PHOTOSHOOT Preparation

Neil has put together a handy guide on preparing your property to get the most out of a photoshoot. Discover what should tidy away and remove in Part 1 of his 'Photoshoot Preparation' article.

The main reason for hospitality businesses to have a photoshoot is, obviously, promotional marketing. As well as showing the property to potential customers, you are also trying to sell a lifestyle.

I often see websites with photos that fulfil the former perfectly. They show the rooms as best they can but the images are, ultimately, a bit bland. Properties will not have been fully prepped beforehand; add to that bad lighting and wonky angles and the photos are not exactly going to make the property look inviting.

There are a few important things to consider before you pick up a camera or book a professional photographer:

Make sure the property is clean and tidy

During my time as an interiors photographer, I have been constantly surprised by the state of some properties when I arrive.

More often than you’d think, the owner won’t have tidied up at all, meaning that I have to clean and clear things away before I can start. This, of course, affects how many photos I can take.

General things to look out for throughout the property are:

• Light bulbs. Replace any bulbs that are not working. An easy way to add a bit of sparkle to your photographs is to turn the lights on. If some bulbs are not working, it can make the place look scrappy and uncared for.

• Open all the blinds and curtains. You want as much light flooding in as possible. Be aware, however, that crooked blinds never look good and curtains need to hang nicely.

• Electric cables. Big knots of electrical cables and leads under any tables or by the TV may not be noticeable to you because you’re used to them, but they really stand out in photographs and make the place look scruffy.

• Pets. Loveable as they are, not everyone wants to – or can – spend time with Tiddles or Spot. Tidy away pet toys and food

Kitchens

You might have cleaned, but you also need to tidy away the cleaning products. No one wants to be reminded of washing up and house work when they are looking to book a relaxing holiday.

• Move the sponges, cloths and washing up liquid out of sight.

• Put tea towels and oven gloves away in a drawer.

• Clear unneeded clutter from the counters: this includes baskets with sachets of tea and coffee.

• Remove general clutter such as fridge magnets.

• Sweep and clean the floor.

Bedrooms paring a bathroom. They can be a big selling point but a dirty or messy bathroom is a big turn off.

As well as the basics of making sure the bedroom is clean and tidy, there are a few things that I recommend excluding.

• Kettles and drinks stations should generally be removed.

• Again, clear up electrical cables, especially under bedside tables.

• Check that the bedside lamps are working.

• Remove bathrobes from the back of doors.

• Hide away shower products: they never look good, especially if they are half empty.

• Cleaning products should be put away in a cupboard. A bottle of toilet cleaner or a toilet brush on the floor next to the loo is not attractive.

• Towels, as a general rule, shouldn’t be put out.

• Toilet roll should either be new and unused or not there at all.

• Give the mirror a good clean. Smears really show up in photos.

• Most importantly, toilet seats should always be down for obvious reasons.

Now what needs to be removed when preparing for a photoshoot. I’ve described

Exterior

The outside of your property may not always be the easiest to clean up, but just a bit of tidying and creative hiding is what is needed here.

• Move any vehicles you can away from the building and off the drive. Prospective guests want to see a photo of the property, not your car.

• General garden mess. Put away kids toys, bags of garden waste, garden tools.

• Tidy up and wipe down any garden furniture.

• Hide the bins. Nothing brings down an exterior photo like a bin. It’s not something people need to be reminded of.

• Sweep the patio.

Bathrooms

There are a few important rules when pre- some common oversights and highlighted the items that you don’t want to include in your marketing photos.

Next issue, I will look at what you can add to make your setting look more professional and how you can create atmosphere for an upcoming photoshoot.

Insignia’s Eco Shower

Introducing Insignia’s Eco Shower. Increase your booking potential with Insignia’s stylish, eco-friendly and zero electrics shower, an amenity that will make your guests come back for more.

Provide your guests with Insignia’s amazing top quality, non-electric shower without the expenses of spending a great deal! We are committed to innovation, providing cleaner technology lessening considerable impact on our environment and hygiene.

