Book More Campers With These Campground Photo and Video Hacks

High quality photos and videos are a powerful tool for campground owners to market their park and boost revenue. With more travelers researching and booking online than ever before, it is crucial to promote your park with consistently compelling visuals on your website, social media, and online booking platforms like Spot2Nite. 

Visual content provides viewers a first impression of your park, allowing potential guests to get a sense of the atmosphere, scenery, facilities, amenities, and overall environment they can expect when staying at your park. A positive first impression can significantly impact a potential guest’s decision to book. Captivating and authentic camping photography and videography also helps build trust in your business, and empowers campers to feel confident about deciding to book at your park over your competition. Photo and video content is the fastest way to attract a camper’s attention in today’s competitive marketplace. 

Visual content is the gateway to unlocking your campground’s booking potential. Read on to discover inspiration and actionable tips to make photo and video a part of a winning campground marketing strategy. 

Campground Photo Ideas

1. Showcase Scenic Views. Capture breathtaking landscapes and scenic views of your campground that will inspire wanderlust and attract campers to book. Mountains, bodies of water, trees, and park landscaping featuring beautiful plant life are great places to start.
2. Highlight Campsite Variety. Ensure that you have ample photography of all your accommodations and camp sites, not only to promote in individual listings but to showcase the diversity of options your campground has to offer. Images of RVs on your site versus just the site itself help viewers get a better feel for the size of the spot and help them picture their RV at your campground.
3. Feature Amenities. Take photos of popular amenities such as swimming pools, playgrounds, hiking trails, and communal areas. Capture photos that demonstrate to potential campers that adventure is right at their doorstep when staying at your campground.
4. Capture Seasonal Changes. Pictures of campgrounds throughout the year can help attract visitors all season long. Include images of fall foliage, winter snow, spring blooms, and summer activities.
5. Feature Lifestyle Content. Capture imagery of happy campers enjoying activities, sitting around a campfire, and engaging in recreational activities. This helps potential visitors envision themselves at your campground to motivate them to want to book.
6. Focus on Sunset/Sunrise Shots. Photograph the beauty of your campground during golden hours. Utilizing the vibrant colors of the sunrise and sunset will take your campground and surrounding landscape photography from ordinary to extraordinary.
7. Use High-Quality Images. Ensure that your camping photography is high resolution and well-lit. Clear, sharp photos are more appealing and contribute to a positive first impression. Your website and social media sites will compress your content, so make sure to save photos in their original quality for use in future marketing efforts.
8. Tell a Story with Sequences. Create visual narratives by sharing sequences of photos that tell a story, such as a family arriving, setting up their campsite, and enjoying activities so that potential guests can picture themselves taking part in various activities and becoming part of the story.
9. Events and Experiences. Take advantage of natural events and experiences such as eclipses and on-site events at your campground for real-time opportunities to capture unique lifestyle content pictures for campers to better understand what your park has to offer.

Campground Photo Tips

1. Use Natural Light. One of the most effective campground photography tips is capturing images during the golden hours (sunrise and sunset) for warm and soft lighting. Avoid harsh midday sun, as it can create shadows and overexposed areas.
2. Compose Thoughtfully. Follow the rule of thirds for composition for compelling camping photography. Place key elements like campsites or amenities along the intersecting lines to create visually appealing images. Ensure that everything you photograph is camera-ready. Campsites should have freshly manicured lawns without debris. Perform necessary maintenance on accommodations before photographing such as paint touchups on exterior or power washing.
3. Use a Tripod. Benefits of tripod use for digital cameras include stability and reduced fatigue, precision, and sharper photos in low lighting conditions such as capturing images of accommodation and building interiors.
4. Experiment with Angles. Vary your shooting angles to find the most flattering perspective. Consider shooting from ground level, eye level, or elevated positions to add diversity to your shots and improve interest for the viewer.
5. Focus on Details. Zoom in on interesting details like a crackling campfire, a close-up of camping gear, flowers, or wildlife. These details can evoke a sense of atmosphere and make for great social media content.
6. Capture Candid Moments. Images of campgrounds that feature candid shots of campers enjoying themselves can add authenticity to your visuals. Capture genuine moments rather than relying solely on posed shots. Lifestyle content helps tell the story of your content and sell the experience to prospective campers.
7. Highlight Night Scenes. If your campground has well-lit areas at night, capture the ambiance with long-exposure shots. This is especially effective around campfires and well-lit communal spaces such as gazebos and pavilions.
8. Utilize Depth of Field. Experiment with depth of field to draw attention to specific elements. Use a wide aperture (low f-stop) to blur the background and focus on the main subject. For smartphone photography, experiment with your phone camera’s portrait mode settings.

