Maximise your Airbnb income with expert photography tips tailored for Brisbane property owners. Attract more guests and boost your bookings with standout visuals.
In Brisbane’s competitive short-term rental market, great photography isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential. With guests scrolling through dozens of listings at a time, your images are your first and often only chance to make a strong impression.
Guests don’t read listings first — they scan. Studies show that the first thing potential guests engage with is the photography. Their decision to click or keep scrolling often comes down to a split-second judgment based on image quality and style.
High-quality photos convey trust, cleanliness, and professionalism. Poor lighting, awkward angles, or cluttered rooms can signal neglect or low effort — even if the property itself is high quality. The goal is to help potential guests immediately imagine themselves staying in your space.
It’s not just guests who notice great photography — Airbnb’s algorithm does too. Listings with strong imagery tend to:
These signals contribute to better visibility on the platform. For property owners in popular Brisbane suburbs like Teneriffe, West End, or the CBD, this added visibility can directly impact occupancy and income.
Quality photography helps your listing stand out and supports premium pricing. When your property looks bright, welcoming, and well-styled online, you’re more likely to:
Whether you’re listing a minimalist apartment near Howard Smith Wharves or a riverfront home in New Farm, investing in how your property is presented can lead to real, measurable returns.
One of the first decisions landlords face when preparing their property for Airbnb is whether to take photos themselves or hire a professional. Both approaches can work — but knowing when to DIY and when to outsource can make a noticeable difference in how your listing performs.
If your property gets excellent natural light, is styled simply but effectively, and you have a good eye for angles, you may be able to capture usable images yourself. DIY can work well for:
In these cases, using a newer smartphone or DSLR camera with a tripod, shooting in daylight, and keeping rooms clean and styled can produce solid results. Editing software like Lightroom or free tools like Snapseed can help correct exposure and straighten lines.
However, even with the best intentions, many DIY shoots fall short on execution — especially when rushed.
For most Brisbane properties — especially mid-to-high-end homes or investment apartments — professional photography is a smart investment. Professionals understand how to:
Professional images often increase a listing’s perceived value. That means more clicks, stronger booking rates, and the ability to justify premium pricing — especially in saturated areas like South Brisbane or Fortitude Valley.
Photography is one of the few one-time expenses that continues to deliver returns. A $250 shoot can result in hundreds or thousands of dollars in additional bookings over the course of a year. If your property is part of a short-term rental portfolio, consistent professional imagery also helps build brand recognition and trust across multiple listings.
Once you've decided how you’ll shoot your property, the next step is making sure every photo you take is working hard to convert browsers into guests. Whether you're using a professional or handling it yourself, the following tips are non-negotiable if you want your Brisbane listing to stand out and drive bookings.
Good lighting can make even the simplest room feel warm, spacious, and inviting. Natural light is ideal — aim to shoot in the morning or late afternoon when the light is soft and directional.
Avoid:
If you're working with limited light, open curtains fully, turn on lamps, and consider using a tripod with a slow shutter speed to avoid grainy images.
Great photos are rarely taken at eye level. Shooting from slightly below eye level (around chest height) often gives a more grounded, natural feel. Key tips:
Also, think about flow. Your photos should guide the guest through the space — from the entry to living areas, bedrooms, bathrooms, and outdoor zones.
Before you take a single shot, walk through your space and remove:
Instead, aim to stage the space as if a guest were about to arrive. This includes:
What makes your property different? A city view, a designer kitchen, balcony with morning sun, or a reading nook — these are the features that should be showcased. Don’t bury them in the photo gallery. Prioritise them in the first 5–6 images so guests see them upfront.
Think like a guest: What would you pay more for? Make sure those features are visually obvious and celebrated.
Guests want a complete picture of what they’re booking. Include:
Even functional spaces like hallways or entries can add clarity and help guests orient themselves.
Once you’ve captured your photos, the next step is refining them. Editing and file optimisation can elevate good images into great ones, helping your Airbnb listing load faster, look more professional, and appeal to your ideal guest.
The goal with editing isn’t to make your property look different — it’s to make it look its best. You want bright, clear, and colour-balanced images that reflect what guests will see when they walk through the door.
Focus on these core adjustments:
Avoid heavy filters, colour tints, or anything that gives the images an artificial look. Over-editing can lead to disappointed guests and lower reviews.
Airbnb compresses images, but uploading oversized files can still cause slower load times — especially on mobile. For optimal results:
Most editing software allows you to control resolution and compression when exporting — it’s worth spending a few minutes getting this right.
While Airbnb doesn’t rely on photo filenames for ranking, it’s still good practice to name your files clearly when managing multiple listings or reusing assets. For example:
This helps you stay organised and streamlines uploading across platforms like Booking.com, your direct booking site, or social media.
