Introduction
For your main listing gallery, professional Airbnb photos beat iPhone shots, and the cost is usually small next to what you earn. A modern iPhone is a good camera. Interiors are where it struggles: bright windows, dim corners, mixed lighting and wide lenses that stretch the room.
This guide covers the research on photos and bookings, the jobs a phone does well, and what a shoot costs in Perth.
Do Professional Airbnb Photos Increase Bookings?
Yes, professional Airbnb photos are linked to more bookings, and the strongest evidence comes from outside Airbnb. A peer-reviewed study in Management Science tracked 7,423 Airbnb properties over 16 months. It found that properties with verified images had 8.98% higher occupancy than properties with photos taken by the host. “Verified” meant the photos were shot by Airbnb’s own photographers.
In an earlier working paper, the same team found most of that gap disappeared once they accounted for 12 measurable image qualities. Those qualities cover colour, composition and how clearly the main subject stands out. A trained photographer controls all three.
What Airbnb’s own numbers say
Airbnb sells its own photography service, so treat its figures as marketing. They still point the same way. Airbnb says hosts who used its pro photography service may earn up to 21% more and get 19% more bookings. The earnings figure compares more than 14,700 listings with its photos against more than 62,300 without, worldwide, from 2024 to 2025.
Two cautions apply. This compares different listings, so hosts who pay for photos may also be better hosts in other ways. Airbnb itself says the figures are not guaranteed results. You may also see older claims of “40% more earnings” online. Those came from a 2018 Airbnb page that gave no method, so we would not rely on them.
Why Photos Matter So Much in Airbnb Search
Airbnb’s search ranking looks at your listing photos, so weak photos can mean fewer guests ever see your place. Its help centre says high-quality listing photos and videos help attract guests’ attention and improve engagement, which can improve ranking.
The first photo carries the most weight. It is the large image guests see in search results. Airbnb calls the first five photos the most important on your listing. We cover the other ranking signals in our guide to the 2026 Airbnb algorithm.
What the cover photo shows matters too. A 2023 study in the International Journal of Research in Marketing looked at New York and San Francisco listings. A living room cover image lifted the booking rate. A bedroom cover lowered it. For most Perth homes, lead with the living area or the best view.
iPhone vs Professional Airbnb Photos: Where the Gap Shows
Outdoors in good light, a current iPhone Pro does well. Indoors, it struggles with five things.
1. Lens width
Most professional real estate interiors are shot at the equivalent of 16mm to 20mm. That shows the whole room without warping it. The iPhone 18 Pro has a 13mm ultra-wide lens and a 24mm main lens. At 0.5x, furniture near the edges looks stretched. At 1x, a small bedroom often won’t fit. Settings in between are digital crops of the ultra-wide lens.
2. Windows
On a bright Perth afternoon, a window can be far brighter than the room around it. A phone blends exposures automatically. The result often shows a glowing white window or a flat, grey room. A professional shoots several exposures on a tripod, or uses flash, then blends them by hand. The final image shows the view and the room at a normal brightness.
3. Straight lines
Tilt a phone slightly while holding it and every door frame leans. A tripod at the right height keeps walls and cabinets vertical. Leaning door frames are one of the easiest ways to spot a host-shot interior.
4. Colours that change from room to room
Most homes mix warm downlights with cooler daylight from the windows, and some kitchen strip lights add a green tint. Your eyes adjust, so the room looks normal when you stand in it. A phone has to choose one colour setting per photo, and it often chooses differently in each room. The white walls can come out yellow in the bedroom and blue in the living room. Side by side in your listing, the photos look like they were taken in different homes. A professional corrects the colour in every shot, including the corners lit by a different lamp, so the walls look white and the whole set matches.
5. Twilight and aerial shots
Twilight shots are taken in a short window after sunset, with the inside lights on. Think of a Scarborough apartment with the ocean glowing behind the balcony. Aerial shots need a drone. Under CASA rules, even an owner flying a small drone for their own listing counts as business use. That means registering the drone and holding operator accreditation. You can never fly over people or roads either. For most suburban lots, hiring a licensed operator is simpler.
