Tips for photographing interiors

An acquaintance asked me today how I approach photographing interiors. I emailed him with a view tips and thought that you may also be interested. So here goes.

Obviously it's vital the room looks presentable and there's nothing distracting lying in view. A bouquet of flowers, a colourful cushion etc, can lift the room and provide a good focal point.
Think of leading the audience's eye through the image from one point of interest to another.
Unless you're using it deliberately to create an effect make sure walls are perpendicular and the horizon straight. A door frame or wall at an angle can be quite disoreintating.
Putting all the electric lights on enhances the atmosphere and creates a warm image. Table lights etc, usually look better even in daylight when they're lit.
Candles should also be lit if they are present.

Lighting

I use a variety of techniques. Here are some:

Studio or off camera flash for fill light balanced with daylight.
I generally always try to photograph during the day as window light is very important to the character of a room.
Sometimes use tungsten lighting to fill in but if you correct for it you have to watch out because any daylight will be too blue.
ND graduated filters used vertically are a great help in coping with balancing shadow and window areas.
You can also try double exposures. First expose for the room with the outside of the window covered with black velvet cloth. Then take a second exposure for the window. This works well when you've got a small window and a large room, and you want to show detail outside.

I hope you find this useful. Please let me know and see my previous post in search of feedback. Many thanks.

Paul Indigo

Comments

Overcoming creative block and self doubt

Every photographer, for that matter every creative, I've ever met comes to a point when they're not happy with the work they're producing. The pendulum between creative highs and dry spells swings continuously. For some the cycle is long and the bouts are quite mild for others the feeling of doubt about their work can be a crushing experience which returns all to frequently. It's actually quite healthy to have these periods of doubt because it can often be the beginning of something new and interesting which takes you further than you thought possible. Creatives in the commercial world have to always perform and although they may agree looking back that they've had a few patches where their work was less good, they always seem to bounce back. A very few creative geniuses deliver such high quality work that their poorest attempts still surpass the rest of us. But I have never heard of anyone, from tortured soul of Van Gogh to the supreme showman and genius, Salvador ...

What You Photograph Reveals How You Think

Photography is often described as a way of seeing. Less often do we talk about it as a way of thinking. What you choose to photograph, and just as importantly what you ignore, quietly mirrors how your mind works. Some photographers are drawn to faces, micro-expressions, emotional spikes. Others chase atmosphere, light, mood. Then there are those who gravitate towards structure, systems, order, the invisible logic holding a scene together. None of this is accidental. The camera becomes a sorting tool. It reveals what your brain prioritises. Where others see chaos, you might see alignment. Where some look for drama, you look for balance. Geometry, repetition, flow, layers, these aren’t just visual preferences, they’re cognitive ones. Strong graphic images tend to come from people who think spatially. Who notice how things relate before they notice what they mean. Lines before labels. Structure before story. And yet, the best images rarely stop there. They gain depth when human pres...

Why do you take photographs?

Have you ever asked yourself why you photograph? It's a question that can be answered with a simple one-sentence answer until you start delving deeper. The answer then becomes increasingly complex and challenging to unravel. I've again undertaken this journey recently, and my answer is below. Portrait of Paul Indigo by Magda Indigo. Thanks Magda! I also reviewed my images over the last ten-plus years, selected 30 of my favourite photos, and compiled them into a slide show. This was a challenging task. My favourites change by the day, probably by the minute. Still, eventually, I got to a selection I titled "That's Life." Please click through to YouTube to view the full screen. My approach to people and landscape photography is characterised by a distinctive blend of documentary and fine art techniques. I aim to create images that are both deeply personal and universally relatable. Through portraiture, I strive to showcase the broad spectrum of human experience. I a...

Beyond the obvious

Search This Blog