AIRBNB HOMES

Creative brief

This is the standard brief for photographing homes. This guide will take you through our art direction, coverage of what should be included, and our expected technical specification.
A modern vacation home with a pool, wooden deck, three lounge chairs, a hanging chair, and an outdoor dining area surrounded by greenery under a clear blue sky.
PART 1

Art Direction

Natural light

Pay attention to lighting conditions, both natural and artificial, and adjust your camera settings accordingly. Be mindful of shadows and highlights that can impact the visibility of details. Bracket images with high contrast lighting (such as with windows or direct light). This provides editors with a wider range of information to work with in difficult lighting.
PART 2

Composition

Centered, balanced, and level compositions are preferred when photographing homes because they create a sense of symmetry, harmony, and visual stability, allowing viewers to easily appreciate the space and its features.

Angles

Capturing a diverse selection of angles can help to highlight the space in a way that’s easy to understand.

Vantage points

Capture a range of wide, mid, and tight compositions for each room, to allow editors from a variety when making a selection.

Exteriors

Exterior shoots are rarely one-size-fits-all. On arrival, note when light will be most flattering, then plan your angle and framing around the building’s shape and any obstructions (trees, cars, signage). Aim for symmetry and visual balance, leaving negative space where possible.

Details

Use a vertical frame when height or a single feature tells the story—tall windows, layered textures, or a cozy corner. Portrait orientation highlights scale, isolates key details, and gives a warm, editorial feel.

Accessible features

Our goal is to provide all potential guests, including disabled travelers, with images that help provide detailed and reliable information about the space. This means, including steps, stairs, entrances, and unobstructed views of the floor so it’s easy for Guests to decide if the space is right for them.
Accessibility resourceAccessibility resource
PART 3

Coverage

Our shotlist is dynamic and based on listing size. You will see minimum counts on the assignment page, but we encourage going above minimums. The following examples illustrate quality coverage that goes beyond the minimums

Main areas

BedroomsLivingroomExteriors

Per room

2-3 straight-on1-2 Angle

Entry spaces

ParkingLobbySteps/stairsGatesElevatorsetc.
Varies based on listing entrance3-10 images

Included amenities

Highlight amenities only if offered as part of the listing. Tip: A mid focal length vertical is good for capturing amenities in smaller spaces (such as bathrooms), while a wide focal length horizontal can be better in large spaces (such as sports courts).
A small indoor elevator with wooden paneling and a framed artwork on the interior wall, located in a modern space.

Luxury amenities

Wide horizontal
  • Wellness facilities
  • Home theater
  • Wine cellar
  • Outdoor recreational activities
  • Sports courts
  • Office
Outdoor pool with clear water surrounded by wooden decking, glass railing, and green-striped lounge chairs under a bright blue sky.

Building amenities

Wide horizontal
  • Parking
  • Lobby
  • Gym
  • Pool / Spa
  • BBQ / Minibar
Stacked washer and dryer unit inside a small laundry closet with white doors, suitable for compact spaces.

Common amenities

wide to mid range vertical
  • Kitchen appliances
  • Game closets
  • work station
  • Accessible features
  • Outdoor Shower
PART 4

Tech Specs

Equipment

Required equipment
  • Clean camera with full frame sensor*
  • Zoom lens between 16-20mm
  • Tripod (ideally with level)
  • Lens hood
  • Bracket Merging Software**
Helpful equipment
  • Lens between 20-50mm
  • Grey Card
  • Door stopper (for fire-doors etc.)
Unacceptable equipment
  • Lens wider than 16mm
  • Fisheye or prime lens
  • Flash or strobes
  • Photometrix Software (for file conversion / bracket merging)
* crop sensor cameras acceptable only with a 10-20mm lens** we recommend Adobe Lightroom
A person is assembling a professional camera on a wooden table, holding a zoom lens above the camera body. Additional camera equipment is visible nearby.

Lenses (with lens hood)

Bright and cozy living room with large windows showing palm trees outside, featuring a built-in gray sofa, a round wooden coffee table, and terracotta tile flooring.
16-20mm
Cozy living area with gray cushioned seating, built-in shelves displaying books and decor, and a wall-mounted TV in a bright, minimalist space. A framed artwork of a landscape hangs above the seating.
20-24mm
A cozy white living space with a built-in shelf holding a small Buddha statue, a potted plant, and a lantern, a gray cushioned seat with pillows, and a framed abstract painting of a bright orange sunset and houses on the wall.
35-50mm

Camera settings

An icon that signifies aperture

Aperture

Between 5.6-11 | Aperture Priority
Icon of a person running, depicted in a minimalist black and white line style.

Shutter

Faster than 2 seconds
A black and white icon of a camera aperture symbol, representing camera settings.

ISO

Up to 1000
A black and white illustration of a photograph of mountains and the sun.

Brackets

3-5 brackets, 2 stops apart
A minimalist black and white icon of a camera lens with a rectangular frame, representing camera settings.

Meter mode

Matrix & Evaluative mode

File settings

Keep in mind that we only need the final merged images in your submission, not single bracketed assets. After merging, we ask you to upload RAW files converted to DNG. RAW file types contain the most information, which allows for more flexibility in retouching. DNGs also upload faster.

In-camera

  • RAWs only
  • Must be bracketed
  • Adobe RGB Colorspace

For upload

  • Merged brackets (Explore guide)
  • DNGs (converted from .ARW, .NEF, .CR2/3, or .RAF)

Unacceptable formats

  • JPGs
  • TIFs
  • PSDs
  • PNGs
  • DNGs converted from any of these formats.

Important settings

Images should be bracketed when an interior has a considerable difference between inside and outside exposures. Please merge your bracketed images before uploading. Keep in mind that we only need the final merged images in your submission, not single bracketed assets. We encourage using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software for merging HDR images and converting files to DNG format to prevent compatibility issues in post-production. Adobe’s features help maintain colour profiles, metadata, and visual quality, providing more flexibility for achieving professional results, regardless of the camera model used. We recommend Camera RAW version 12 or above while exporting DNGs in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Software. For file conversion and bracket merging, we kindly ask that you refrain from using Photometrix Software.

File naming

Export as DNGs using the following file naming:
  • ListingID_Market_ShootDate(YYMMDD).DNG
  • Example: 123456_Paris_231025.DNG
Tips: Using forwardslash ‘/’ in your file’s name will cause errors in our system, and your files will have upload issues and may be rejected..Your file types should have the ‘Adobe color’ profile attached to them. If they don't, your files will have upload issues and may be rejected.
Screenshot of Adobe Lightroom’s Basic panel with a green box highlighting the 'Profile: Adobe Color' dropdown menu.

More resources

Explore our briefs for our other programs.
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photography@airbnb.com
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