Capturing an interior can be difficult, even if you’re shooting a unique space. Maybe you need to make a tight space feel freer and bigger than it is, or make an old space light, open and modern – but the challenges of this genre make it interesting. Half of a interior photography job is finding creative alternatives and solving problems at hand.
The ultimate goal of an interior shoot is to create an image that can stand on its own as a work of art, but also promotes a clean and welcoming space, whether it’s a hotel, market or commercial space. Working with many talented photographers with different levels of experience through 500px Studio reveals a simple and effective approach to interiors: treat each space as you tell its story.
Here are five tips I’ve learned from working with top interior photographers to help you photograph better spaces.
1. Go To Space In Person
The first and most important step is to walk through the space to help you better understand the characteristics. How does the light enter the room? What shadows are cast? Possibilities for better or more dynamic angles exist? Seeing this for yourself will help you best represent the space in your image.
2. Explore Beyond The Wide Angle
Many photographers will tell you to only shoot the scene with a wide angle lens. But I’ve seen interiors shot with zoom lenses, portrait lenses and they can all look great! Your objective is to select the ideal vantage point and present the key features of the space in a visually appealing and exciting manner lens or combination of lenses.
3. Composition Is Key
My other recommendation is to focus on your composition and how it relates to your story. The composition of the image can communicate well with the frame, this is important. The rule of thirds is a great survival trick to help create images that are balanced and pleasing to the eye.
4. Diversify Your Images
Get multiple angles and exposures of the space to ensure you’re effectively communicating all available information. Your job is to convey the feeling of the space to the viewer so that people can experience it through your images.
Get three types of images to make sure you cover your bases: an overview image with as much information as possible in one frame, an image that focuses on a unique part of the space like a seat or table, and if finally, a close-up that shows how space is added.
5. Be Creative With Themes
You are an artist and the camera is your tool. Have you done yourself and the universe justice? Find ways to make the space interesting for you, such as using motifs from your interior photography.
Maybe the space has interesting shadows that dance around the furniture, or maybe you always use depth of field in your work, which can be used with accessories like faucets, shades or fabrics.
People like to see common elements when telling the story of a space. There’s no limit to the different combinations that can be used to accurately display the gap – check them all out!