You don’t have to be a professional to utilize these campground photography tips and capture authentic visual content, the best tool for the job is right in your pocket. Smart phone cameras are capable of capturing high quality visual content of your campground in real-time. 

Campground Video Ideas

1. Create Virtual Tours. Take campers on a virtual tour of your campground, showcasing key areas, amenities, and the overall atmosphere. This helps potential visitors get an inside look of your campground amenities and accommodations.
2. Feature Testimonials. Include video testimonials from happy campers sharing their positive experiences to build trust and credibility. Hearing others talk about their experiences can evoke an emotional connection with potential guests and influence their decision to book.
3. Showcase Activities and Events. Capture videos that highlight on-site activities, events, and entertainment. This can include footage of guided hikes, themed weekends and family activities, or live music performances.
4. How-to Videos for Setup. Provide instructional videos on how to set up a tent, RV, or other camping equipment. This can be especially helpful for first-time campers and help instill trust that your campground has helpful and knowledgeable staff.
5. Drone Footage for Aerial Views. Use drone footage to capture stunning aerial views of your campground. This provides a unique perspective and showcases the layout and surroundings. Drone cameras are accessible on even the smallest of budgets, with some models available at under $100, making it a worthwhile investment for campground operators. Ensure compliance with local regulations and safety guidelines when piloting drones.
6. Behind-the-Scenes Content. Offer a glimpse behind the scenes to humanize your campground. Feature staff members, showcase daily operations, and offer potential campers an inside look at your campground’s sense of the community.
7. Interviews with Campers. Conduct interviews with campers, asking about their favorite aspects of the campground. This serves as valuable word-of-mouth advertising and has the added benefit of engaging your current guests and helping them feel like a part of your campground’s community.
8. Highlight Pet-Friendly Features. If your campground is pet-friendly, create videos showcasing pet amenities, pet-friendly trails, and happy pets enjoying their stay. Plus, pet content consistently performs well on social media.

Campground Video Tips

1. Stabilize Your Shots. Invest in a gimbal or use video stabilization tools to ensure smooth, professional-looking footage, especially when capturing moving scenes or videos from a moving vehicle.
2. Plan Your Shots. Create shot lists and storyboards before shooting. Planning ahead ensures that you capture all of the footage you intended to and makes for more cohesive and engaging content.
3. Slow Motion for Impact. Use slow-motion footage for certain activities like campsite setup, children at play, and outdoor recreation action shots. This adds cinematic flair and emphasizes details that will captivate your audience.
4. Prioritize Audio Quality. Good audio is as crucial as good visuals. Invest in an external microphone to capture clear and immersive sounds, especially during interviews, live music and activities, or in busy outdoor environments.
5. Capture Dynamic Movement. Showcase the dynamic aspects of your campground by capturing activities like hiking, biking, or water sports. Use tracking shots or follow the action for an engaging perspective.
6. Experiment with Time-Lapse. Use time-lapse sequences to capture the changing atmosphere, such as sunrises, sunsets, flowers in bloom, or the bustling activity during peak hours.
7. Focus on Transitions. Pay attention to smooth transitions between shots. This enhances the overall flow of your video and keeps viewers engaged. Utilize video editing software to combine multiple video clips for engaging social media content. Capcut is a free video editing software available for desktop and mobile.

A solid photo and video marketing strategy allows campground owners to create a compelling narrative, engage with their audience, and establish their campground as a preferred destination. Your campground has a unique story to tell, and there’s no better way to tell potential campers your story than through visual media. Get connected with Spot2Nite today to take advantage of additional campground marketing tools and unlock access to an audience of over 60 million campers looking to book outdoor accommodations. Already connected with Spot2Nite? Be sure to sign into your operator dashboard to add new photos to your park’s listing and submit video content to take advantage of free digital marketing.