Taking pictures

It is vital that your photographs present the best aspects of your property. As an owner, you know all the intimate details about what makes your property so great. The challenge is in conveying those to prospective renters.

HolidayHomes.org helps by providing you with custom web pages for your property, and promoting it to family vacationers around the globe. So what can you do to leverage this worldwide exposure? Attractive and descriptive photos can take a good property listing, and make it great. And it is a lot easier than you think. If you put a bit of thought and effort into it, you can make your listing stand out from the others on the market.

The holiday industry has been revolutionized by the internet where holidaymakers can just sit and click through property listings. As an owner, you need to make sure your listing has photos that show off your home in the best light.

Listing your home on the web is an important first step, but there is more to it than just slapping up a description. You can describe the property, but you will get no interest if there are not pictures. This means you need them and need some advice on how to go about taking them.

Whether you use a traditional film camera or a digital one does not really matter. Use what you're most comfortable with. Both digital and film camera technologies are sufficient to capture images extremely well.

Professional home photographers spend hours creating the right look before snapping the first picture. You will likely take your pictures between rental sessions, after the property has been cleaned. Of course renters like seeing everything neat and tidy, but we've noticed that sometimes a less sterile view helps vacationers imagine themselves in your property.

Spend a few minutes choosing which rooms you wish to show. Prepare the room to make the best impression. Common areas, like living rooms and kitchens are important. Many vacationers like to see the kitchen's layout, even if they know what equipment it contains. Primary bedrooms are important as well, as they allow renters to visualize their sleeping arrangements.

If your property has anything out of the ordinary on the inside (a complete home theater, for example), it's a good idea to take a photo of it as well. Turn on all the lights inside your property before taking your pictures. Set your flash to automatic, so that it will fire whenever necessary. Set your zoom on its widest setting and move back to position yourself to capture as much of each room as possible.

Take a few minutes and decide what you'd like to show potential renters - it could sometime make the difference between someone booking, and passing. Showing which unit is yours in a multiple unit building can be helpful. If your property is a house or detached condominium, the exterior appearance and setting can be a big selling point. Amenities specifically for your unit can be worthwhile showing as well, such as swingsets, docks, saunas, etc.

Include a photo of the beach your renters can use. Put one in showing how close the chairlift is from your front door. Show the pool, playground, fishing pond, hiking trails, etc. Potential guests want to know what then can do and where they can go. The idea here is to give potential renters a sense of the setting of your vacation rental property, and the best things about the immediate area.

Does your property have a unique or particularly expansive layout? In addition to the description you write for HolidayHomes.org.com, include a floorplan in your listing. Just take a photo of it! Lay out the floorplan on a table with good light. Try to position yourself directly above the center of the floorplan, instead of at an angle - that way it won't be distorted.

Very important is how you will label your pictures. Don't pass up the opportunity to label your photos when you upload them.

Picture really can be 'worth a thousand words'. You can create the best impression for your property following some simple rules:

1. Taking pictures of your home is not a task to be done as quickly as possible. Take as many photographs as possible and then pick out the best.

2. Don’t take a flat picture of your home, choose the right angle. A flat picture is when you shoot the home dead on. Stand off to one side or the other to give it some definition.

3. Make sure there is enough light to detail what you are shooting. On the other hand, try to avoid situations where the entire picture is to bright. Strategic shadows in a corner can add definition and the impression of uniqueness.

4. Add color and structure to your picture. On interior shoots, add props to the room such as flowers. Make sure drapes and so on are positioned in an attractive manner.

5. Picture the stunning view. If the view can be seen from inside the home, make sure the photograph shows as much by taking it from the interior. You want the photograph to contain some evidence that the view can be seen from inside.

The ideal way to showcase your property is to have a variety of photos taken over a period of months or years that reveal the detail and beauty of your property and the changing views that go along with each season.
Here are some ideas to make the interior of your property look less like a hotel room, and more like a vacation home:

• Set the dining table for a meal, including wine glasses and candlesticks
• Put out some board games or books on the coffee table
• On your deck or patio, put a beach towel and a couple of cold drinks next to those chaise lounges

All right, since you're taking pictures, the drinks don't really have to be cold, but you get the idea. Of course your property should be clean and neat, but making it appear more like it probably does when occupied, helps show the potential of your vacation rental.