PRO PHOTO PROGRAM

Capturing drone imagery

This guide outlines best practices for capturing clear, compelling drone imagery that showcases homes/hotels, their surroundings, and key amenities.
Aerial perspective of a spacious estate showcasing a landscaped lawn, palm trees, a swimming pool, and expansive outdoor amenities at dusk.

Preparation

Deliverables

The final deliverables will vary based on the offerings available at the home/hotel. The image count below is per space offered.
Straight-on
Angle
Total
Exterior faćade
6-9
3-4
9-13
Amenities
3-4
3-4
6-8
Location
3-4
2-3
5-7
Estate
3-4
3-4
6-8
Total
25 min.

Time of day

Choose timing that delivers soft, even light and minimizes harsh shadows. Prioritize golden hour and twilight whenever possible.

Negative space

Compose exteriors wide enough to include breathing room around the home. Extra negative space allows flexibility for cropping and layout. Be creative with distance and altitude to fit the full exterior cleanly in frame.
A hillside villa at dusk with a striped pool surrounded by white lounge chairs and umbrellas, framed by lush greenery and modern homes in the background.

Vantage point

Select angles that highlight the property’s architecture and surrounding geography. Always leave room for a square (1:1) crop.

Variety

Capture a range of compositions to communicate scale, layout, and experience.

Location

Adapt your approach based on the home’s/hotel’s setting to best tell its story.

Drone approvals

Be sure you check with local authorities and research local drone related laws and obtain all necessary license/permits before accepting an assignment.

Drone approvals

Be sure you check with local authorities and research local drone related laws and obtain all necessary license/permits before accepting an assignment.

File settings

In-camera/Upload

  • DNGs (native drone RAW format)
  • Adobe sRGB Colorspace

Additional tips

  • Bracketing (when in high contrast light)
  • ND filters (for exposure control)

Unacceptable formats

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

File naming

Convert your RAW files to DNG, this format preserves the most data for retouching and uploads more efficiently. Export DNGs using the following file naming:
  • ListingID_Market_ShootDate(YYMMDD)          Example: 123456_Paris_261025.DNG
Set your image format to DNG. If you find that your images are uploading too slowly, you can use lossy compression.Your file types should have the ‘adobe color’ profile attached to them. If they don’t, your files will have upload issues.
Screenshot of Adobe Lightroom’s Basic panel with a green box highlighting the 'Profile: Adobe Color' dropdown menu.

What to avoid

Strong examples

The content of this page is proprietary and confidential information of Airbnb and shall not be used, disclosed or reproduced, in whole or in part, for any purpose without the prior written consent of Airbnb.Questions? 
photography@airbnb.com
Hotels brief
Luxe brief