Interior Design Photography Tips and Tricks

In the age of Instagram, it’s not an overstatement to say that killer interior design photography is a requisite for a savvy design business. Quality imagery of your work is a must. Without it, how can future clients see the caliber of your craft, your creativity, or your attention to detail?

So what does it take to get the kind of photos that attract clients in droves?

Shoot for social.

for Instagram-friendly photos? Use bright, airy images, brand your content with a consistent photography style, and take up as much real estate as possible. Post as many things as you can in portrait orientation, or using the 4 x 5 crop, so it takes up more space on people’s phones. If you shoot landscape, it takes up half the amount of space and makes less of an impact.

Get clients on board early.

Hiring the best photographer in the business won’t help your cause if your client isn’t on board with the shoot.

Most of the clients who want their own privacy, In those cases, we work through it with them to ensure they feel protected and that their privacy is maintained while we are still able to showcase our work. We also include a section on photography and promotion in our contract. It references the need to photograph the project and how it can and will be used by our firm in promotion, as well as language that helps the client understand that we won’t exploit them by using their name or any identifying details without their written consent.

Maximize shoot day.

Shoot day is a true collaboration between designer and photographer. Make it a priority to be at every single shoot—no matter how busy we are. These photos live on forever. If we spent years designing it, we want to make sure the shots are perfect. Getting every single angle and a close-up shot of quite literally everything in these homes, and takes a long time. A full day is to be expected but to maximize the number of shots you get, style the space in advance. This lets the photographer work through the home without any downtime and frees up the designer to be in the room making final adjustments and approving shots.

Photography is a way of getting the word out about your business.

How to Shoot It Yourself

There’s no substitute for professional photography, but if it’s simply not in your budget or you’re using your phone to capture behind-the-scenes shots for social media, there are ways to make sure your DIY snapshots are top-notch.

1. Set it upright.

Clean off your lens, turn off all the lights in a room, let in as much natural light as possible, and turn on your phone’s gridlines feature to get a shot with straight lines.

2. Shoot from the hip.

Get a power stance going and shoot from a little bit above your belly button. This makes the space feel grander and invites people into the room.

3. Expose the highlights in a room.

Before you take a picture, tap the brightest spot on your phone’s screen (often a window or open door), says Stoffer. This exposes your photo for the highlights in the room. Your raw photo might look dark, but you’ll be able to brighten it up when you edit without creating blown-out highlights.

4. Always edit.

Editing will have a major impact on the look of an iPhone photo. Use the popular VSCO app.