Even well-styled properties can fall flat if the photos contain small but avoidable errors. These mistakes can turn guests off, damage trust, or reduce your listing’s performance in search. Here are some of the most common pitfalls to steer clear of.
Lighting can make or break your photos. One of the biggest mistakes is shooting at night, especially without professional lighting. This often results in grainy, flat images with poor colour balance. Instead, plan your shoot during daylight hours — ideally mid-morning or late afternoon when natural light is soft and flattering.
Photos with clutter, personal items, or visible mess can instantly reduce a guest’s interest. Be sure to:
Think of the shoot as a visual representation of your care as a host — small details matter.
Wide-angle lenses are useful for capturing space, but overuse can distort rooms, making them feel larger than they are. This might get more clicks, but it can also lead to unmet expectations — and negative reviews. Be honest with how the space feels. It's better to showcase a well-designed small room than stretch it unrealistically.
Guests want to know exactly what they’re getting. Commonly missed shots include:
If something adds value to your property, it deserves a clear, well-lit photo.
While room photos are essential, listings that include a few lifestyle shots — like a cup of coffee on the balcony or a close-up of high-quality linen — tend to feel more welcoming. These images help guests emotionally connect with the space, which is a powerful driver of bookings.
It’s one thing to understand best practices — it’s another to see them in action. Below are real-world examples (drawn from Brisbane short-term rentals) where a few simple photography improvements led to measurable results in listing performance.
Before:
A photo taken at night with a single overhead light. The space appeared small, the colours were muted, and shadows made the room feel cold and uninviting.
After:
Shot during the day with natural light pouring through open blinds. The photographer used a lower angle, staged the space with cushions and a throw, and included the adjoining balcony view in the frame.
Result:
Increased click-through rate by 28% and a 15% boost in average nightly rate within two weeks.
Before:
The bedroom was photographed from eye level with plain white bedding, no cushions, and the wardrobe door slightly ajar. The image felt unfinished and generic.
After:
The bed was styled with layered linens and accent cushions, the camera angle was lowered, and a plant was added to the bedside table. A soft bedside lamp was turned on for warmth.
Result:
Listing received three new bookings within 24 hours of updating the gallery. Guests commented on how “cosy” and “well-styled” the space felt.
Before:
No images showed the river view from the balcony — even though it was one of the property’s best features. The balcony photo focused on the outdoor furniture instead.
After:
A wide-angle shot was taken from inside the apartment, framing the view through the balcony doors and positioning the Brisbane River clearly in the distance.
Result:
The image was moved into the top three photo slots. Bookings increased by 20% over the next month, and the property started attracting more midweek stays.
Photos that capture a property’s light, mood, layout, and standout features don’t just look better — they perform better. Most importantly, they build trust. When your listing looks like somewhere someone wants to stay — and aligns with what they actually get — it leads to stronger reviews, more repeat guests, and higher income overall.
Your photos shouldn’t be a set-and-forget part of your listing. Just like pricing or availability, they need to evolve to stay relevant, competitive, and reflective of your property’s current condition. Here’s how to keep your listing visually fresh all year round.
Any time you update furniture, repaint, change linen colours, or upgrade features like lighting or kitchen appliances — your gallery should reflect it. Guests want to know exactly what they’re booking, and new photos can:
Even subtle changes — like new art on the walls or different bed styling — can lift the visual appeal of a stale listing.
If your property sees seasonal demand (for example, coastal properties on the Gold Coast or inner-city homes near Brisbane’s Christmas events), consider switching out your lead images to suit:
This doesn’t mean a full re-shoot every season — just rotating a few key photos to match guest expectations and seasonal travel trends.
The first image in your Airbnb gallery acts like a digital shopfront. If bookings are slow or your listing is underperforming in search, try A/B testing your cover photo by swapping it every two weeks and monitoring results. Some things to test:
Small changes here can significantly impact your click-through rate — especially when competing with similar listings nearby.
Photos should always reflect the current state of the property. If a sofa cover is stained, the walls have marks, or the decor has been changed out — it’s time for a reshoot. Accurate photos build trust, which reduces complaints, avoids refunds, and helps ensure consistently strong reviews.
Strong photography is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your Airbnb property’s performance — and it’s often the difference between a booked-out calendar and an underperforming listing. In competitive markets like Brisbane, where guests are flooded with options, the quality of your photos determines whether they click, book, or keep scrolling.
To recap:
For Brisbane landlords looking to maximise their return on investment, great photography isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s a strategic asset. It builds trust, communicates value, and sets the tone for a great guest experience before anyone steps through the door.
Whether you're managing one unit or a portfolio of short-term rentals, treating your property like a product — and your photography like your storefront — is a proven way to boost both bookings and revenue.
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