Vacation Rental Photography in Myrtle Beach for Airbnb and VRBO

Tyler Graham

4 days ago

4 min read

The Grand Strand is one of the busiest vacation destinations on the East Coast, and a big share of visitors stay in short-term rentals. Oceanfront condos in North Myrtle Beach, beach houses in Surfside, golf villas in Carolina Forest and inlet cottages in Murrells Inlet all compete for the same guests on the same apps.

On Airbnb and VRBO, the photo is the listing. Guests swipe through dozens of options in minutes. The property with the brightest, cleanest, most inviting cover photo gets the tap. Everything else gets scrolled past.

Here is how vacation rental photography differs from standard listing photos, and what a Weston Media rental shoot includes.

Vacation rental photos are not listing photos

Real estate listing photos are shot to show a buyer the structure: rooms, layout, finishes, condition. Vacation rental photos are shot to sell an experience to someone planning a trip.

The differences show up in the details:

Staging. A rental should look ready for guests. Beds made hotel-style, towels folded on the bed, a bottle of wine and two glasses on the counter, beach chairs on the balcony. Listing photos avoid personal touches. Rental photos lean into them.

Lifestyle angles. Guests want to see the view from the balcony with a coffee cup in frame. They want the pool deck, the grill, the walk to the beach, the sunset from the dock.

Amenity shots. Every item a guest searches for needs a photo. Washer and dryer, coffee maker, high chair, beach cart, game room, hot tub. If it is in the listing text, it should be in the gallery.

Cover photo strategy. One image has to work at thumbnail size on a phone. Usually that is the strongest view or the most inviting living space, not the front of the building.

What Weston Media's vacation rental package includes

Our vacation rental media package starts at $375 and is built specifically for short-term rental listings on Airbnb, VRBO and direct booking sites. A typical rental shoot covers:

Every bedroom, bathroom and living space, staged and lit
Kitchen with amenity details
Balcony, patio or porch with the view
Building or community amenities: pool, hot tub, lazy river, fitness room, beach access
Lifestyle detail shots: towels, welcome basket, coffee station, outdoor seating
Exterior and surrounding area context
Optional drone shots showing distance to the beach or Waterway
Optional short vertical video for Instagram and TikTok

Photos are delivered next day, sized for rental platforms and ready to upload.

Where vacation rental photos matter most on the Grand Strand

North Myrtle Beach and Cherry Grove. Dense with oceanfront condos. The view is the product. Balcony shots at the right time of day are the most important images in the set.

Surfside Beach and Garden City. Family beach houses with multiple bedrooms. Guests are comparing sleeping arrangements, so every bedroom needs a clear, well-lit photo.

Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island. Creek-front and marsh-side homes with docks and kayaks. Guests come for the quiet. Show the water, the porch and the sunset.

Carolina Forest and Market Common. Golf and resort-style communities with pools and walkable amenities. Show the community features as clearly as the unit.

Myrtle Beach oceanfront resorts. Individual condos in large towers compete against hundreds of near-identical units. Styling and lighting are the only differentiators.

Prepping a rental for photos

Vacation rental prep is slightly different from listing prep.

Make every bed with crisp white linens and stack decorative pillows
Set out folded towels, ideally rolled or stacked at the foot of each bed
Stage the dining table with simple place settings
Put out a welcome item on the kitchen counter: a fruit bowl, a bottle of wine, local snacks
Arrange beach chairs, umbrellas and the beach cart in the entry or on the balcony
Turn on every light and open every blind
Clear personal items from the owner's closet if it is visible
Clean windows and sliding glass doors so the view is clear

Check the Getting Ready Guide for the full room-by-room list.

Refresh photos when the property changes

Rental photos age fast. New furniture, a repainted living room, a renovated bathroom or a new hot tub all deserve a reshoot. So does a seasonal refresh. A set of summer photos with bright daylight and beach gear, plus a set of fall photos with the porch at golden hour, gives you fresh content for two booking seasons.

Many hosts on the Grand Strand update photos every 12 to 18 months to keep listings looking current and to feed social media.

Twilight and drone for rentals

Two add-ons that do unusually well for rentals:

Twilight. An oceanfront condo balcony at dusk with the tower lit and the ocean fading to blue is one of the most clicked images on any rental platform. Real twilight is $275 and can be added to any rental shoot.

Drone. "Steps to the beach" means nothing until a guest sees it from above. One aerial frame showing the building and the sand answers the question before they ask.