This lesson provides a brief overview of:
- The role of visual imagery in traveller decision-making.
- How to take, select and edit appropriate photographs.
- Understand the basics of good tourism photos & video.
- Commission, create, select, improve and share appropriate imagery.
- Create a primary portfolio for your tourism business.
'A picture is worth a thousand words,' is how the saying goes. What are the thousand words you want to express with each of your pictures?
In your box of tools to promote your tourism business, you need a solid gallery of images (photos, videos and illustrations) that can be used on bookings sites such as Booking.com or AirBnB, on your own website, in social media, on brochures and to be handed out to media or travel agents.
To say that great photos of your space are valuable is an understatement. They're the first thing prospective guests look at when considering a property on Airbnb and what will eventually make or break their decision to book your space.If you can afford to get a professional photographer to create this key resource for you, that's great. Definitely worth the money spent. But do make sure you brief them on the points below to ensure you get the pics you need.
Generally speaking, listings with beautiful photos receive more eyes, more interest and more bookings, so take some time to make them shine. Draw in potential guests, highlight what's amazing, and set their expectations appropriately. Let guests book with confidence.
" AirBnb
And if you can't afford a professional right now, the good news is that you can take some great shots with your phone camera.
But it will need thorough preparation and planning. Plus careful in-app editing.
What imagery do I need?
Variety
To help guests understand what it's like to stay in your space, take photos of the inside, outside, and surroundings. If it's a tour you're promoting, include images of the beginning, middle and end: perhaps you have a safety briefing when they arrive, there's lunch included, and what about the transport to and from the venue?Try not to shoot the same thing over and over: go broad, go detailed (close-ups of equipment and meals, or lovely decor details), and give potential customers a great idea of what your space and services are really like. You'll need anywhere between 10 and 25 to achieve this.
Big size, high resolution
Q: What does 'high-res' mean?A: Nothing.
A picture might be plenty high enough resolution for one purpose, and way too small for another. When in doubt, a bigger photo is better. Ensure the images in your portfolio are all 'high-res' " you can always reduce them in size later for specific purposes, but you can never increase the size.
Resolution and picture size
Usually expressed in pixels and megapixels and measured per inch, the resolution of an image is a way of expressing the size that your image (photo, video or illustration) can be used. Think of a pixel as a tiny little square, and you'll quickly see the picture.A picture that is 600 pixels wide is bigger than a 100-pixel picture.
But here's where it gets a bit more complicated: we put those little pinpricks of information closer together in some situations than others.
Think of it like a carpet: with the same amount of cotton, you could weave a small thick one or a large thin one.
For example, standard printing is 300ppi (often referred to as dpi or dots per inch), while screen-viewing has long been 72ppi. Printing is like weaving the small thick carpet. Digital uses are like weaving that large thin carpet.
So your 600 pixel picture can be viewed on screen at 600 divided by 72 = 8 inches = 21 cm. So it might make a lovely front cover on your Facebook page, for example.
But...
That same 600 pixel picture can be printed at 600 divided by 300 = 2 inches = 5 cm. In other words: it's not big enough to be a lovely big cover on your brochure, but possibly can be used smaller inside.
For the likes of AirBnB, you'll need photos that are at least 1024 x 683px.
File size
File size is measured in bytes, kilobytes (KB) and megabytes (MB).
It's a measure of how much information is in the picture file. And some pieces of information take up more bytes than others " for example a greyscale image will have a much smaller file size than the same picture in full colour " even when the two are the same resolution.
Back to our carpet example: this size measurement is more like the weight of the carpet. And it is as if the picture with lots of colour weighs more than the greyscale picture.
Sometimes a website or social media app doesn't want the weight of all those files, so they limit your file size.
Both orientations
No matter the subject matter of the picture, a landscape picture refers to one that is wider than it is high. Also known as "horizontal format".No matter the subject matter of the picture, a portrait picture refers to one that is higher than it is wide. Also known as "vertical format."
Photos in search results on AirBnB are all displayed in landscape, so vertical photos won't showcase your space as well there. But then Booking.com shows all images as squares, until you click on them. Ideally, each picture scene in your portfolio should have landscape and portrait options " then you can upload whichever is best for each purpose.
Target market focussed
Instead of picking your own personal favourite pictures, select the ones that will really speak to your target market. There is no point in attracting the wrong people " they are likely not to appreciate your product, and they will complain and be unhappy and leave bad reviews. Your photographs are the first and most powerful filter to ensure you are attracting the right people and keeping away the wrong ones.
The two hotels above are side by side, with rooms at very similar prices. Both do a good job of using photographs to attract their specific target markets.
How to get the shot
Whether you're marketing an adventure or tour company, or a form of accommodation, your visual imagery is your greatest marketing asset. Of all photography subjects, architecture is the most difficult, yet accommodation bookings are lead more by the images you show than by anything else. What follows are the golden rules for tourism property photography. Go ahead and apply these principles to all the imagery your marketing needs.Follow the 'Rule of Thirds'
Here's a little tip guaranteed to have big results on all the photographs and videos you will ever take in the future. We call it a 'rule' because it's such a consistent principle.
Imagine drawing 3 equidistant lines across your photo, both horizontally and vertically. Instead of putting the most important elements slap-bang in the middle of the photo, put them on one of the four points of the small inner circle. Or any lines - such as a horizon, or the sea level, or the sofa level, should go on one of the thirds lines, not the middle.
