Vacation Rental Marketing This is a guest post by Tyann Marcinck of Marcinck Designs – Photographer, multiple vacation home owner and Mom of 3 boys. We wonder if she ever sleeps! 10. Clean the property. It may be common sense, yet it’s so very important. Have the housekeeper thoroughly clean before your photoshoot. Photographs show every little detail, including smudges on the stainless appliances, dust tracks across the hardwood floors, and unmade beds. Travelers don’t want to stay at a property that appears dirty or unkempt. 9. Close the toilet lid. Maybe it’s just a phobia of germs escaping from the toilet if the lid is up, or maybe it’s the thought of my toothbrush falling into the loo. Whether you think that sounds crazy or not, close the lid for a better appearance. 8. Put away the clutter. Remember how important cleanliness is when it comes to the photos? Remove most of the small appliances that line the kitchen counter, throw out the stack of tourist magazines the last guests left, and move the trashcan out of the frame. 7. Only food shots should be tilted. Interior rooms should not appear to be sloping unless your headline includes “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” in the title. Keep the walls and doorways straight and leave the “Dutch tilt” effect to the food shots. @MarcinkDesigns writes a great guest post. 10 VR #photography tips for one of the leading #vacationrental websites 6. Use food. A big part of vacation is the local food. Whip up one of your favorite recipes using the appliances and tools you have in the kitchen, and then get some tight shots of the delicious food to let your guests know that they can create a fabulous meal also. 5. Get the details. Mix in little detail shots with the wide-angle shots of a room. These close ups will punctuate amenities and make your property stand out from the crowd. 4. Don’t rush it. Take your time to thoroughly prep your property for your marketing photos, and don’t expect to have it all finished in an hour. In addition, sometimes it is necessary to come back another day or another time of day for the best lighting. 3. Post process. Bringing up the contrast and punching the color saturation a bit can help your image out. Just don’t make the color glaring or create a Harry-Potter-esque looking room by overdoing the HDR (high dynamic range) effect. 2. Sharpen all of your images. Every single image should be sharpened. Period. Shoot it and sharpen it. 1. Hire a pro. The number one tip is to hire a professional photographer who specializes in vacation rental properties. Yes, you can learn to do it yourself, and you can get a pretty good result. Yet if you want the best result, hire a pro. Tyann Marcink is a photographer, vacation rental owner, author, and artist in the St. Louis, Missouri area. She and her husband Mike own 2 vacation rental homes in Branson, Missouri, and have hosted more than 4,000 guests since 2007. Her eBook Create Killer Vacation Rental Property Photos – a How-To for Owners with Key Step-by-Step Instructions, takes the scariness out of photography and teaches owners how to do it themselves. Sign up for Tyann’s super cool newsletter that includes her escapades as she juggles a life with 3 boys, 3 businesses, and a streak for adventure. And don’t miss out on her blog for more on marketing, photography, vacation rentals, and life lessons. Where you can find Tyann: Website Twitter Facebook Google+ Pinterest
