Pricing updated October 16, 2026
This guide covers preparing an Airbnb or VRBO rental, photographing it with a phone, and situations that may need additional equipment or a photographer.
Prep is most of the result
The camera does not fix a cluttered room. Before you shoot anything: clear every counter, hide cords and remotes, take the magnets off the fridge, put the toilet lids down, hang fresh towels, make beds tight and pull the pillows forward. Open every blind. Turn on every light, including lamps, even in daylight. Take the trash out and hide the can.
Stage the place the way a guest would find it on check-in, then remove one more thing from every surface. The prep checklist I send clients works for phone shoots too.
Shoot in the brightest part of the day
Interiors want even light, which in San Diego means late morning through early afternoon. Phones struggle when a bright window sits behind a dark room, so if a room has a big window, shoot with the window to your side, not in front of you. Exteriors and views want the hour before sunset if the place faces west, or morning if it faces the bay or east.
Hold the phone like a camera
Horizontal, always. Turn on the grid and keep the horizontal lines level so walls stand straight. Hold the phone at chest height, not eye height, so ceilings and floors balance. Stand in a doorway or a corner and use the widest lens the phone has, but not the ultra-wide if it bends the walls. Tap to focus on the middle of the room and slide the exposure down slightly so the windows do not blow out.
Take three of every frame. Pick the straightest later.
Phone Camera Limitations
Small rooms, mixed light, glossy surfaces and anything with a view through a window. A phone will either expose for the room and white out the view, or expose for the view and turn the room dark. A professional set uses multiple exposures blended so both read, with straight verticals and true color, and it is sequenced for the platform.
Working with a Photographer
Professional photography from $325 up to 2,500 sq. ft. · a refresh
And if the place is hard, with a small floor plan, dark rooms or a view you cannot capture, hire it out from the start.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important Airbnb photo?
The cover photo. It is the only frame most guests see in the search grid, so it should be your strongest exterior, view or living space, shot in good light, horizontal, with nothing cluttered in the frame.
Can I shoot my Airbnb with a phone?
A phone can be used for a first listing or a quick refresh. Shoot horizontally, use the grid, keep the phone level at chest height and work with even light. Wide rooms, mixed lighting and bright windows can be more difficult to photograph.