How to take Airbnb photos with an iPhone?

Having a high-quality photo for your Airbnb listing is essential but what if you don’t have an expensive camera? Surprisingly, you can use your iPhone to take the desired pictures merely by following the guidelines and paying attention to the details. Here, we list some tips you need to consider when taking Airbnb photos with an iPhone.

Optimize Your iPhone

Knowing your iPhone’s features will help you take great photos without a professional camera. So let’s take a look at some hidden iPhone camera app features you can use to take better photos for Airbnb.

Shooting Close-ups

In order to create sharpness for the best impact, you have to make sure that your subject is in focus. For instance, when showcasing an object such as a lighting fixture, you don’t usually have a deep field. This means that your beautiful chandelier might not be completely in focus. In this case, you can use iPhone’s yellow box feature to bring the focus back to your subject.

Simply frame your subject, tap on the screen where you want to focus, and a yellow box will appear that shows your focus point. Now take the photo. By using the yellow box feature, the chosen object will appear fresh and sharp.

Adjust Exposure

You can adjust exposure to avoid having too bright (over-exposed) or too dark (under-exposed) shots. Although these exposure problems can be fixed in editing, you won’t be able to bring back many details. That’s why considering white balance, brightness and exposure in a composition will prevent later editing.

In order to adjust exposure, frame the subject and tap once on the screen. Then swipe up or down to increase or decrease the brightness until you get all the details with the proper brightness. You can also tap on different areas of the screen to find the best brightness.

Use HDR Mode

Especially in high contrast scenes, the High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode will help the iPhone capture a sharp detailed photo with plenty of colors. This is very useful when taking exterior Airbnb shots with an iPhone or when you have bright and dark areas very close to each other.

On your camera app, turn on HDR and shoot your stunning Airbnb photos.

Use AE/AF Lock Mode

For achieving perfect exposure and focus, you can use the Lock mode. Simply tap on your focal point and hold for a few seconds until you see an AE/AF banner appearing on top of your screen. Then release your finger and take the photo. This will allow you to take several shots without having to adjust the focus for each photo. To unlock this feature, just tap anywhere on the screen.

Take Advantage of the GridView

To take great photos you always have to keep vertical things vertical and horizontal objects horizontally. The GridView feature will help you adjust your photo accordingly and also breaks the camera screen into three different sections, so you can take a symmetrical photo or shoot based on the Rule of Thirds technique.

To turn on this feature, go to the Setting on your iPhone and in the Camera option, turn on Grid. Now when you open the camera app, you will see two horizontal and two vertical lines you can use to create off-center or perfectly horizontal compositions.

Turn off Your Flash

One important factor in taking professional Airbnb pictures is paying attention to the brightness and time of the day. In general, we are aiming towards natural rather than artificial light. Using the flash in your photos might bleach or flatten the photo. Instead, use mirrors or reflectors to brighten up space, or open the curtains to make most of the daylight brightness.

Finding the right place and angle

You can show depth in your photos by finding the right angle or aiming the camera at the corner. Also, including objects in the foreground will add depth.

If you have iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max, then you will be able to use the wide-angle feature and go even wider. Tap on 0.5x to use the ultra-wide lens and 1x to use the wide lens on your iPhone. These features will enable the iPhone camera to capture a wide-angle and include more in your photo. Keep in mind that your Airbnb pictures look realistic and not deceiving.

Hold your phone straight and horizontal

Always make sure you are holding the iPhone at the upper-waist level to avoid having photos that make it seem like you are looking down on things. Take photos from different angles and choose the best.

Taking straight angles (pointing forward toward a flat surface) creates more natural and harmonious results. As mentioned earlier, the GridView will help you adjust how you are holding the iPhone. Use the gridlines to make sure your camera is straight and horizontal.

Don’t be afraid to bend your knees or even sit on the floor when taking pictures. Especially if you want to show the usability of furniture. For example, in the dining room, the horizontal upper-waist level will showcase the table or in bedrooms, the bed will be highlighted significantly better.

Shoot from Different Corners of Each Room

In order to create a more spacious and welcoming photo, choose a corner of a room and take photos of the other corners. Take shots from different angles to show the interior in various forms. Take several photos of each area with your iPhone to create a storyline and familiarize the viewer with every aspect of your listing. As a rule of thumb, consider having three to five photos for each bedroom.

Don’t Forget the Details When Taking Airbnb photos with an iPhone

Be careful that your reflection is not in mirrors or other glossy surfaces or appliances.

When taking photos outdoors, make sure the sun is behind you. Do not aim the camera against it. Once indoors, avoid shooting against the bright windows.

Distinguish your property and stand out on Airbnb by taking photos of your unique features such as paintings on the wall, espresso coffee maker, bookshelves, comfy couch, etc.

Wipe the iPhone camera lens with a microfiber cloth. Uses glasses cloth to clean the lens from any grease or dirt.

Prepare your iPhone, pay attention to the details, take several shots and you will be able to differentiate your professional Airbnb photos with your iPhone.

How to take Airbnb photos with an iPhone?
Optimize Your iPhone
Shooting Close-ups
Adjust Exposure
Use HDR Mode
Use AE/AF Lock Mode
Take Advantage of the GridView
Turn off Your Flash
Finding the right place and angle
Hold your phone straight and horizontal
Shoot from Different Corners of Each Room
Don’t Forget the Details When Taking Airbnb photos with an iPhone