Sandy Soule Fallacy #1 Not much has changed in photography in the past ten years. Fallacy #2 I know my pictures don’t do my inn justice, but I would rather have my guests be pleasantly surprised when they arrive. Fallacy #3 My rooms just don’t photograph well. Fallacy #4 All I need to show are photos of my guest rooms. Fallacy #5 Once I get my pictures online, I won’t have to worry about it any more.

And now the facts:

• Fallacy #1 Not much has changed in photography in the past ten years.

Digital photography has revolutionized the industry. On the Internet, digital pictures usually look crisper, brighter, and clearer than scanned prints. Digital images also offer instant gratification; shoot dozens of shots from different angles, with varied lighting, then load them into your computer. Chose the best to crop and brighten, and you’ll have some great photos to add to your website.

Virtual tours can supplement (but not replace) still photos to give potential guests an accurate view of your property. Since many of your guests access the Internet via high-speed connections, the extra download time is minimal.

• Fallacy #2 I know my pictures don’t do my inn justice, but I would rather have my guests be pleasantly surprised when they arrive.

Before: Chateau Tivoli, San Francisco, CA

After: Chateau Tivoli, San Francisco, CA Photo by Manning Moxley

When guests exclaim that your B&B is much nicer than it looked, here's the key question to ask yourself: "How many potential guests did I lose because of unappealing photos?"

The "before" and "after" shots shown above reveal an average guest room that appeared faded and worn (before) transformed into one that's lavish and inviting (after). Take a careful look at your photos as they appear on the Internet. Are they in focus, correctly exposed? Remember that your pictures are a reflection of the quality of your property. The better their quality, in terms of focus, definition, and clarity, the better your look-to-book ratio will be. You want photos that allow prospective guests to project themselves into the room.

• Fallacy #3 My rooms just don’t photograph well.

• Turn on all the lights in the room; add supplemental lights if needed
• Take pictures at different times of the day, then select the images that show off the room in the best light.
• If photographing bathrooms, fill the tubs with bubble bath to make them more inviting.
• In general, avoid taking shots of guests; travelers want to imagine themselves in your rooms.
• Always show the fireplaces with a fire going, even if you just need to light some crumpled newspapers to get the shot.
• If you are not able to get a great photograph of an entire room, or your whole inn, concentrate on a smaller feature.
• Take a careful look at the photos on the websites of other inns, and pay attention to what works, and what doesn't, then apply these lessons to your own pictures.

• Fallacy #4 All I need to show are photos of my guest rooms.

Windham Hill Inn, West Townshend VT

Ocean View B&B, Kennebunk Beach, ME

• Fallacy #5 Once I get my pictures online, I can forget them.

If your website is several years old, it may utilize tiny thumbnail photos to minimize download time. Experts explain that faster connections make this unnecessary. Select a happy medium: photos that are large enough to be clear, but small enough to download quickly. For best results, show a photo of each guest room, with a link to another web page that shows more photos of the same room and bath. Include rate information, a description of the room's amenities, and a link to availability information right next to the room photos, so folks can:

• Select the room they want
• See if space is available
• Find out the price
• Make a reservation! (which is, after all, the point!)