How to Take Better Photos of Your Interiors

Niche Interiors says:

If there isn't ample natural light try adding artificial fill lights to get an even shot. You don't need to rent professional lights, just use what you have around the house -- removing the shades may help. Great article topic!

Kit Pollard says:

This is really helpful - I need all the advice I can get before the big photographing my house project!

I've always thought this post about styling/photographing interiors was helpful, too:
http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/2009/04/bachelor-pad-photo-shoot-story.html

Becky Harris says:

Niche, I need to remember that. In my most recent purge, I realize I've given away some of my best "for photography light only" ugly dorm type lamps that always helped a lot when I was photographing goodies for eBay. Darn it!

Kit, I just checked out that post and it was really helpful. I tend to follow the work of a lot of stylists and photographers through sites like decor8 and desire to inspire, but I hadn't ever read about what goes into a shoot in that way before. We do have such luxury in checking compositions with digital technology. Whenever I grab a 35 mm camera these days, I tend to use up a roll of film in about a minute. It's like the digital has spoiled me and given me total photography A.D.D.!

Mary Glidden says:

I am not the greatest photographer but my son who is alway told me to never use a flash indoors. It makes things cold looking. I keep working on pictures that will make him proud of me- have a long way to go!

Here's a few of my not too bad ones!

lefish says:

Here's another good blog post with photography hints...

http://decorno.blogspot.com/2008/03/paul-costello-wants-you-to-take-better.html

npovlo says:

Really great advice. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The visuals make a huge impact when coupled with your commentary!

karen1974 says:

Great topic. I'm also terrible at photographing and would love to learn more.

Becky Harris says:

I love this advice from Paul Costello in the decorno article:

"If the room and the styling are ugly, it's likely your pictures will be ugly too."

Too funny!

Traci says:

I am definitely trying to learn how to take better pictures. This article was very helpful. The one thing I know for SURE is natural light is always best. I learned that even more when taking a picture of a table re-do this week. The shots I took at night where terrible, the shots during the day...amazing! Here's the link:
http://beneathmyheart.blogspot.com/2010/01/easy-coffee-table-re-do.html
Thanks!
Traci

sophie777 says:

I've noticed that a lot of people try to photograph the entire room and end up with kind of boring pictures. Move in closer or crop the shots later. If it's really dark, flash is OK, but it is true--natural light really is the best.
Decide if you're creating art or documenting how the room is arranged and furnished.

Susan Serra, CKD says:

LOVE this topic! I've been an amateur photographer for, well, decades! I've shot many interiors after my projects are completed and looking at lines that are plumb and level is always the first "check" for me. Sometimes you have to stoop down or step up to get the lines right.

This idea book is very helpful with great tips and examples. I usually do lots of shots with different exposures because I'm not always sure when I take the picture how I want it emphasized in terms of shadows and highlights. With cameras that don't have controls, you can just move the camera just a little bit one way or the other and watch for the exposure to be different, so multiple images can easily be taken.

The software I use is acdsee pro 3, photoshop, and I'm wild about this plugin for noise called Noiseware, which I think is a miracle worker.

tamitan says:

Great tips- thanks!

Becky Harris says:

This is great, please keep them coming people - perhaps I can make a better ideabook that archives all of these advanced ideas from you all!

02bnmxco says:

Thanks for posting this. I'm a new blogger and I really struggle with taking pics. Hopefully this wil help! Lisa

Eileen Curinga says:

Great topic and suggestions. My indoor pics always turn out looking dark even if I don't think it's dark in here.
I usually take around twenty pics of something that I plan to blog about, playing with the settings on my camera. Eventually, I will get it right!

Linda Paul says:

thanks for the tips. I am getting a home ready for sale and I need all the help I can get

interior- decorating-diva.com/Marie Grabo Designs says:

I love the use of the reflection in the mirror to get the shot but not sure how to do it without getting me in the shot. Was it done by a self timer?

Becky Harris says:

Innervisions, I am guessing they stood to the right of the mirror and stayed out of the angle - if they'd used a timer the camera would still be in the shot. I think if you fool around with it you could make sure you're not in the shot - though a convex mirror would make things really tricky!

John Whipple - By Any Design ltd. says:

I have been using PhotoShop Elements 8 to stitch pictures together to get a wider shot. This and pre - focusing on the bright spot on the room seam to help. I received some more information on the PSE forum. The shots just never turn out great. I have pictures of a bathroom I renovated taken with my camera and the same shot taken by a House and Home photographer and it blows my mind the difference.

Some of the keys I was told was with the flash inside needs to be a higher end one that points to the ceiling. Many design shots if you look close will show shadows under chairs or fixtures revealing the flash or light positions.

Lots of great info in these pages and many great pictures - I look forward to spending hours here in the coming months.

Right now I should be planning my next two bathroom renovations.

By for now.

John Whipple
North vancouver
www.byanydesign.com

Gail says:

Great suggestions. I have problems, also, with taking pictures of rooms or items, especially small items. This has helped as well as the suggestions of the readers. Thanks everyone.

Cyndi K. says:

thanks for the tips - it's fun but challenging learning how to do this....especially in a tight windowless bathroom : / thank goodness for digital cameras....can you imagine attempting this with film?

lmcdonald56 says:

super ideas , thanks ! i just struggled w/ a very small and tight newly reno'd bath.

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel says:

Think about the composition, as if it's a painting. Remove all clutter. Resist the temptation to use every possible accessory! Use Photoshop to paint over anything which doesn't contribute to the shot, like electric cords and wall sockets. Crop to show what's really important. I never use a flash. If the ambient light seems too dim in the resulting photo, I play with the contrast in Photoshop using: Image>adjustments>curves.

Dona Rosene Interiors says:

Great article Becky! I love styling my project photographs since I know how I want them to look. It's great to work with a talented photographer like Robert Peacock who uses these ideas you listed like the door opened in this Entry shot attached.

Linda Clayton Interiors says:

Great hints. I have completed beautiful jobs of the years only to download the picture and find it did not translate that way in print. I will try some of these suggestions.

Wild About Staging says:

Some really great tips here, thanks. My biggest photo challenge is taking pho tos where it is bright daylight outside and still try to keep the room I want to be the focal point in balance. One is too light and the other too dark Any hints?

$ell It Sooner! Home Staging & Redesign says:

Thank you for bringing this up. I too am a lousy photographer (right now). I have a wide angle point and shoot that has about 400 other features :/ I do notice pics w/no flash look better. I would like to take a class on photography just to know the basics. My photos are so important! Here are a couple of my latest b4 and afters.

lneedham says:

This is a great article, how about another one on how to shoot good landscape and garden shots.

HausStylish says:

This is great advice, thanks for sharing, really helpful, it's always tricky to get good interior shots.

Mona says:

I love this ideabook. We recently sold our home and were told by several people that the home showed very well on-line. Photography is soooo important. The outdoor shots of the pond area were commented on several times. I love your tips!

Rosa Dest Interiors says:

Thank you for the tips on photographing a room. Our eyes tend to scan the entire room as we take it all in, it's nice to break it down into nuggets or vignettes and photograph just those instead.

Revival Room says:

Thanks so much for these words of wisdom. I am starting a blog and am finding that my photos need help. I will utilize these tricks.

Tile & Stone Gallery says:

These are some great tips! Now I just need to some how gain 10 hours a week to devote to photography:)

Vibrant Interiors Ltd. says:

Lately I have been using a flash attached to my digital rebel 35mm, but I point it straight up at the ceiling and force a flash every time. This results in an overexposed picture. Then, on the computer, I dial the light down to normal. This results in evenly lit interiors. Works for me.....