I recently had an interesting experience with an Airbnb photography shoot, I did. You can read the whole article and the photos of this particular airbnb shoot here. I specialize exclusively on Airbnb photoshoot, and I always aim to go the extra mile for my clients. I have 99% happy customers. What I’m about to share is something that has never happened to me doing this for over 13 years specializing in architectural photography.
So as usual without the backstory of this client and their very hard negotiation, I was motivated to deliver the best. I showed up, did my very best, and within 24 hours I delivered the photos which you can see by clicking the picture below. While the person who coordinated on location sent me a text that she is in awe with the pictures I delivered, The owner of the property (actual client) mentioned that the photos weren’t bright enough and the husband is especially very unhappy. They were upset that, I didn’t turn on the ceiling lights. As a professional airbnb photographer, I usually decide on lighting based on what enhances the photo’s composition and avoid color casting with regular recess and dome lights. It was surprising to hear this feedback because the client hadn’t mentioned a preference for having the ceiling lights on neither shared a sample picture. No one has ever advised me when they hire me, because they want me to do my best and at the end, they are always happy.
If you take a peek at the full gallery in the link provided above, you’ll get to see all the photos I delivered. While I was talking to the client, she handed over the phone to the husband, and he shared a sample picture from the previous shoot (attached below) and said my picture look nothing like it. At this point in conversation, I spent quite a bit of time explaining my artistic choices and the reasoning behind the lighting. They were not convinced, and At the end end of the conversation, the client’s husband expressed concerns about whether the photos would even meet Airbnb’s standards and afraid if it will get approved.
The sample photo that client shared below. “In my view as a professional architectural photorapher, this photo has some issues like unusual colors, reflections, blown out areas and distortion. However, this is the style the client asked for which is a standard real estate photography with multiple exposures.”
Below is my photo of the kitchen shot
I must admit, it got me really upset, when the client said my photos might not even be approved by Airbnb. What do you think?
“I sent the photos to an interior designer and a cleaning company that works with many homes, from luxury to standard ones, to get their opinions. Here’s what they said. I don’t usually look for approval for my work, but I thought it was important to get professional opinion from others”
But I’m sharing this here because, this maybe you who hires me and have a diff expectations than what i usually deliver. I do not ever turn on ceiling lights, unless it adds value to the shot and the composition.
Below is the feedback from the person who was on-location who coordinated this shoot and she is the one who put this all together.
Funny thing is, my gut had a feeling about this job, but I took it on anyway, hoping to make a positive impact. In the end, though, I decided to issue a full refund to the client after dedicating 8.5 hours to the project. I should absolutely not have refunded, as it’s not my fault. It’s all part of the learning curve, right? 😂
Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but it’s all about the experience and moving forward with a smile! 🙂
