I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for good interiors photography. I can’t put my finger on why, exactly. Sometimes I think it’s simply the joy of viewing these fabulous places to visit (or live), but I think I also enjoy seeing how an artistic vision can be imprinted into a living space. With good interiors photography, this vision is enhanced and realised – conducted even – by the craft and skill of the photographer. It could be the angle the shot was taken at that emphasises a certain symmetry within the room, it could be the macro shot of the detail which brings out other areas of the design or, more often than not, it’s the creative use of light that just makes the scene look so inviting.
In any case, getting your interiors photography to look good isn’t easy. In fact, it’s very difficult, so we thought a blog post containing some tips would be useful, and it would be even more useful if those tips and insights came from someone who shoots fantastic interiors photography. Step up Mr Stuart Cox – a former Alamy team member who now has his work diary full of commissions for shoots with a whole raft of glossy magazines, high-end estate agents, architects and publishers. He really knows his stuff – just check out his website – and here are his top 10 tips for getting the best out of your interiors photography.
1) Quality Glass – Lenses may be expensive, but buy the very best wide angle that you can afford. My favourite lens is a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G Ed FX Lens. It costs a small fortune, but it’s worth its (substantial) weight in gold. It has superb wide angle capability, is crisp from edge to edge and has little to no barrel distortion.
2) Where possible use available light and fill in the shadows with gentle balanced flash. To ensure that you don’t get any nasty shadows, point your flash gun upwards and bounce light against the ceiling. Put up the white card and turn the flash head around 180 degrees so that the light bounces upwards and behind you, this will ensure that there are no harsh shadows around things like lights.
3) It’s tempting to shoot interiors in the brightest light possible, however this presents problems with burn out of windows and burnt out patches where direct bright sunlight hits the floor. Plan your shoot around the weather. A bright but overcast day will provide you with the best flat light for shooting interiors.
4) The devil is in the detail. Take some time to be in each space you shoot and observe all the things that need to be adjusted, removed or re-ordered. Small details like the position of cushions, plants, props etc. will stand out like a sore thumb if you can’t be bothered to move them. Magazines in particular are specifically picky about placement of items in the rooms. Have a look at the magazines using interiors shots and get styling and propping tips from features that are already published.
5) Shoot f7.1 for good general depth of field across a room. Shoot wider open for close up details as a shallow depth of field on specific interior items and details can look flattering.
6) For bathrooms, shots are generally more successful if they are taken a little lower. Optimum height for most bathrooms is about 1.3 m and about 20-30cm higher for other rooms.
7) Always always always use a tripod. This will ensure that longer exposures (to maximise the use of natural light) will not be compromised and the images will be sharp.
8) Lift stubborn shadows in dark corners by using the “Shadows” sliders in Lightroom and Photoshop. Be careful to not overuse this feature though as it can make things look at a little strange and washed out.
9) When in a location, always get the widest possible shot of a room in horizontal and portrait format, then focus on the closer in smaller details like architectural details, interesting surfaces and finishes.
10) Always try to get a signed property release, this enables Alamy to get the widest possible audience for licensing your interiors images.
We hope you can use some of these tips to help improve your own workflow. What are your tips for shooting interiors photography? Let us know below!