When Phone Photos Are Enough
Airbnb itself says most cameras, including smartphones, can capture good listing photos. Use your phone for:
- Check-in guides showing the lockbox, keypad or parking bay
- Airbnb’s photo verification requests, which must be taken live in the app and are never shown to guests
- Detail shots, like a new coffee machine or a board game shelf
- Quick updates after a small change, so your listing stays accurate
If you must shoot the main photos yourself, these habits help most:
- Turn on Grid and Level in your iPhone’s camera settings
- Use a small tripod at chest height and never tilt the phone up or down
- Shoot from corners or doorways instead of switching to 0.5x
- Open the blinds and switch the flash off, then add room lights only where it is still dark
- Declutter first and plan a shot list for every room guests can use
- Edit lightly, with no filters and no heavy HDR
Professional Airbnb Photos Still Have to Be Accurate
Professional Airbnb photos must be accurate as well as attractive. Airbnb’s ground rules ask hosts to remove content edited to hide flaws or damage, add amenities, or otherwise misrepresent the listing. Guests who leave a rating also score accuracy, which asks whether the place matched its up-to-date photos and information.
Australian Consumer Law applies as well. The national accommodation guide to the law says your photos should not mislead guests about price, quality, location or amenities. A good photographer shows your home on its best day, with the rooms at their true size. Styling improves the photos without changing what guests will find, so read our guide to Airbnb property styling before the shoot.
What Professional Airbnb Photography Costs in Perth
Airbnb photography in Perth is affordable next to your nightly rate. These ranges come from Perth real estate photographers who publish their prices in AUD, some quoted with GST and some without:
| Service | Typical Perth price (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Daytime shoot | $120 to $400 |
| Rental package | $100 to $165 |
| Twilight shoot | $200 to $300 (or from about $75 as an upgrade) |
| Drone photos | $80 to $240 |
| Floor plan | $130 to $240 (more for large homes) |
Airbnb also offers its own paid photography service on airbnb.com.au. It delivers 15 to 25 retouched images, and the cost comes out of your future payouts. Availability depends on whether Airbnb has photographers near you at the time.
If your place earns $250 a night after fees, one extra booked night covers a basic shoot. Airbnb says 85% of hosts using its service recoup the cost with one night’s stay. Better photos can also support a higher nightly rate, which ties into your wider Airbnb pricing strategy.
There may be a tax benefit too. The ATO lists advertising costs to rent the property among deductible holiday home expenses. The deduction applies to the extent the costs earn rental income. Listing photos are generally treated as advertising. Check with your accountant for your situation.
Let Sepal Stays Get Your Listing Photo-Ready
At Sepal Stays, every property we manage is professionally photographed before it goes live. We never launch on phone photos with a plan to upgrade later. Guests judge a new listing on its photos from day one.
We handle the styling, brief the photographer and choose the cover photo. We order the gallery so the first five photos show the living area, the best bedroom and the view. Then we keep the photos current as the property changes. Find out more about our Airbnb management in Perth. For a free listing assessment, send us a message through our contact form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an iPhone good enough for Airbnb photos?
In some cases, yes. A phone is fine for detail shots, check-in guides and quick updates, but professional photos for the main gallery can bring more bookings and higher earnings.
How many photos should an Airbnb listing have?
Airbnb needs at least 5 photos to get started, and said in 2023 that active listings average over 20. Show every room guests can use, and make the first five your strongest.
How much does Airbnb photography cost in Perth?
Daytime shoots from Perth real estate photographers cost about $120 to $400 (AUD). Twilight, drone and floor plan add-ons cost extra.
Do professional Airbnb photos help search ranking?
They can. Airbnb says high-quality photos help attract attention and improve engagement, which can improve ranking.
Can I claim professional Airbnb photos as a tax deduction?
Generally yes, as an advertising cost for renting the property. The ATO allows advertising costs to the extent they earn rental income, so confirm the details with your accountant.
Does Airbnb offer professional photography in Perth?
Airbnb offers a paid photography service on airbnb.com.au, with the cost taken from future payouts. Whether a photographer is available depends on your area at the time.