OWNER GUIDE 1

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR HOLIDAY HOME

Guests decide in seconds, and they decide on the first photo. You do not need a camera. A recent phone, daylight and twenty minutes will do it.

BEFORE YOU START

• Pick a bright day, ideally mid-morning or mid-afternoon, when the light is soft.
• Open every curtain and blind, and turn every light on, even in daylight.
• Clear the surfaces: kettle and toaster can stay, everything else goes in a cupboard.
• Take away toothbrushes, fridge magnets, cables, bins and the coats on the hooks.
• Make the beds properly, with plumped pillows and a throw.
• Put the toilet seat down and close the shower curtain.
• Wipe the phone lens on your shirt. A smudged lens is the most common reason for a hazy photo.

THE SHOT LIST

Take these, in this order. It is the order guests want to see them.

• The main photo: the outside of the caravan and the decking, in sunshine, from a corner so you see the front and one side.
• The view from the decking or the best window.
• The lounge from the door, and the lounge looking back towards the kitchen.
• The kitchen.
• The dining table, set for a meal.
• Every bedroom, one photo each, with the bed made.
• The bathroom and any en suite.
• Anything special: a hot tub, a sea view, a log burner, an enclosed deck for the dog.
• The park: the pool, the play area, the path to the beach.

HOW TO HOLD THE PHONE

• Landscape, always. Portrait photos are cropped on most screens.
• Chest height, and level. Not above your head, not from the hip.
• Stand in a corner or a doorway, so the room looks as it is.
• Use the normal 1x lens. The 0.5x ultra-wide makes small rooms look bigger than they are, and guests notice when they arrive.
• Turn HDR on and the flash off.
• Take three of each shot and keep the best.

EDITING: WHAT IS ALLOWED

Brighten the photo, adjust the exposure, straighten the walls and crop. That is all. The editor built into your phone does it, and the free Snapseed app has a Perspective tool for leaning walls.

No filters. They change the colours of your caravan, and guests notice. Never remove things that are really there, never replace the sky, and never add furniture. An honest photo is the start of a good review.

We brighten every photo you send by about 20% as standard, so you do not need to.

HOW MANY PHOTOS

At least eight, and ideally twelve to fifteen. A listing with only a few photos looks as if it has something to hide. Replace your photos whenever you change something inside, and at least every two years.