Get picture perfect

When marketing holiday property, the old cliché, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’, still holds very true. If you own gîtes, a house or an apartment in France, you need to show your prospective guests exactly what they can expect to help them make the decision to book. Good quality images are essential to show off your assets.

How can you produce the best possible images that will reel in bookings? The good news is that this is the perfect time of year to start. Gardens are at their best, indoor light is bright and the swimming pool is sparkling. Blue skies and sunshine sell holidays! So, set aside a few occasions to experiment with various shots first and then allocate time between visitors when you can arrange and dress both interiors and exteriors and set to work. Your aim should be to take a stock of images that will last you for the coming year.

Making a connection These days, owners are most likely to choose the internet as their vehicle for marketing holiday lets. When you prepare your property’s listing for the website or sites that you have chosen, you may be given options for your visual presentation: a set number of photos, for example, or even a video clip.

Video is the new darling of the internet. The explosion of YouTube, fast download times and modern camcorders have led websites of all types to include video clips, so web users are familiar with video and what it can offer. A recent survey by Harris Interactive revealed that more than two-thirds of online travellers rated videos as one of the most important factors when comparing and selecting accommodation. Property owners also report a good response. “Video lets us show key selling points and really engages viewers, giving them a complete feel of the property. We’ve found that our video gives people confidence to book,” says the owner of a gîte in Normandy.

Generally, you will need to provide about 10 minutes of video, which can include still shots. This is professionally edited into a two-minute clip, which can be seen in your presentation an unlimited number of times. So, what should you aim to show in a video? The answer is much the same as if you are taking photographs, so the following advice on what to shoot applies to both techniques.

A good guide of what to include can be seen in the video below...

Getting the look First of all, you need some establishing shots of the exterior of the house, to give it maximum ‘kerb appeal’. This should be your main photograph and your opening video shot. It’s important because it establishes territory for the viewer, who immediately knows what type of property this is. So give them as much visual information as you can while making the property look utterly irresistible.

Do not show pylons, washing lines, cars, people or clutter – this is extremely important as it makes you look unprofessional and can really put people off. The sun should be illuminating the house but the light needs to be even, which means avoiding sharp light and shadows.

Experiment with varying conditions and times of day; you may find early morning or evening best. Start with a good, wide shot of the house, keeping it well in the frame. Avoid making it look too far away. Then come in closer and photograph any nice features like a pretty pathway, decorative stonework or a character door. Show the house from as many angles as possible, obviously concentrating on the most attractive and uncluttered.

Inside the house, it is crucial to declutter. Look critically at your rooms – not with the naked eye but through the camera lens – and notice the difference! Aim to pare interiors down to ‘dressed simplicity’. Occasional highlights of co-ordinated colour are good – flowers, a bowl of fruit, cushions, a lamp. But busy rooms that appear stuffed full of furniture and ornaments will seem darker, smaller, untidy and less inviting. So clear off tables, polish surfaces, organise shelves and, if there's a surplus of furniture in the rooms you're shooting, move it out of the way.

Include images of the living room – especially seating – the dining area or room with the table beautifully set and chairs evenly arranged and the kitchen, which should be tidy and spotless, with uncluttered worktops. Show the bedrooms with invitingly made-up beds and evidence of wardrobe hanging space and include bathrooms, if they are attractive, but remember to remove rubbish bins and close the toilet lid!

It’s best to shoot in every room to see what works best – the results may surprise you.

Focus in on details like a nice mantle piece or new floors but avoid shooting into the backs of chairs or bookcases. Generally, it’s good to face away from the windows to avoid backlighting but many French properties, especially older, stone houses, are quite dark inside. Video the room as best you can at different times of day and supplement this with some stills taken with a flash to create an even light. It’s also good to show attractive views looking out through open windows in the house or doors leading onto the garden.

When it comes to outside space, show the garden looking tidy and well kept. If you have a brick or tile patio, sweep it and then wet it down to make the colour look rich and minimise glare. Dress the swimming pool and outdoor living area to look really enticing. Pool water should be crystal clear and, if you are videoing, show the movement of rippling water as it sparkles in the sunlight and leaves as they dance gently in the breeze. Arrange furniture and dress the dining area, maybe including salad, French bread, cheese and wine.

Many summer holidays revolve around the pool and outdoor living, so it’s important to make this area totally relaxing, charming and appealing. You could show a sunhat or an open book, hinting at human presence, but do not actually include people: your customers want to think of this as their very own holiday home.

Experiment with after-dark photos in this area, juggling until you get the light balance right. You don’t have to show every detail, just create an inviting, fairytale evening effect.

Also include features that enhance the main ‘sell’ of your property such as family play, sports equipment or a romantic ambience. If you offer activities and classes, show images of these in progress. Concentrate too on the secondary sell by showing potential visitors what your area has to offer. Take shots of a gorgeous setting, local landmarks, festivals, market day, beaches and other attractions of your local town or village. Show colour, community, things to do, places to eat and people watching. Establish, if possible, that you could only be in France and this is where your customer’s next holiday should be.

Glynis Shaw is joint MD of French Connections holiday rentals and property sales online www.frenchconnections.co.uk

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