing in the furnishings is more than worthwhile. After spending all that money (one place I photographed featured a £10,000 bed!) it would be ridiculous not to have professional images taken.

I’ve photographed hundreds of Norfolk holiday properties (and further afield - including Kenyan safari lodge rooms) over the last 20 years, from tiny shepherd’s hut to a cutting edge hotel which sleeps 220, the same principles apply when it comes to getting crisp, inviting images. The full galleries are available here.

Below are some of the tips & tricks I’ve picked up along the way….

One of the uniquely styled lodge rooms at House in The Wild - a Kenyan Safari base in the Maasai Mara

Styling

People like to be able to look at images of a property and imagine themselves spending time there so setting up some lifestyle shots will help sell the dream. A bottle of wine & a couple of glasses poured out with a roaring fire behind can really conjure up a mood. Similarly some freshly pressed coffee, a couple of nice magazines & fresh pastries, below are some suggestions on styling a room for the photography.

Setting up some lifestyle images can draw your potential clients in

Get a couple of magazines for the coffee table - for Norfolk properties I usually recommend a ‘Norfolk Magazine’ and ‘Homes & Gardens’ or similar interiors/lifestyle magazine to set the tone. Anything which appeals to your target clients would work.
Food props - pastries, fruit juice & coffee can make for a nice detail shot. As can a bottle of wine but be careful not to give a false impression that wine is included (unless you do offer a welcome pack which includes wine & some essentials - always a lovely touch and hugely appreciated by guests!)

A bottle of wine & a couple of glasses can help set the scene

Set the table - a dining table laid out with crockery, cutlery, glasses & some flowers will always be more interesting than an empty table although this isn’t essential.

Declutter - less is more in property photography and a room with too much going on can look ‘visually busy’, conversely a sparse-looking room with little in the way of pictures on the wall or interesting decor can look uninviting, find a balance.

Table lamps

Table lamps add warmth & interest - table lamps & bedside lamps can create an inviting ambience, just make sure in advance that all light bulbs are working, replace any that aren’t & make sure that the bulb wattage & colour-tone (warmth) of the bulbs match if there is more than one lamp in a room, especially bedside lamps either side of the bed. Ideally low wattage bulbs, daylight balanced (5500K) or slightly warmer bulbs are best for photography. I often carry a box of bulbs in various fittings to use if the bulbs in a room aren’t photographing well.

Let’s get one thing straight - wonky lampshades are the bane of my life! Try to straighten all table lampshades & turn the seams to the wall so they don’t appear in the photos.

This tiny sleeping hut in Northern Norway is probably the smallest building I’ve ever photographed

Plump is good - plump any cushions & pillows. A karate chop to the top of chair cushions can give them a more interesting shape.
Add some life - a vase of flowers or even just foliage can really add vitality to a room.

Detail shots can be important for capturing the character of a property

Preparation

When you are paying a professional photographer to capture your property, generally it will be on an hourly rate so having the place completely ready to photograph as soon as the photographer arrives will save you money. If any of the below aren’t done I will fix them before taking the photos but remember - it’s on the clock!

Ensure all rooms are spotless *before* getting the photographer in

Make sure all surfaces are dust-free
Have nothing stored under the beds that might show in a photo
Clean all windows & mirrors with streak-free glass spray
Close the toilet seats and (if you know how) - fold the toilet paper nicely, also make sure the roll is on the right way round with the tissue coming over the top.
Hide toilet brushes & bathroom rubbish bins.

Hide wheelie bins for the exterior shots if possible, no one wants to see a bin.

Ensure all liquid soap containers are full.
Mop hard floors well in advance of the photographer’s arrival so they have a chance to dry before the photos
Set a fire in any working fireplaces or stoves - just a firelighter block & some kindling will do, once the room is ready to be photographed the fire can be lit & there will be enough flames for a good shot in minutes although larger fireplaces do benefit from having actual logs burning.

Lighting a fire if there are open fireplaces or stoves brings a room to life.

Open curtains & blinds with curtains hanging straight & the folds even.

Hide any hanging cables from lamps/phones/TV/stereos (if necessary tape them to the wall out of sight).
Make sure baths & showers are immaculate, limescale-free & dry.

Ensure all wall-hung picture frames & mirrors are level.

Ensure picture frames & mirrors are level

If the property has a hot tub it may be best to remove the cover well in advance of the photographer arriving & clean up any water splashes created to avoid any puddles/wet patches in the photos.
If towels are provided roll them nicely & place on the end of beds with the folded edges towards the door (that’s usually the best angle for a shot which shows the whole room & windows).

Sell the outdoor spaces

Show off the garden - a freshly cut lawn with stripes always looks good, if there are lots of trees make sure dead leaves aren’t scattered around. Hoses should be hidden away, flowerbeds tended & hedges trimmed. Parasols look better up than down and a lifestyle shot of a garden table with coffee & magazines in the sun can really help to sell the dream to potential clients.
If there are particular features which you feel sell the place well or that your clients appreciate don’t hesitate to let the photographer know in advance to ensure they are fully represented.

Be prepared in advance - it surprises me how often I turn up at the specified time to photograph a property to find that the cleaners are still there or that the beds haven’t yet been made. Getting a property fully ready the day before will mean less waiting around and subsequently a smaller bill afterwards!