Insignia’s Eco Showers are easy to install, low maintenance and come with Insignia’s leak free tray design, a system that prevents major leaks and water damage. Not only does this save money on your water bill, it also reduces energy required to re-process it. Please visit our holiday rental partners website page for more information https://www.insigniashowers.com/holiday-rental-partners. For 30% off RRP discount for all holiday rental, B&B and hotel owners, contact us by calling 01908317512 or email our holiday rental expert at alex@insigniashowers.com

Amenitiz

When hoteliers contact us, it's often an emergency. They have generally tried everything to make their hotel a real success... in vain. A lot of effort made for few results obtained, such as: Direct bookings low, High commission fees on Booking / Airbnb, Poor online visibility and Hours wasted performing tasks with low added value. It is impossible to work in these conditions. At Amenitiz, we help independent hoteliers develop their businesses with our allin-one solution. Thus, our customers benefit from: A new modern website optimised for SEO, A PMS which allows them to simplify their daily life, A Channel Manager to centralize all reservations and avoid overbooking, An integrated booking system to increase direct bookings and A secure payment system. As for all these independent hoteliers, we will be able to offer you the solutions adapted to your needs. www.amenitiz.com

Look no further than Alliance Online. We have recently received an influx of new restaurant supplies that will turn your B&B into the talk of the town. Let’s go through some of our new products we have stocked for 2023. From Cra’ster, the Fare trolley range is the innovative next chapter for operational efficiency in luxury hospitality. From Dalebrook, the minimalistic and modern Trafalgar tabletop range delivers a fashionable beauty in the form of the natural matte twexture that produces an exquisite contemporary finish designed to complement any B&B dining aesthetic. Another magnificent range of products suited to a modern BB would be the GenWare Black Vintage Steel range.

Offering a unique way to present and cook foods whilst remaining uncompromising on quality. To find out more please contact our head office on 01270 252333 or hello@allianceonline.co.uk to find your closest branch or visit allianceonline.co.uk.

Vogue Contract Beds

Vogue Contract Beds are a bed and mattress manufacturer based in Leicestershire and are part of the Vogue Beds Group. Formed in 1990 with over 30 years of providing contract mattresses for companies in the UK hospitality market. Vogue Contract Beds manufacture all their own mattresses and have one of the most versatile ranges of contract mattresses on offer across the UK. Suppling contract mattresses to student accomodation as well as many of the UK’s most prestigious hotels and unique boutique hotels from Natural Pocket & Luxury hotel contract beds range. Vogue Contract Beds provide economical contract mattress solutions that suit the needs of our clients and partners from our Academic Collection. To view the range, visit www.voguecontractbeds.co.uk | Tel: 01455841257 | sales@voguebeds.co.uk

scooms now supply luxury B&Bs with ethical bedding and towel range

Welcome to scooms: Discover our luxurious, responsibly made and wonderfully comfortable collection of Hungarian goose down duvets & pillows and Egyptian cotton bedding & towels. Made with the finest natural materials, each product in our range is free from single-use plastics, chemical nasties and plastic packaging. Multi-award winning, with amazing five-star customer reviews, our family-owned collection has been designed without any compromise on quality or ethics. We're sure your guests will love it!

Visit our collection at scooms.com or get in touch with Jonathan for trade sales on 07703 314997, jonathan@ scooms.com.

Mattressman

Versatile, supportive and super-comfortable are a few words to describe the Hotel Mattress range at Mattressman. Going above and beyond to provide your guests with a rejuvenating night’s sleep, the Hotel Mattresses include fantastic features that will contribute to a sumptuous stay at your establishment. They incorporate body-moulding pocket springs with a support tension that’s suitable for every sleeping position, high-quality hypoallergenic fillings and breathable cotton covers too. The Hotel Mattresses are in congruence with Source 5 fire regulations and are available in all standard sizes: even adaptable zip and link options to transform a twin room into two singles. Our trade team can provide expert, impartial advice on what mattresses are best suited to your establishment, so don’t hesitate to get in contact with us today on 0800 5677 625 or tradesales@mattressman.co.uk. To view the range, visit mattressman.co.uk/contract