Lighting is the first decision we make on every property — before furniture, before paint, before the photographer's bag is unzipped. Here's the rig we've settled on after 100+ shoots.
The problem with natural light
Every owner we work with says the same thing: "the apartment looks so much better in person." And they're right. The reason it doesn't translate to photos is almost always lighting — specifically, that beautiful afternoon sun streaming through the windows is creating a contrast ratio that no camera sensor can handle.
When you expose for the bright window, the room goes dark. When you expose for the room, the window blows out to white. The result is a flat, unpleasant image — even if the space itself is stunning. This is the first problem we solve before the photographer arrives.
Our three-light setup
We use a simple, portable three-light system that we've refined over dozens of shoots. It's not glamorous — no studio equipment, no complex rigs. Just three battery-powered LED panels, two C-stands, and a good understanding of where the shadows will fall.
Key light: Positioned at roughly 45 degrees to the main subject (usually the sofa or bed), this is the primary source that defines the shape of the room. We set it to 4,000K — slightly warm, which complements almost every interior palette we work with.
Fill light: Placed on the opposite side at a lower intensity, this fills in the shadows without eliminating them entirely. Hard shadows read as depth; flat light reads as cheap. We keep the fill at about 60% of the key.
Practical lights: Every lamp in the room stays on. We swap any cool-white bulbs for 2,700K warm whites before the shoot day. This creates the warmth you see in hotel photography — the "someone lives here and they care" feeling that guests respond to.
"The warm whites are non-negotiable. I've shot 200 Airbnbs and the single best upgrade any owner can make before photos is a $40 trip to IKEA for warm bulbs."
— James Park, Head of Design
Window management: the part everyone skips
Here's the thing most guides miss: even with perfect lighting, blown-out windows kill a photo. Our solution is simple — we shoot in the early morning or on overcast days when the exterior light is softer and the indoor-outdoor contrast is manageable.
When that's not possible, we use a technique called "exposure blending" in post. We take one exposure for the room, one for the window, and composite them together. The result looks natural because it is — your eye does the same thing automatically when you walk through the door.
The checklist we run on shoot day
Before the photographer arrives, our team runs through a 20-point checklist that includes:
Replace all bulbs with 2,700K warm white · Remove all personal items from surfaces · Add fresh flowers (usually from the farmer's market) · Open all interior doors to create flow · Remove visible cords and cables · Stage the kitchen counter with one or two "hero" items (a quality cutting board, a handsome kettle) · Turn on all the lamps · Set the thermostat to 20°C so steam doesn't come from anywhere · Close toilet lids · Remove all bath products except one or two hero pieces.
It sounds obvious, but the number of Airbnb listings we've seen with visible phone chargers, a partially folded duvet, and a fluorescent kitchen bulb is significant. The checklist takes 45 minutes. The difference in photos is substantial.
Published April 2026 · Design · ← Back to Journal