As a photographer, there are high chances that a friend will call you to photograph his or her new house, an office or you may be hired to photograph interiors for promotional purposes. Of course you will be tempted to oblige but before you do, you should note that interior photography has got its share of challenges ranging from lighting, arrangements, camera angles and positions among others. But these challenges are not difficult to overcome. A few tips would help you shoot amazing interior photographs. Walk with me!
Lighting
Interior photography has a lot to do with light and lines. Many professional photographers will tell you that it’s always good to utilize natural light rather than use artificial lighting. It’s true that natural light from outside can light up your interiors very well. By opening the windows and letting the light fall in, great photos can be achieved. However, the same light could spoil your photo if too much of it falls in from the windows, causing a glaring effect. You can deal with this by drawing the curtains and using lamps to light up areas in the room that are dark even after natural light falls in.
You should also adjust your camera settings to deal with too much light or too little of it. Using shutter priority mode is a quick way of dealing with lighting issues. Since your interiors are stationary, you should use a tripod and use a longer exposure in case of low light. Exposure bracketing can also widen your options. Try taking the photos in various shutter speeds and then selecting the best shots from the three that each shot yields.
Dial ‘Perfect’ for House Keeping
Many interior photographs fail to make the cut due to the cluttering of various pieces of furniture or other items. Even though you may want to capture the room with all its content, some things may just take the shine off your photo and create annoyance to your viewers. Chairs, tables etc should be well placed or should be removed from the frame if they don’t add value to your photo. Curtains and beddings should be well aligned unless your objective is to have them the way they are.
Camera positioning
Your image may look skewed if your camera is not well positioned. Remember there are many lines in the interiors and these may act as guiding lines. Doors, windows, floors may be used as guiding lines. To make sure that your photos are well positioned, let your left and right edges of your viewfinder run parallel to the vertical lines in the frame, like doors or windows.
You should position your camera away from items such as sofas or tables since going close to them may make them take prominence in your photo and wipe out the whole purpose of taking the interior photo. As much as possible, let your camera be on the edges of the room, probably near the door. This way, you will be able to capture and wider area of the room.
Camera angles
To avoid dead boring photos, always go for interesting angles. Avoid taking too much of the ceiling when you go for low angle photographs. You can go for high angle photographs by placing your camera on the stairs or even hanging it from the ceiling if that is possible! In a nutshell, framing will yield great photos if well approached.
Dealing with mirrors
Mirrors can ruin your photo in two main ways: first, it may reflect light to areas where light is not needed or can cause glare to your photos. Secondly, you many appear in the mirror reflections and you are not part of the interiors! If you are doing a commercial job, you may end up being unpaid if the client later realize that the photographers is features in the photographs! Before taking the photos, always see that the mirrors are well positioned or are covered if that is the only way to deal with them.
 |
 |
 |
Quick read:
|
||
 |
 |
 |
Photos by Sreyoshi
| <Prev | Next> |
|---|
