Why Your Vermont Airbnb Needs Professional Photography (And What It's Costing You Not to Have It)

bhauzinger
May 29
5 min read

Published by Spacial Harmony Photography | Serving Vermont, the Adirondacks & New Hampshire

If you've been managing your short-term rental listing with photos you took on your phone — or worse, photos that are two or three seasons old — this one's for you.

I'm Barbee, and I photograph vacation rentals and short-term rental properties across Vermont, the Adirondacks, and New Hampshire. I've walked into a lot of beautiful spaces that were being completely undersold online. A cozy A-frame in the Green Mountains. A lakefront cabin outside Lake Placid. A ski chalet twenty minutes from Stowe. Properties that guests would absolutely love — if they could just see them properly.

Here's what I know to be true: your photos are your first showing. In most cases, they're your only showing. Guests decide within seconds whether to click on your listing or scroll past it. And in a market like Vermont or the ADK — where competition for bookings is real and nightly rates are real money — the difference between "booked solid" and "why is my calendar so empty?" often comes down to your photography.

What Airbnb and VRBO Hosts Are Leaving on the Table

The numbers aren't subtle. Listings with professional photography earn up to 40% more revenue than those without. Airbnb's own data shows that hosts who use professional photography see a 21% increase in earnings and a 19% net uplift in bookings over the following year. Click-through rates go up by 60% or more when the lead photo stops a guest mid-scroll.

That's not a small thing. On a Vermont property renting for $250 a night, a 19% bump in bookings isn't just "nice to have" — it's the difference between a profitable investment and a stressful one.

And yet: only about 15% of STR hosts and property managers actually hire a professional photographer. Which means if you do it, you stand out immediately.

What Guests Are Really Looking For (And What Your Photos Need to Show)

When someone is booking a vacation rental in Vermont, the Adirondacks, or the White Mountains of New Hampshire, they're not just booking a place to sleep. They're booking a feeling. They're imagining morning coffee on a porch with a mountain view. A fire pit at golden hour. Snow falling past big windows while they're warm inside. Fall foliage framed perfectly from a deck chair.

Your photos need to sell that feeling. Not just square footage — experience.

Here's what professional STR photography should capture for your property:

The hero shot. Your lead photo needs to stop someone mid-scroll. For most Vermont, NH, and ADK properties, that means leading with what makes you different — a stunning exterior, a view, a dramatic interior with great light. This is not the place for a photo of your kitchen backsplash.
Seasonal relevance. If your gallery is all summer photos but guests are booking for foliage season or ski weekends, you're leaving money out there. Updated seasonal photography shows guests exactly what they're getting and removes hesitation.
The outdoor spaces. This is huge for New England STRs. Fire pits, hot tubs, decks, porches, gardens, trails leading into the woods — guests want to see them. Outdoor spaces are often the deciding factor.
The cozy details. Throw blankets. A stocked bookshelf. A well-set dining table. Fresh flowers. The little things that say someone cared about this space — those matter more than you think. They build trust.
Drone and aerial photography. If your property has acreage, a view, a waterfront, or a landscape worth seeing, aerial footage changes the game entirely. Listings with drone footage convert dramatically better. It's no longer a luxury add-on — guests expect it for higher-end properties.
Twilight and evening shots. Exterior photos at dusk with warm interior light glowing through windows are some of the most evocative images I create. They immediately communicate warmth, privacy, and ambiance.

The Vermont, ADK, and NH Advantage — And Why Local Photography Matters

There's a reason guests choose a cabin in Stowe over a hotel in Burlington. Or a lakehouse in the Adirondacks over a beach resort. It's the place. The specific landscape, the light, the seasons.

A photographer who lives and works in this region understands how to capture it. I know what light looks like on a Green Mountain morning. I know what foliage season actually looks like versus how a generic "fall colors" stock photo looks. When I photograph a property in Vermont or northern New Hampshire, I'm photographing it as someone who loves being out in that landscape — not as someone running through a checklist.

That specificity shows up in the images. And guests feel it.

It's also an especially good practice if you are an out of state STR vacation rental owner! Hiring local contractors and artists to collaborate with you on your rental is essential in assuring the wellbeing of Vermonters are supported.

What to Look For When Hiring an Airbnb Photographer in Vermont or the ADK

Not all real estate photographers shoot STRs the same way. A home-sale photo is about showing layout and space. A vacation rental photo is about selling an experience. Those are genuinely different skills.

When you're looking for an Airbnb photographer in Vermont, an interior photographer for your Adirondack rental, or a short-term rental photographer in New Hampshire, here's what to look for:

A portfolio that includes STR or hospitality work, not just traditional real estate
Evidence they understand staging and storytelling — not just wide-angle room shots
Experience with natural light, which is everything in New England interiors
Seasonal and outdoor photography capability
Drone/aerial as an option
Availability for seasonal refreshes, not just a one-time shoot

Common Questions STR Hosts Ask Me

"Is it worth the cost?"

Yes. Almost without exception, the investment pays for itself within your first few additional bookings. If you're raising your nightly rate by even $10 because your listing looks more polished — or converting one more booking per month — you've covered it.

"Should I stage before the shoot?"

Absolutely, and I'll walk you through what to do before I arrive. Fresh linens, cleared counters, a few intentional details. It doesn't need to be a full interior design overhaul — it just needs to look like a space someone is excited to walk into.

"How often should I update my photos?"

Ideally, once a year, or when something significant changes — a renovation, new outdoor furniture, a new hot tub. Seasonal updates (adding winter or fall images if you only have summer) can make a meaningful difference in shoulder-season bookings. I recommend reaching out to your photographer at least 2 months before you want photos to assure desired availibility in dates.

"Do you shoot drone/aerial?"

Yes. If your property has land, views, or an exterior worth seeing from above, we'll talk about whether aerial makes sense for your listing.

"What areas do you cover?"

I'm based in Vermont and shoot throughout the state — Stowe, Burlington, Woodstock, the Mad River Valley, the Northeast Kingdom. I'm also regularly in the Adirondacks (Lake Placid, Lake George, Saranac Lake) and throughout New Hampshire, including the White Mountains and Lakes Region.

Ready to Stop Being Invisible Online?

If your vacation rental is beautiful in person but not performing online, it's almost always a photography problem. You've already done the hard work of creating a great property. Let the photos do their job.

I'd love to see your space and talk about what a shoot would look like.

→ Contact Spacial Harmony Photography

Based in Vermont. Shooting across Vermont, the Adirondacks, and New Hampshire.

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