3 Basic How-to-Get-Started Photography Tips for Interior Designers

If you're interested in interior design, or you hang out your shingle as a decorator, you may want to take great photographs of your clients' decorated spaces without having all the gear of a professional photographer. The top photo shows Texas photographer Sean Gallagher's behind-the-scenes setup at an interior shoot. And tricked-out gear may not be where you want to go - you have enough to keep the colors, the fabrics, the vendors, the orders, and the clients' demands straight! We asked Sheffield School Director Chuck DeLaney - who is also the Director of our sister school, the New York Institute of Photography - to give us a few tips we should know about interior design and photography.

1. Use SmartPhones and Tablets.

Chuck suggested that most interior designers should own two cameras - and the first would be an iPhone or other SmartPhone or a tablet computer capable of taking photographs. Use them like a "visual notebook" to make pictures of items that you see in a showroom, antique store, or vendor's location. "For some clients, the designer may choose to email photos for consideration and discussion. For other clients, images can be printed out for review at a meeting or used as reference until you're able to located better photos online."

2. Wide-Angle Photography Captures Most Interiors.

"The second camera a designer should own," said Chuck, "would be a digital model with a wide-angle lens. I recommend an SLR because it allows you to put different lenses on the camera - and an interior designer will want to be able to use a wide-angle lens to record interiors." Avoid most of the compact cameras on the market; they won't give you the ability to go wider than 24mm to get those important panorama room shots.

3. Follow the Basics ... and Practice.

Even the professionals follow a few simple guidelines to make sure their photographs turn out great.

• "First and most important is to keep the camera level. If you tip the camera up (or down), the vertical lines in the room will become distorted." 

• Chuck also advises designers to invest in a decent tripod for their camera: "Holding the camera steady is key to getting sharp pictures."  

• Be sure to shoot "before" photos of each room you're remodeling. "I make it a practice to take one photo from each of the four corners of the room. That way, you'll record almost everything in the room." Clients love to see the dramatic before-and-after change!

• It's tricky shooting in a room with bright sunlight streaming through the windows; it can wash out your images. "Wait to shoot interiors when the sun isn't shining into the room. Professionals will often use additional lighting to brighten the room. It's tricky to have the room well lit and be able to see the outside view with proper exposure."

• Practice using photography techniques in a room in your own home or a friend's home before you turn yourself loose on a client's space. "Experiment with removing and grouping furniture, styling, and making slight adjustments to 'cheat' certain angles in seating arrangements, for example. Does the picture need a dash of color that you can add with a bright red book on a tabletop, or with flowers?" Again, practice photographing and styling a room on your own time, then wow your clients when the time comes. If your photography is good enough, your room images will make great scouting shots to send to public relations and media sources to help publicize your business.

As lead curriculum developer for Sheffield School, I like to see the interplay of creative fields like interior design and photography. If you're interested in learning more about interior design, then I encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

• Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.
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Comments

[Desiree]

As a real estate agent and avid photographer with a Canon EOS D60, these tips are valuable since I know they made a difference in showing a home to attract many prospects. However, I learned some of these tricks through trial and error. Thank for the tips. From Desiree B. at www.goodphotographycameras.com

[Nuratrim]

Most important is good light and a camera with enough MP.
I always like to use the iPhone Camera+ or Hipstamatic for nice pictures..!

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Wide angel photography actually make difficult seeing the focus of the picture. It takes too many object in single shot - ip

[Juan Carlos - Diseño de Paginas Web]

I am a web designer, but it is clear that photography has always been an art par excellence since the appearance of the first camera. Capturing the best moments and even more the best scenes is a challenge, besides being an art to find the harmony of light in photography.

thanks
Juan Carlos

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I use my iphone Hipstamatic app, it save a lot of time uploading it and editing it in photoshop.

[hans1s]

Thanks, it's alway's nice to learn a little bitt more. I agree the most important is good light.

[Mentale Dieet Plan evaringen]

This ik like the third artcile advising me to buy an I-pad for my photography. I guess I just have to stop being stubborn and buy one.

Great article btw!

[luqman hakim]

So hard to fine good angles. Good photography should help people see the focus of a room.

[Jerry]

I really like this blog, because it gives me the information I need for my college course materials on Photograph Blogs. Very nice work, I applaud you. thank you

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I love your site. I ordered this camera and several days later it was already in my mailbox.

[Tom]

Thanks a lot for the tips, because they give me the information I need for my university course "historische Fotografien".

[Thierry]

very useful tipps I could put into practice recently! thanks for this post!

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[rick]

over at http://engagementphotography.net we encourage experimentation with your engagement photo shoot sessions. This post really enforces our ideas that in a digital age, it doesn't take much risk to try new stuff!

[Long Life]

Your article is that great! Thank a lot.