Interior photography is getting more and more important these days.
Sometimes you see interior photos on a website or magazine and you think that they’re images created with the help of computer graphics. They’re so appealing that they don’t seem real. But in reality, often they are just interior photos that follow certain rules of light and composition.
Social media is another place where you might find breathtaking interior photos. So how to capture these beautiful images? How to master interior photography? How to create stylish interior pictures like the ones in magazines?
Go ahead and learn how to master interior photography. Gain the opportunity to earn money in real estate photography.
Interior Photography
First it’s important to understand where interior photography seats as a photography style. The practice of photographing a room is done mainly by professionals.
- A typical scenario is real estate photography. If a house is listed for sale, for example, will require a photographer to capture detailed images of all the interiors.
- Magazines and Interior Design websites, too, represent another scenario for interior photography. Rooms and furniture of a particular style and design become subjects of photos to be highlighted and presented through images.
- But amateur photographers too often find themselves capturing moments that happen in an indoor space. Being it a family occasion or celebrating something.
Interior Photography Tips
1. Declutter the Space
To capture those stylish interior photos, you need to focus on the space available. Your ability to style your interior space should be head and shoulders over what other photographers will present. The location you are shooting your photos on matters a lot, and so does its preparation.
If you are shooting your photos in a messy place, you need to come up with ways to declutter your space. Go on and tidy up the mess. Make sure the area you will be working from is neat.
Declutter the available space by making sure you remove distracting elements from your composition. Rooms often have too many objects scattered around. Proceed with the “Less is more…” motto in your head.
Simplify your composition. Clear tables and desks, get rid of all those pillows on the couch and even move some furniture where possible, to make sure you have just enough in your frame.
Finally, don’t forget to keep all your bags and cases in the right place. Keep your background stands stacked together and neatly.
You have to prepare the space for creative and stunning photographs. As state by this authoritative source, keep in mind the importance of tidy space shooting. You are investing your money and time in photography, so ensure your photos speak volumes about your expertise. Your clients will notice too.
2. Interior Photography Composition
As you plan to take interior photographs, composition is a crucial facet that should guide you in your endeavors. Improve on the elements of composition such as balance, leading lines, color, white space, and depth.
The key benefit of focusing on the basics of composition is that you will improve the quality of your photos by providing a better experience to the viewer.
You will produce quality and creative photos that speak more than just certain emotions or ideologies. Your photos will stand out and bring out your skills. To be ahead of your competitors, study the rule of thirds, and start producing appealing images.
As you follow the rule of thirds for your interior photos, start by arranging the subjects you want to shoot within your frame. Where the lines intersect in your photo frame should be your point of focus.
Your digital SLR or mirrorless camera, has a grid you can activate to make it easier to apply the rule of thirds. So change the settings on your camera. Go on and explore other elements of composition in photography and produce great interior photos.
3. Use the Right Gear for Interior Photography
Many photographers bring only vital tools like a camera and the right lens to their workstation. When pursuing interior photography, it’s wise to have a vast collection of the right gear.
For instance, you have to bring a tripod to hold your camera in place. Bring other vital accessories like memory cards, angle finder, spare batteries, laptop, and other accessories.
When it comes to your “glass”, you need a wide-angle lens. But unless there’s a particular requirement don’t over do it. Ultra-wide is too much (and obviously fish-eye lens too).
Rarely you will shoot wider than 18mm and sometimes you might also find yourself having to shoot closeups of some furniture.
4. Use Proper Lighting
Lighting is a crucial consideration in photography and especially when it comes to interior photographs. For top-quality interior photos, you need to keep lights turned off. This way you’ll create a natural feel and better pictures.
If you decide to turn interior lights on, you will end up creating unnecessary shadows and diminish the style of essential interior photographing elements. Therefore, consider having interior lights on if you want to show a particular light feature in your photos.
When you shoot interiors, try to work with natural light and shoot on a cloudy day. Obviously it can’t be too dark, but as a rule you don’t want to have a high contrast between the light that comes in from the windows and the rest of the indoor space.
Otherwise you’ll need spend too much time and effort to balance out the light temperatures when editing your photos.
As I said, always turn the lights off when shooting interior photos. Feel free to use an off-camera flash for better lighting you may yearn for. Ensure you bounce the light and diffuse it to cause fewer shadows.
5. Create Depth in Your Interior Photography
Are you wondering how to create depth in your interior photos? It’s easy and straightforward. Use the available styling items in your interior and add a luxurious feeling.
Consider an item that appeals to you and influences your decision to shoot an object. Ensure your eye will focus on an area you like. Ensure the f-stop in your interior photos lies between f8 and f16 range. You can go lower if you find it rewarding. Make sure your f-stop range is consistent with the object you want to brighter in your photos.
6. Work with Layers
If you are looking forward to producing photos with varying exposures, incorporate layering in your pursuit. You will create bracketed shots that have been taken using several shots of the same object using varied camera settings. Avoid too much automation to maintain the quality of your interior photographs.
If you are undertaking manual layering, Photoshop, and Capture One are some of the options to utilize. Go on and master the art of using different layers. You will learn how to create distinctive and stunning interior pictures.
7. Details Matter
Interior photography is sophisticated, and you need to get every detail right. Focus your time and energy on each part of the shooting process even after post-production. Every feature you capture matters.
Talk to your clients, and ascertain what they have in mind about the project. Go on and figure out how to style the pictures and edit them properly. At the end of the whole exercise, you will produce stunning interior photographs. Ensure the photos look amazing in every platform you post them.
Before You Go
Interior photography can be very rewarding and mastering this photography style takes a bit of time and practice.
The good news is that you can start applying the tips in this article right now in your own home.
Those beautiful photos you see on magazines and websites are just the result of experimentation and experience so wait no more and start delivering stylish interior photos today
Pixinfocus features articles about photography tips for all levels of expertise and photography gear reviews.