How to take great listing photos with just your phone

Category: Getting Started

By: Ryan Tanaka

Posted: 2026-01-19T06:22:51.625Z

Professional photographers charge $200-400 in my area and I'm trying to keep startup costs low. I have an iPhone 15 Pro — can I take good enough photos myself? If so, what's the technique? I've seen some phone photos on Airbnb that look amazing and others that look terrible. There must be a method to it. Any tips on angles, lighting, staging, editing apps, etc.?

Reply by Megan O'Connor:

Absolutely you can! I've been using my iPhone for 3 years and consistently get compliments on my photos. Here's my exact process: **Before shooting:** - Clean EVERYTHING. Wipe counters, make beds with hospital corners, fluff pillows - Remove ALL personal items, clutter, phone chargers, random stuff - Turn on every light in the unit AND open all curtains/blinds - Add "pops" — fresh flowers, a bowl of fruit, a coffee table book, neatly folded towels **Camera settings:** - Use the 0.5x wide-angle lens — makes rooms look 30% bigger - Turn on grid lines for straight horizons - Shoot in landscape mode ALWAYS - Don't use flash — ever **Shooting technique:** - Shoot from doorways/corners to maximize the feeling of space - Get the camera at chest height (not eye level) for a "magazine" angle - Include 2-3 walls in each room shot to show depth - Take 20+ photos of each room and pick the best 2-3 **Editing:** - Snapseed (free) — bump brightness +15, contrast +10, warmth +5 - Don't over-edit. Natural looks better than HDR-blasted I'd say phone photos get you 80% of the way to professional. After your first 3 months of revenue, consider splurging on a pro shoot.

Reply by Grace Kim:

All great advice above. I'll add one tip that made a huge difference: **shoot during "golden hour"** — the hour before sunset. The warm natural light makes everything look incredible. Combine that with indoor lights on and you get that warm, cozy vibe. Also, don't forget the exterior! The cover photo showing the outside of the building/entrance with good lighting is what makes people click on your listing in search results.

Reply by Michael Thompson:

One more thing: your very first photo (the cover photo) is the most important image in your entire listing. It has to be eye-catching from a tiny thumbnail. Best cover photos are usually: - A wide shot of the living room or bedroom looking warm and inviting - An outdoor shot with a view (if you have one) - A unique design feature (accent wall, fireplace, etc.) Test different cover photos! Airbnb's analytics will show you click-through rates.