AIRBNB SERVICES

Photoshoot Prep Guide

Services listings rely on high-quality photos to inspire guests. This guide covers how to prepare for your photoshoot.

Overview

The photoshoot session is expected to take 60-90 minutes. During this time, the photographer will work with you to capture the following themes to be displayed on your listing page:

Four smartphone screens displaying an Airbnb service listing for a hairstylist, featuring options like professional hair styling, haircut with styling, and a gallery showcasing the stylist's work.

Cover photo

A clean, clear image that showcases the most iconic image illustrating your expertise.

Offerings

Typically 3-6 images that clearly illustrate each of your individual offerings.

Profile photo

A clear, friendly portrait of you, the host, cropped as a tight circle.

The gallery

A collection of additional images that tell the full story of your Service and offerings.

Before the photoshoot

Planning

Communicate with the photographer in advance to plan key aspects of the photoshoot. Share a detailed list of your 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:

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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. Please confer with location owner or business owner to ensure you have permission to photograph there on the day of the shoot.

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Release forms

All participants (host and guests) will need to sign our standard release. Ahead of the assignment, the photographer is expected to print out the release forms and bring pens for all participants to sign. To reduce friction, please inform guests that they’ll need to fill out a release form. If you cannot secure appearance, location, or materials release (as the case may be), then make an effort not to shoot the unreleased elements (appearance, location, or materials release (as the case may be), or make sure that they are not recognizable, as we will need to scrub or blur any unreleased elements from finished images, and we don’t want to compromise the quality of your images.

A person wearing a colorful patterned headscarf, white collared shirt, and dark overalls stands confidently in front of a textured stone wall, arms crossed.

Appearance release

Hosts and guest (always)All participants, including both hosts and guests, should fill in the release form, and check the “appearance” box. This involves the host’s and guests’ likeness in the photos.

An inviting room with a wooden table surrounded by chairs, prepared for an activity involving botanical pressing. Behind the table, a glass wall reads 'Pressed Botanicals - Slow Pharmacy,' with natural decor and dried plants enhancing the ambiance.

Location release

Hosts (always)You will need to select the “location” box, and list the location(s) title/addresses below. By checking this box, it means you have gotten the necessary approvals needed to photograph at this location.

A stack of red Cookbooks on a countertop, with a jar of goods next to it and a bowl of Malaysian food depicted on the book cover.

Branding (names, signs, logos, etc.)

Hosts (sometimes)The host only needs to check this box if they are featuring business or company branding such as signs, logos, art etc. The host will select the “Materials” box. They are required to list all branding being included in the images.

Release form

Photoshoot checklist

Share with photographer

Date/time of photoshoot
Location type - indoor, outdoor, mix
Light available at locations (dark vs. bright, window light vs. artificial)
Expected number of participants, if required to showcase your offerings (Friends, no guests, etc.)
What the Service entails (specific offerings to capture in session)

Prep for photoshoot

Review this guide to best prepare
Reach out to other participants to inform them:
What to wear
When & where to arrive
That they will be required to sign an appearance release that gives Airbnb permission to photograph them and feature the image on the platform and in marketing.
What the activity will be

Day of photoshoot

Before the photoshoot:
Declutter the photoshoot location
Prepare any physical offerings so that they are 75% complete (food, hair styles, makeup etc.)

Themes to prepare

Cover photo

The photographer will seek to capture your Service in a simple, iconic way, featuring the action at the center of the composition. A strong cover photo is simple, uncluttered, and focused on a candid moment that represents the type of Services you offer.

An Airbnb app interface showcasing a service listing for hairstyling on a phone screen, alongside an image of a woman helping another person with a yoga pose on a purple mat in a spacious, wooden-floored room with greenery in the background.

An overhead view of a wooden table with various colorful plated dishes, including a central plate featuring roasted meat garnished with edible flowers and a balsamic glaze.

Food

A group of people practicing yoga outdoors in a sunny park, standing on yoga mats and doing side stretches under the shade of green trees.

Fitness

A close-up of a makeup artist's hand applying powder to the side of a woman's face using a brush, with the woman's blonde hair held back by a clip.

Beauty

Profile photo

The goal of this photo is to convey warmth, professionalism, and reliability through a tight portrait. The photographer will capture a variety of portraits in 2-3 different lighting/locations with varied but uncluttered backgrounds.

A person in a white shirt photographed indoors with a simple background.

Offering photos

The photographer will capture the most distinctive moment or final result that best represents each offering. If your activity leads to a finished product (e.g., a three-course meal, haircut and color, etc.), please have items prepared to at least 75% completion before the session begins to maximize the 60–90 minute shoot. Connect with the photographer in advance to outline your Services, so they can properly prepare to photograph them.

Food

No guests neededBefore the photoshoot, think through how each dish will look both individually and as a full spread. Choose a surface that contrasts with your plate color, and position the setup near a window for the best natural light. Keep the table authentic to how the service is actually offered; avoid props or embellishments that wouldn’t normally be there. Tip: check food delivery apps for plating and styling inspiration.

Chef-prepared grilled artichokes with charred lemon, sauce, and fresh basil plated on a wooden board

Plated chef-prepared dish with layered vegetables and sauce in a minimalist white bowl

Chef-prepared plates of roasted fish and vegetables arranged on a table, showcasing an elegant meal service.

Colorful chef-prepared dinner spread with salmon, grilled vegetables, pasta, salads, and dessert on a wooden table.

Beauty

Guests are needed Have at least two looks 95% complete before the photographer arrives — this ensures the final result is ready to capture within the shoot window. Choose a simple backdrop, like a blank wall, that keeps the focus on the finished look rather than the surroundings.

Person with long, wavy blonde hair in a robe, showcasing a fresh professional hairstyle service.

Young woman with long dark hair sits indoors with her eyes closed and a relaxed, content expression

Stylist showcases a guest’s long, wavy ponytail hairstyle inside a bright home near a window.

Close-up of a woman with long, wavy blonde hair, representing an Airbnb Service provider.

Fitness

Guests are neededConsider inviting the exact number of guests offered in the Services (if it’s a group workout, invite a group to the photoshoot).

Two women exercising outdoors in a park, one stepping onto an orange and black platform while holding dumbbells, surrounded by lush greenery and trees.

A group of people participating in an outdoor yoga session in a sunny park, with trees and grass in the background. A yoga instructor stands at the front, guiding participants as they stretch with their arms raised above their heads.

Two people practicing yoga in an outdoor park setting, performing the upward-facing dog pose on pink yoga mats, surrounded by green trees and grass on a sunny day.

Two people practicing a yoga stretch on purple and pink mats outdoors on a sunny day, with a pair of purple dumbbells on the asphalt nearby.

Wellness & spa

Guests are neededMake sure your guest is covered with a towel, robe, or sheet throughout the shoot, with minimal skin visible. Any contact shown should reflect the service itself — professional and therapeutic. Choose a clean, simple background that keeps the focus on the treatment.

Hands gently performing a massage on a person laying under a white sheet, showcasing a relaxing wellness service experience.

A services host is providing a massage for a guest.

A professional massage session featuring a therapist stretching a client's leg, with warm lighting and relaxing elements in the background.

A person receiving a massage on their upper back, showcasing a detailed tattoo of an eye surrounded by crescent moons and intricate designs.

Gallery photos

The best way for guests to understand what they’re buying is to see it. For a Service where the guest gets something “visual” (chef, prepared meals, catering, hair, nails, makeup), images help differentiate the listing. For Services where the guest gets something "physical" (spa, massage, fitness), the take away may be more emotional or spiritual, rather than something you can capture. communicate some of the highlights of the offerings to the photographer.