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French Connections
Taking Photographs of your Holiday Property

When marketing holiday property, the old cliché ‘A picture paints a thousand words’ still holds very true. Find out how good photography can result in bookings. Good quality images are essential to show off your assets.

If you own gîtes, a house or an apartment in France, you need to show your prospective guests exactly what they can expect to help them make the decision to book.

Our research at French Connections has led us to offer owners the option of displaying up to 30 photographs in their listing – some in large format.

As an owner in Brittany explains, “When the option to display up to 30 photos for the price of eight first became available, we didn’t have our own website, so the appearance of our listing was crucial. It’s clear that once a holidaymaker has an idea of the location and size of property they want, their choice is down to visual impact. Our two houses are very photogenic so it made sense to do them full justice with as many photographs as possible.”

They had taken lots of photographs over time and narrowed them down critically to only the very best. Now the range of photographs has, they say, brought an improved quality of enquiries and conversion rate, highly satisfied customers and repeat bookings. People book not only because they see so much detail of the houses and interiors but also because they see specifically what the area is suitable for.

Using Photography to Attract More Holiday Bookings

How can you produce the best possible images that will reel in your bookings? Set aside a few occasions to experiment with various shots first and then allocate time between visitors when you can arrange and dress both interiors and exteriors and set to work. Your aim should be to take a stock of images that will last you for the coming year.

The most important will be your main photograph. This is crucial because it is the ‘hook’ that can tempt browsers to click for more information. It should show what type of property this is and make it look as charming as possible. An isolated swimming pool or a house that’s little more than a dot on the horizon will not do the job. Aim to give as much visual information as you can while making the property look utterly irresistible.

You can then use other photographs to show the garden including pool, the setting with nice views, the local area with places to go and things to do and the property interior in great detail, giving potential guests a very clear idea of what to expect.

Quick Tips on successful photography

  • Get a Tripod. You’ll produce a much better shot than hand-held, especially indoors
  • Try indoor shots with and without flash, which may give you a more even light and improve visibility of detail.
  • Indoors, keep the camera at the widest angle possible to help make the room appear bigger.
  • Frame your shots well. Indoors, for instance, show furniture and floor space rather than lots of ceiling
  • Take plenty of images and review them on the computer to choose the best ones.
  • Experiment to get the best shot. Try a range of angles and varying heights of the tripod.

Advertise Your Holiday Property on French Connections

If you own a holiday home, gite, bed and breakfast, or rental property in France, then you should advertise on www.frenchconnections.co.uk. Our site was one of the original French holiday websites, and our low cost Advertising rates start from the equivalent of just £17.50 a month!