Top Tips for Stunning Campground Photography:
Capture Your Campsite's Charm

Capturing the essence of your campground / caravan park requires more than just a quick snap; it demands thoughtful planning and attention to detail. Effective campground photography is crucial for attracting potential guests and showcasing the unique experiences your property offers. This essential campground photography checklist will guide you through the key shots and considerations needed to create a stunning visual portfolio that will entice campers to book their next getaway with you. From highlighting your best amenities to capturing the natural beauty of your surroundings, this guide will ensure you don't miss a thing.

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Exterior Shots

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• Wide-Angle Landscape Shots: Capture the overall beauty of your campground and surrounding landscape, especially during golden hour (early morning or late afternoon) for stunning lighting.
   

• Entrance and Reception: Photograph the main entrance, signage, and reception area to give visitors a sense of arrival.
   

• Campsite Views: Showcase various campsite types, including powered and unpowered sites, tent sites, and caravan sites. Capture the different layouts, sizes, and amenities offered. Try and get a shot of the firepit, if you have firepits at most campsites. Bonus points if you have a roarding fire going in the firepit.
   

• Amenities: Photograph key amenities like bathrooms, showers, camp kitchens, and communal areas. Don’t take the pics when the campers are using the amenities – that leads to a world of pain and lawsuits!
   

• Surrounding Attractions: If your campground is near popular attractions or natural landmarks, take photos to highlight these nearby destinations. Then add them to your website.

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Interior Shots

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• Accommodation Interiors: Capture the interior of cabins, yurts, or other accommodation options, focusing on cleanliness, comfort, and unique features.
   

• Shared Facilities: Photograph common areas like recreational rooms, games rooms, or communal kitchens.

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Activities and Experiences

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• Outdoor Activities: Capture guests enjoying activities like hiking, fishing, kayaking, or swimming.
   

• Family-Friendly Activities: Photograph children playing in playgrounds or participating in family-friendly activities. Important note: see below information on permissions first!
   

• Social Gatherings: Capture groups of people enjoying campfires, barbecues, or live music.
   

• Seasonal Shots: Take photos during different seasons to showcase the changing beauty of your campground.

Additional Tips for Amazing Campground Photography

• Timing is Key: Consider the best time of day for photography. Golden hour (early morning or late afternoon) often produces the most stunning lighting.
   

• Use a Tripod: A tripod can help you capture sharp, steady images, especially in low-light conditions.
   

• Composition: Use the rule of thirds to create visually appealing compositions. The rule of thirds is a compositional guideline in photography that suggests placing key elements of your scene along imaginary lines that divide the image into nine equal parts. Think of it like a tic-tac-toe board overlaid on your photo. Instead of centering your subject, you position it at the intersection of these lines, or along the lines themselves.
   

• Lighting: Pay attention to lighting conditions and use natural light whenever possible. Also be mindful of the shadows created by trees, buildings, walls etc – use them to your advantage.
   

• Permissions: If you plan to photograph guests, obtain their consent before taking their picture.

• Editing: Use photo editing software to enhance your photos, but avoid over-editing. Some options include Google Photos, Adobe Lightshop, Adobe Photoshop and Canva
   

• High-Quality Images: Invest in a good camera or use a high-quality smartphone camera to capture stunning images.

• Diverse Perspectives: Take photos from different angles to showcase your campground's unique features. I.e capture a front shot of a caravan and then one on an angle.
   

• Night Photography: Capture the beauty of the stars at night with long-exposure photography. This can really only be done with a proper DSLR camera.
   

• Distractions: What you don't include in a photo is often as crucial as what you do. Distracting elements, like a stray person or an awkward branch, can really ruin the feel of a shot. So, before you snap the picture, take a good look through the viewfinder and check for anything that might take away from the image you're trying to create. Removing those distractions will help you make a stronger, more focused photo that really gets your message across.
   

• Drone photography: Drone photography can be a fantastic way to showcase your campground. Aerial shots are great for highlighting the layout and the surrounding landscape. While you're up there, grab some short video clips (under 20 seconds each – trust me, editing longer ones is a nightmare!). These can be used for social media or incorporated into a promotional video.
   

• Team effort: It will be a lot easier if there are two people coordinating the photoshoot. One person can be on the lookout for all things I’ve listed above and to bounce ideas off, and it’s easier if two people approach campers, rather than just one.
   

• People: When photographing people, genuine smiles are always best. Forced smiles look, well, forced! A good way to get natural smiles is to have a quick chat or tell a joke while you're taking the picture. It helps them relax and smile authentically.