You will be amazed at the difference this makes.
Look at this charming, simple pic. What makes it so special?
Wouldn't you have been tempted to put the tree in the middle? And the horizon line across the middle? Instead notice how the key points are on the thirds lines and those magical four points of the inner square.
Credit: Moondigger
Find out more: here's a short but great overview of this 'rule' from the Digital Photography School website.
Lighten up! Brighten up!
Light " particularly natural light " brings out natural depth, colour, and contrast in a setting. Great lighting makes your photo look more professional overall, which makes you look professional as well.
So, when photographing indoors " whether interiros, food or portraits " do so during the day with all the the curtains and blinds and doors. open. Plus switch on all the inside lights. Ideally, you don't want to do this on the very sunniest day " there might be too much contrast between inside and outside then. Give it a try on a slightly cloudy day.
Remember that most modern cameras will adjust for bright spots by darkening the rest, so focus the camera away from the windows if possible. Or, if you're shooting on your phone, try touching the screen on the darker area so that the phone's in-built settings lighten those up.
Shoot into a corner
This interiors technique is not obvious, but it really works, adding dimensionality to the photo. Shooting flat onto a wall can make a space seem smaller than in real life " which is not the impression you want to create on the likes of Booking.com or AirBnB " while corners help give a sense of true perspective.
Get closer in and further out
In most of your shots, stand back as far as possible. Get your back against the wall, so that you can make the pic as wide as possible and include as much as possible, ideally shooting in landscape (horizontal) rather than portrait (vertical) as much as possible.
Then mix it up and get in really close on a lovely little detail. A close-up of a special little element that shows the uniqueness of your property or tour or coaching.
Shoot from the hip
For those all-important interiors shots, try not to angle your camera down on anything: shoot horizontally across the room, more or less at your hip height, which is the same height as tables and bed headboards. This will also make the rooms appear larger and the lines less convergent. And if you shoot at this same height for almost everything, your batch of photos won't make viewers seasick when they quickly flip through them.
Set the scene
Whether for your property rental shots, your tour vehicle photography or in-action tuition imagery, clean up, polish up and remove clutter, including cables. It'll be less distracting to the viewer and generally make your venue or vehicle seem more inviting.
If you're shooting interiors for your Booking.com or listing or your website, pretend you're an interior decorator - arrange some flowers, arrange some books or fruit or a cup of tea, dust surfaces... Make it the tidiest possible. But, of course, be sure the photo aligns as closely as possible to the actual space " let photos be a true reflection of how guests will find it.
Get out and about
The best time to shoot outdoors is the first and last hour of sunlight of the day, known as the 'Golden Hour.' This is the time of day where light is softest (most diffused) and brings out the broadest range of color.
Highlight the unique
Do you have facilities, services or decor details that others might not have? Let potential guests know with photos.
People love to stay in spaces with character, so call attention to details like a BBQ pit, local artwork, or a special vegetable garden - things that provide personality. Don't be shy - people love interesting spaces.
And if it's a tour you're promoting: get some close-ups of your equipment to highlight the safety or modernity or local cultural detail.
Show the lifestyle
In addition to the practical pictures, include some that will have potential guests imagining the lifestyle of being there: a close-up of sandy sandals, or a bikini and a surfboard, or binoculars and a game-spotting guide book.
If your target market is people who enjoy the outdoors, show the kayak or bicycles or surfboards.
Load those shots
First is everything
"You only have one chance to make a first impression," is how the saying goes. The first, or cover, photo on your online listing is your invaluable first impression. If it's accommodation that you're' marketing, this photo should be of a room that the guest is likely to spend a lot of their time in, or one that best represents the spirit of your property. If it's a tour, show the tour highlight in the best light.Maintain interest
Now that you have chosen an extraordinary cover photo, pay extra special attention to your main four photos. Research indicates that your potential client will make up their mind within 5 to 7 seconds whether to keep swiping or to investigate your property or tour further.Make it a journey
Take your prospective customer on an organized, guided tour of your property or experience by placing photos of the same physical or time space next to each other, rather than jumping around all over the show with no logical pattern.Add that text
Most pictures should have a caption, which will accomplish two goals. One, explain to the guest what they are looking at. Is this the beach view from the guesthouse, or the one 5 minutes walk away? Is this the luxury room or the budget one? Two, place the guest, psychologically, in each photo, and thus in your home. For example, imagine a photo of your backyard with a pool and lounge chairs, captioned, "Imagine yourself relaxing on the lounge chair, tea cup steaming, surrounded by family. "BONUS: A quick lesson in photography
Here's a great tutorial on photography specifically aimed at those needing strong pics to market their tourism businesses but who can't afford to get a professional to help them.
Learn about:
- exposure
- focus
- white balance
- contrast
- saturation
- HDR
- in-app editing
Summary
As part of your marketing toolbox, you need a portfolio of images ready for all potential uses, both on- and off-line. This group of 10 to 25 images must:- Include a wide variety of scenes and angles
- Be sufficiently big in file size and high in resolution for all purposes
- Include options in both orientations or 'formats': landscape (horizontal) and portrait (vertical)
- Appeal to your target audience