Airbnb & Guesthouse Photography by Roland / rolandcphotography.co.za
I am an Airbnb Photographer who offers an excellent and professional photography service to all owners of Airbnb, Guesthouse and Garden Cottage accommodation.
It has been proven over and over that high quality images do sell! Yes, a picture paints a story. Make sure your picture-story is of the best quality in order to promote bookings on all the platforms such as Airbnb, Lekkeslaap, Booking.com and private websites.
I was appointed as an approved Airbnb photographer by Airbnb International early in 2024.
They saw my photography of Airbnb and Guesthouse accommodation online, approached me via email and after submitting some trial work for approval, I was notified that I am one of their preferred photographers.
Using the right lenses and equipment is indispensable but having 10 years of experience in the industry certainly is a great help too. Having lived and worked in Cape Town as a photographer for the past 10 years, I now know exactly what time of the day is best for lighting in which part of Cape Town and its surrounding areas and during which season.
The question often arises – Why Professional Photography?
As with everything else in a very competitive market, quality is key. There are just over 21000 Airbnb’s in Cape Town and every host wants to sell as many rooms as possible each month of the year, not only during the silly season. Statistics show that there are more Airbnb’s in Cape town than in the cities of San Fransisco, Singapore and Amsterdam collectively. In order to be competitive you have to have the competitive edge. And since first appearances are lasting, the pictures of your Airbnb, Guesthouse or Garden Cottage, whether listed with Airbnb, Lekkeslaap, Booking.com or your private website, have to be the best possible images of your guest rooms, suites or apartments.
To ensure multiple bookings all year round, post beautiful professionally taken photographs which were professionally edited. Since Cape Town has been declared the Best City in the World, international tourists will be visiting Cape Town in high numbers. Their first encounter with your Airbnb or guesthouse or garden cottage will be the images on the different booking platforms, eg Booking.com, Lekkeslaap and Airbnb or your private website. Make sure that their first impressions will impact them to make a booking at your place. That is why high quality photography is absolutely essential.
Yes, aesthetics do play a huge role in securing multiple bookings.
Delivering quality aesthic photography is key. There is such a vast difference between taking pictures with your smartphone and having proffessional photo’s taken by a professional photographer which he/she then edits professionally, wether via the standard editing process or HDR editing (high definition range which can take at least twice as long as standard editing).
Since Lockdown people in general started shopping online more and more. It is even more true for South Africans or Internationals looking for a lovely get-away weekend or extended holiday in a beautiful Airbnb studio or apartment in a unique setting such as Bo-Kaap, Cape Town. The same applies to Guesthouses.
What hosts tend to forget is that, no matter how beautiful their Airbnb’s are, inside out, pics taken with their smart phones or a friend’s fancy camera, simply do not do suitable justice to the accommodation their Airbnb’s or guesthouses offer.
The expression, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, is spot on with regards to renting your upmarket luxurious Airbnb. Professionally taken photographs definitely convey the message you want to get across: “Rent this Airbnb, it’s beautiful and looks perfect for me!” even if the tarifs are a bit more expensive than what the customer intended paying. Next time you decide to opt for the quick, easy and cheap option, ask yourself,
“Am I doing justice to this amazing space that I’ve created?”
I can save you a lot of trouble, the honest answer is: no, definitely not! Nobody can afford to make mistakes in the competitive accommodation market. Putting up poor quality images of your Airbnb, guesthouse or garden cottage, is one mistake too many. Your booking rate will reflect this quickly in your bank balance. To fill beds and receive payment, you need to showcase your accommodation to its full potential. Results from substandard images cannot and will not compete with professional images.
Quality Airbnb and Guesthouse images on the booking platforms serve first and foremost as the first enticement for potential renters.
You can see how essential it is to have excellent Airbnb and Guesthouse photography done and Roland C Photography is the go to guy to do it. It lays the foundation of how the accommodation is perceived by potential renters.
Contact me to make a booking for your professional and customized Airbnb, Guesthouse or Garden Cottage photography session. Roland: 0798805596 /roland40k@gmail.com
I live and work in Cape Town but also, if the required contract is substantial enough, work as far afield as Prince Albert in the Karoo, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, Wilderness, George, Mosselbay and Hartenbos.