Bring Your Expertise to Life

Great photography is crucial to showcasing your professional offerings and helping potential guests understand, and trust your expertise. This guide will help you prepare for your photoshoot.
A close up of a hosts hand applying white eye shadow makeup to a guests face.

Before the photoshoot

Planning

Communicate with the photographer in advance to plan key aspects of the photoshoot. Share all offerings available to guests and collaborate on highlighting the most important moments and details. Before the shoot, declutter the space to create a photo-ready environment. Discuss these elements beforehand to ensure a smooth and effective session. Here are some key considerations:
Close-up of a barber using clippers and a comb to trim a man's short hair.

Guests

If the offering requires a subject in the photos, such as for hairstyling, fitness, etc., ask friends to participate in your photoshoot. If you have multiple offerings, you may consider whether you may need multiple friends to display each offering (such as for different hair styles).
Chef in a white uniform slicing a piece of raw meat on a cutting board in a professional kitchen.

Wardrobe

Wear something authentic and appropriate based on your offerings. Always avoid heavy patterns and logos. Opt for solid colors or subtle textures that complement the setting and keep the focus on you.
Close-up of a person tying the laces on their black running shoes while sitting on concrete steps.

Lighting

Consider the weather and time of day that makes the most sense to host your offering. The more light available at the location, the better. If the space is dark, or has limited light available, let your photographer know ahead of the photoshoot so they can plan for it.
Interior of a cozy, rustic room with wooden furniture, shelves, and a kitchen area, emphasizing a welcoming and serene atmosphere.

Location

Choose a location that authentically represents where the activity will take place. If unsure, discuss options with the photographer and collaborate to identify the most visually appealing spots. Be sure to have approval to photograph at any/all locations.

Required release form

All participants (host and guests) will need to sign a standard release. Ahead of the assignment, print and fill out the release form. The photographer will photograph each participant holding their release form.
Download Release Form

Required release form

All participants (host and guests) will need to sign a standard release. Ahead of the assignment, print and fill out the release form. The photographer will photograph each participant holding their release form.
Download Release Form

During the photoshoot

Cover photo

Work with the photographer to capture a beautiful image that speaks to the essence of the offerings in a clear, elegant way. The subject matter should be a realistic representation of your offerings. Capture a variety of compositions within a wide horizontal orientation. In some instances we’ll crop in tight on the final version, so we need ample space to work with.
A beautifully presented dish of tomato slices with herbs on a white plate, placed on a rustic wooden table alongside a small potted plant and dried herbs, with a hand pouring water from a kettle in the background.

What to include

Position the action or subject at or near the center of the frame to create a clear, easily readable image that captures the viewer’s attention instantly.
Close-up of a plate with tomato slices topped with herbs, set on a rustic wooden table with a pot of fresh green herbs and a metal kettle pouring liquid.

The final image

A successful cover photo will be a wide horizontal shot with a clean, uncluttered background to ensure a clear and visually engaging composition.

Profile photo

The photographer will capture a profile photo, which informs potential guests of who you are, and signals warmth, professionalism, and reliability. The photo will be cropped into a tight circle, and will feature only your head, face, and neck. For this reason, a strong portrait will feature you facing the camera, making eye contact, with a warm and friendly expression. Consider locations nearby windows, or outdoors, with simple backgrounds.
A person in a white shirt photographed indoors with a simple background.
A professional profile photo showing a person with long blonde hair, wearing a white top with floral patterns, standing in front of a wooden and glass door background.
Profile photo of a person with short black hair, wearing a red shirt, with a neutral background, cropped into a circular frame.
Close-up profile picture of a person with long dark hair, set against a blue tiled wall background.

Offering photos

Photos of your offerings show potential guests exactly what they can purchase. Talk to the photographer ahead of the photoshoot to help them understand your offerings so they can accurately depict them. If you need someone featured in the photos, be sure to coordinate with a friend to participate during the photoshoot. If your offering has a time-consuming final product, such as a formal hairdo, or plated food, we suggest having each one prepared nearly to completion before the photographer arrives so it's ready to photograph. Below are some successful examples:Beauty
Close-up of a stylist cutting brown hair with scissors and a comb.
Offering 1: Haircut
Back view of a woman with long, perfectly styled blonde hair cascading down her back, showcasing a beauty offering.
Offering 2: Highlights and coloring
A hair stylist working on a client's hair, showcasing a beauty service in a salon environment.
Offering 3: Formal updos
Fitness
Person lying on a massage table having their leg stretched by a fitness trainer in a clinic room with anatomical charts on the wall.
Offering 1: Alignments
A man in red shorts and blue shirt holds a medicine ball on a vibration plate machine while a host supervises in gym.
Offering 2: Strength training
Person in a gym doing rope exercises, wearing blue shirt and red shorts, with kettlebells and dumbbells in the background
Offering 3: HIIT workout
Food
A white plate filled with a gourmet dish consisting of roasted vegetables and braised meat, garnished with fresh herbs, placed on a wooden table next to a fork and knife.
Offering 1: Main course
A dish of ravioli topped with cheese shavings and sage leaves, served with a glass of white wine.
Offering 2: Homemade pasta
Orange sorbet served inside a hollowed-out orange, garnished with a leaf, in a silver cup on a wooden table.
Offering 3: Desserts

Gallery photos

Potential guests will be able to view a collection of additional images that showcase your process, professionalism, expertise, personality, and style. The photographer may include your setup, process, tools, environment, and behind-the-scenes work that highlight what makes your service unique, interesting, or desirable. For that reason, it's best to ensure that the tools, equipment, and surrounding area are clean and free of clutter to improve the visual appeal. They make capture:
Close-up of chef's hand adding final touches to a plate, emphasizing attention to detail and professionalism in food presentation.
Expertise in action
Top-down view of a kitchen setup with a cutting board and knife, freshly sliced blood oranges, and bowls of endive and blood orange slices.
Tools, equipment, and details
Rustic table setting showing fresh salad with orange slices, mint leaves, and chopped nuts in two bowls, complemented by vintage scissors.
Offering conclusion

After the photoshoot

What you'll get

We will make a selection of the best 10-15 photos, retouch them, and carefully curate them to your experience page. You will maintain the ability to rearrange the images as you see fit.
Man in a light blue striped shirt featuring green and blue artwork, posing against a simple background.
A set of professional hair cutting scissors and comb neatly arranged in a beige case, placed on a wooden surface.
Close-up of a person trimming another person's beard with an electric razor in a barber shop.
A barber carefully trims the beard of a client, showcasing professional grooming services.
A man getting his beard trimmed by a barber in front of colorful graffiti art, showcasing the importance of professional photography for Airbnb offerings.
Person with new haircut, showcasing professional photography for an Airbnb experience.
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? 
media-ops-production@airbnb.com