Case Study: Rylstone Mere, Whitby

NO MORE PHONE PHOTOS- PROFESSIONAL IMAGERY THAT SHOWS OFF RYLSTONE MERE AT ITS BEST

Rylstone Mere is a charming Victorian B&B in the heart of Whitby. The owners had been capturing photos themselves using their phones, totally fine for quick snaps, but not quite hitting the mark when it came to representing the space online. They knew they needed to up their visual game to compete with the best in the area… and that’s where we stepped in.

STAGE 1 – THE BRIEF

The owners wanted a full set of high-quality images, interior and exterior, that could be used across multiple booking platforms. The challenge? Capture all 8 guest rooms, common areas, and the exterior in a single day, with enough variation and polish to create a clean, compelling visual story.

The property had loads of character, big windows, natural light, classic architectural details, but none of that was coming through in the phone pics. We were tasked with bringing that personality to life, delivering something that felt high-end without being overdone.

STAGE 2 – SHOOTING DAY

We arrived on site with perfect conditions, bright sun, great visibility, and light pouring into every room. Honestly, it was the kind of day you hope for when shooting interiors.

Armed with our trusty 16mm wide lens, we worked methodically from room to room. The goal was to shoot each room from the corners to maximise space and layout clarity, without making things look too distorted or “stretched,” which is a common issue with amateur wide-angle shots.

We didn’t just shoot rooms, either. We captured plenty of the property’s Victorian exterior: the entry, the garden, the classic brickwork, everything that adds to that “wow” moment when someone is browsing online and stops scrolling.

STAGE 3 – REtouch

Then came the real graft, back in the studio, we kicked off our full retouch workflow.

Over the years, we’ve developed a style that’s crisp, consistent, and honest, designed specifically for property and accommodation listings. We corrected for lens distortion, balanced exposures, lifted shadows, and gave each image that clean pop without ever making it feel too edited.

And it wasn’t just one set of files. We prepped three separate exports for the owners:

• Web-optimised images for Airbnb, Booking.com, etc.

• High-res versions for any future printed materials or brochures

• Cropped & ready social media files for quick and easy posting

We delivered a full, room-by-room gallery, ready to plug straight into listings. No resizing, no re-naming, no hassle.

SUMMARY & LESSONS LEARNT

This wasn’t our biggest shoot, but it was a brilliant example of how much difference professional photography can make.

It’s easy to underestimate how tough it is to shoot property well: the angles, the light balance, the lens choice. Even with beautiful weather and a photogenic property, it takes a trained eye to show it all off properly.

Would we do anything differently? Not much. If anything, it confirmed our belief that good planning, fast shooting, and bulletproof post-production can take even the most under-represented space and turn it into a standout listing.

Iphone images vs professional interior photography