Ten Common Photo Mistakes
We have looked at thousands of vacation house photos in the past couple of years and have discovered that many owners make the same mistakes when photographing their homes. We will discuss these mistakes more in depth in other postings, but for now, here is a list of what not to do in your photographs. Below are examples we've seen that were originally meant to encourage people to rent the house but may wind up having the opposite effect.
1. Displaying Objects on Top of the Kitchen Cabinets
 Don't use mismatched collections |
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 Avoid plants, either real or fake. |
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 Don't display liquor bottles |
2. Fake Foliage
 Don't let plants detract from the photo |
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 Plants make a poor space filler. |
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 Keep the view as clean as possible-- this is distracting. |
3. Televisions
 Don't crop out furniture for the sake of showing a TV. |
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 Avoid making a television the focus of a photo. |
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 And definitely don't show the television's wiring. |
4. Window Valances
 Don't let valances distract the eye from the view |
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 Don't block the view entirely with window treatments. |
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 Don't contribute to the clutter in a room with bad valances. |
5. Ceiling Fans
 Don't let fans drift into the focus of the room. |
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 Eliminate distractions, like this fan here. |
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 Steer clear of visual annoyances like these. |
6. Messy Bookshelves
 Skip showing negative features like these shelves. |
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 Why take this photo? |
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 Don't let unkempt bookshelves ruin a photo. |
7. Cluttered Rooms
 Don't pack rooms with furniture. |
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 Prevent visual overload. |
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 Don't let photos indicate there's no space to move. |
8. Bizarre Decorations
 Try not to induce claustrophobia in renters. |
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 Keep nightmare-material out of kids' rooms. |
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 Avoid visual overload. |
9. Sterile Rooms
 Prevent the dorm room look |
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 Try to inject some personality into rooms. |
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 Include art and/or color. |
10. Toilets?
 Keep countertops clean and uncluttered. |
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 Don't display toiletries or paper products. |
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 Keep a lid on it. |