Interior Stories
By Lori Andrews
5 February 2008
In the Last decade or so, there has been an explosion of interest in Modern Architecture and Interior Design. The advent of the home decorating channels, the ease of accessibility of great design and a general focus on status has made many of us feel a bit of longing for unlimited financial means.
As I am no exception to this desire for style I have taken to photographing Other Peoples Houses. We all know someone with a knack for turning their apartment into a magazine worthy statement. Better yet, the relative, neighbor or friend who's home might be the diamond in the rough. A small corner of charm is all you need to get started in Interior photography and I am going to give you 10 easy tips to make great Interior photographs every time.
1. Use a tripod. If you want to take Interior photographs that are crisp and sharp you will need a tripod to accommodate longer exposures. Personally I prefer portability over just about everything and my tripod of choice is a lightweight Gitzo that folds up to around 12 inches. This weight advantage is especially helpful when traveling as I often ask the people I meet along the way if I might take a few photographs in their home. The Gitzo also has a ball head camera mount which makes it much easier to adjust on uneven floors.
2. Use natural light. Shooting during daylight hours ensures ample natural light. My ideal interior photograph has areas of extreme highlight as well as areas of deep color and shadow. This dynamic range occurs when you look at the rooms with our eyes and helps to make the 2 dimensional photographs feel alive.
3. Reflect. You can never have enough reflectors. I like to have at least three very large portable reflectors with me on any shoot. White and silver are the most practical I have found. You can use your reflectors to fill in areas that may be reading too dark, as artificial sunbeams and you can even place them just out of camera range on floors that may be bouncing unfortunate colors.
4. Clean up. Honest. Even the fanciest homes have dust bunnies along the floorboards and toothpaste on the mirrors. Unless you are going for a down and dirty look, you will be much happier with the end results if you polish and shine everything up first. Some things simply cannot be cloned away. Keep a couple of cleaning cloths, dish soap, glass cleaner and some dust cloths in your bag when you head on site. The homeowners are generally pleased to have someone else tidy up for them.
5. Rearrange to fit the frame. If you are having difficulty framing the architecture or the feel of the room, it can often be a simple as moving a few items out of the space. It takes confidence to style a room but I know that if you have already committed to being there, you can do it. Or bring someone along with you who has a knack for knowing how to edit their own space.
6. Do your homework. I very rarely photograph a room I have never seen before. Your best bet is to visit the home at least once before you shoot in order to choose your shots and formulate your plan. If it is a paying gig, you will want to return a couple of times if possible, in order to have the right light in the right rooms. The bedroom may need to be shot at dusk while the north facing living room works best at midday.
7. Practice on your own home. This probably should have been number 1. I receive inquiries constantly from aspiring photographers who have never shot an Interior before and wonder if I have any tips for them on the eve of their first paying gig. Try shooting your home from all sorts of angles. Do some detail photos of your favorite corners and items. If your bedroom is less than glamorous, see if you can style and shoot it in such a way that it feels more so. Borrow blankets and bedding or do what the top stylist's do and buy some items for the shoot and return them later. You can work through lighting problems as well through constant practice in your own place.
8. Study books and magazines. The best Interior photographs in the world are all available for study every month at your favorite newsstand. There are numerous books on digital Interior photography and lighting available and many of them are written by the very photographers who's work you see in your favorite interior style magazine. Many of the world's most important interior photographers use a 4x5 camera but if you are using a DSLR you will need a wide angle. I use a canon 10-22mm for the majority of my interior shoots.
9. Fake it if you have to. If you just can't get enough light in the room or if you are shooting at a large bank of windows you are going to need some extra light. Off camera strobes, a couple of stands and some umbrellas should help you get the look you are after without investing in thousands of dollars of lighting equipment. There is a lot of interest in off camera strobes and plenty of information online to help you figure out what equipment will get you the look you are after. Just remember to light from the side or behind whenever possible in order to keep your interior photos from being flat.
10. Bait the audience. There needs to be something in the frame to draw the viewers attention. Something with cool cache or outrageous chutzpah. I always try to add at least one item into my photographs that will have irresistible appeal to my hip viewers. A mid-century modern chair, some cool retro object or even a toy. A successful Interior photograph is one that makes the viewer just a little bit envious.
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