Certain features will appeal to clients so make sure they are included (even down to the bath!)

Consider the weather

Overcast is good for interiors - bright, sunny days can be a challenge when photographing rooms - the contrast of direct sunlight & unlit areas of a room can be very contrasty and challenging to photograph well although I do bracket the exposures (take three images at the same time - one over-exposed to get the shadow detail, one under-exposed to capture the highlight details and one in the middle) and use a large flash unit to carefully lift the shadows. In some rooms sunlight streaming in can work well to show that the room gets the sun but in bedrooms where direct sunlight streaks across white bedcovers it can be really blown out in the images so I always prefer a slightly overcast day for interiors.

Overcast days help balance interiors exposures

Sun works for exteriors - a beautifully maintained garden looks at it’s best in the sunshine - in order to have the best of both worlds a day with blue sky & fluffy clouds is ideal so that the garden can be photographed in the moments when the sun comes out from behind the clouds but the interiors can be done when the clouds are diffusing the sunlight. That said, we have no control over the weather so I will work with what I’m given!

A sunny day with the building’s main aspect facing the direction of the sun makes a big difference

If all else fails replace the sky - I have some amazing sky-replacement software which allows me to replace dull skies with various natural-looking skies, it’s a lifesaver when there isn’t the option to return on a sunny day.
Consider the aspect - depending on whether a property is facing North, East, South or West will determine what time of day I would generally suggest photographing a property. For a house where the main frontage faces due East I’d suggest a morning shoot but then also I need to consider the aspect of the windows of the main rooms if it’s due to be a cloudless day to avoid too much direct sunlight streaming in.

Timing is everything - early mornings or late afternoons can help with balancing the ambient light inside & out, the golden hour of evening light is perfect for photographing gardens, so the time of day can be a consideration when planning a shoot.

Evening light & the glow from indoors can create an inviting and unusual shot which will really stand out

Changing seasons - clearly a garden is always going to look better in Spring or Summer (or sometimes even Autumn) when the flowers are in bloom, the lawn is looking it’s best and the trees are in leaf. Often I am asked to photograph properties in the winter months in which case I offer to capture the interiors (and a handful of shots of the outside) right away so that the property can be listed and then return (for a smaller fee - usually just a half hour) in Spring or Summer to capture the exterior & gardens.

Gardens, however big or small, will always look better in the warmer seasons

Show the local area & amenities

The location/area will be the first consideration when booking a property so why not include some shots of the local amenities or tourist attractions nearby? If the holiday let is near the coast then include some shots of the beach, if there’s a great pub in the village include a shot of it. I am happy to get shots of the local area as part of a commission or, if it’s an area that I already have photos of in my archives, I can supply up to eight web-sized images free of charge (usually £25 each).

A range of images available for use for free from my local landscapes gallery

Aerial shots are an amazing way to showcase a property & gardens and useful to demonstrate the wider area - whether it’s a property near the coast or surrounded by countryside. I don’t charge any extra for aerial images and have been licensed for commercial drone use since 2014.

Drone photos are a great way to show the location/environs of a property or even just get a better exterior view. All included in the cost.

Get the images right

Size appropriately - whether you are marketing your property on AirBnB, on your own website or hosting on a localised holiday accommodation portal site, you will want to submit images at the correct dimensions. Uploading images that don’t need downsizing (or god forbid - upsizing!) will ensure they are at their best quality with minimum degradation or compression. I am always happy to check what sizes are being used for specific sites and supply a folder of images batch-resized to the correct dimensions at no extra charge.
Know your orientation - some websites allow the use of square, portrait-oriented (vertical) or letterbox format images, most will only allow landscape-oriented images at a 3:2 ratio. By knowing in advance how the images are to be used I can shoot accordingly. Vertical images can be great for mobile websites or instagram and I find square images work well for detail shots. Generally I will supply a combination of different orientations to allow flexibility depending on how the property is being marketed.

Vertical images can make for an interesting composition

Keep it natural - other than tweaks to ensure the images look their best I avoid using any trendy filters on my property images. A ‘look’ can be added when uploading to Instagram if desired but many of the fads such as the ‘teal & orange’ filter already look ridiculous and don’t date very well. Properly exposed, natural, sharp images will never date.

Keep the light & colours natural, even if it’s a tiny shepherd’s hut, the same rules apply large or small.

Invest Wisely - why you need professional property photos

Stand out from the crowd - professional quality images will ensure your property gets noticed in a crowded marketplace. It still surprises me how many property listings on AirBnB are clearly taken on a mobile phone. Using my tried & tested system I ensure natural, inviting images which show off a space to it’s utmost potential.

Stand out from the crowd - professional images give the right impression.

Photography is an investment - generally the price of getting professional images of a property is less than the cost of one week’s rent with the images continuing to sell a property for years. Many of my clients have mentioned seeing a significant increase in bookings after using my images, many being fully booked out. On the basis of Supply & Demand the price could actually be increased if booking levels are at capacity: professional images can increase profits way beyond the initial outlay.

Professional images are an investment which continue to pay dividends year after year

Leave it to the pro - top quality property photography requires not only the best equipment but also the knowledge & experience of how to use it. There are so many considerations needed to get it right (careful lighting, camera settings, lens choice, perspective, composition & post-processing to name but a few), don’t expect phone photos to generate premium prices.
Some jobs really are best left to the professionals!