Caravan renovation photos
You’ve just finished the renovation of your vintage caravan and now you want to share your caravan renovation photos with the world… or at least, Instagram!
Running the Instagram account @caravanrenovationsbook has given me the opportunity to see hundreds and hundreds of photos of caravans every week. Some of these photos really catch our eye and we can’t wait to share them with our audience.
Others… well, I end up scrolling through their WHOLE FEED and if I can’t find at least 4 good photos to use, I end up not reaching out to them to ask if I can share their photos (and so I don’t share their photos, cos I always ask permission first.)
Now I know it’s not the aspiration of every caravan renovator to be featured on an Instagram account, whether it’s ours or their own!
But, you may find you want to sell the caravan later, or list it as a holiday let, or even just show your family and friends all your hard work; whatever the reason, it’s great to be able to get a set of really good photos while the van is finished, and looking all clean and perfect.
After looking at so many photos of caravans over the last couple of years we’ve identified what makes great photos of caravans, and the features that people want to be able to see in those photos.
Caravan renovation interior photos
Clean and tidy the inside
This should go without saying, but make sure the inside of your caravan is clean and tidy, hide clutter and remove anything that detracts from the beautiful space you’ve created.
@saltythecaravan looking spic and span
Lighting
The number one tip for getting good photos of the interior of your caravan is lighting. Dark photos are just not inviting or appealing, and they make it difficult to see details.
Take photos in natural daylight when you’re getting as much light into the van as possible. Mid morning or mid-afternoon works best and open up the curtains to let the light in. Try and ensure there are no exterior buildings or trees casting shadows.
If you’ve got a fancy camera, set the exposure for the light inside the van, this may cause the view through the windows to be over-exposed but the interior view will look great.
Light and bright interior by @retrocaravanrenovations
Capture the layout
One of the most frustrating things when looking at photos of caravans, is when the photographer doesn’t give you a view of the whole space; so you can’t figure out if the bed is beside the kitchen or at the other end near the door (but you have a detailed view of the throw pillows on the bed… or the couch, you can’t actually tell).
So with that in mind, try and get as much of the space in the shot as possible so people can see the layout and get a sense of the size of the space. That may mean you have to scoot up into the corner of the bed, or even standing outside and putting your camera through the window to take the photo.
Show a good mix of photos so that viewers can see as much of it as possible. You will want to get at least these interior photos:
- Each end of the caravan
- Each side of the caravan
- Kitchen
- Dining /seating
- Can be helpful to have one of the view as you’re entering the caravan
@restoringhunter is a perfect example of capturing both ends of the caravan to help you understand the layout (scroll through to see the first two photos in this post)
Horizontal photos are best, but sometimes it’s not possible in these small spaces. So use whichever orientation shows you the most.
Highlight any unique features so that people can get a good look at it (like those fancy throw pillows I complained about above), but also make sure you have a wider angle photo that shows where in the space that feature is.
Reduce distracting elements
When someone looks at these photos of your caravan, they love to be able to imagine themselves in the scene, so I recommend not having any people or pets in your photos.
And remove things that can be distracting or just untidy (like shoes, water bottles, hats, toys etc).
Be aware of the scene outside – if you’re in a scenic location then you’re all set, but just check that you don’t have ‘ugly’ things outside that can be seen in the photos.
A close up of the gorgeous decor inside @saffron_the_millard, with glimpses to the outside
Caravan renovation before and after photos
People LOVE seeing before and after photos, so before you even begin your renovation, even before you’ve cleaned anything in the caravan, take a series of ‘before’ photos.
Of course you don’t need to worry about cleaning it up or anything, but you do still want to make sure that you have good lighting.
When your reno is all done get more photos taken from the same angles.
Before and after photos are so satisfying and give the greatest visual impact of just how much has changed.
Scroll to see the ‘before’ photo of this caravan by @littleboho_trails.
Exterior photos of your caravan
Setting the scene
Make sure the caravan is clean and the area around the caravan is tidy. I’d highly recommend towing the van to a nice spot just for these photos if you can; your photos will be so much more appealing if the van is sitting in a grassy field as opposed to being jammed up against the garage with the household rubbish bins beside it.
Take some photos with the awning out (and some with it away) and even set up your outdoor area with some camping chairs and table.
@mazzythevan all set up for her photo shoot
Multiple angles
Get various angles of the outside of the caravan so people can get a sense for the size and shape.
People want to see the windows and how big they are, the position of the door, the draw bar.
Equipment
Use the best camera you have. For most of us, that’s a phone and that will be adequate.
Consider using a tripod – or at least lean up against the wall or rest on top of something to keep the camera steady.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, here are the 3 most important factors for taking great caravan renovation photos:
1. good lighting,
2. a clean and tidy caravan, and
3. showing the layout of the space.
If you keep those 3 things in mind, you’ll have a set of great, Insta-worthy photos to show off all your hard work!
