What is a good interior photo
There are times when you just can’t afford to hire a professional photographer, but you need to take good pictures of the interior. Quality photos are very important, because that is how you can demonstrate all the advantages of the furnishings in your apartment. You can cope with this task yourself: almost every home now has a DSLR camera, and our smart phones shoot just as well as compact cameras. To make good, beautiful photographs, you need to keep in mind certain rules, which I adhere to in my work. You can use this knowledge for many other purposes, like going to an exhibition or taking a vacation, and you can take great shots. So, let’s learn the techniques and nuances of taking pictures of interiors.
Use a tripod
Often there is too little daylight, so the frames come out blurry. The solution is to use a tripod, which stabilizes the camera and allows you to take pictures with a slow shutter speed. A tripod with a built-in level is a good idea as it makes your work much easier. Also, a heavy, stable tripod is a good idea. Digital cameras allow you to quickly take a picture and immediately see the result on the screen, which is very convenient. Use it to see what the overall composition is and what does not fit in the frame. You can move the camera on a tripod or change the focal length by twisting the lens. And to complete the construction of a good shot, make small changes: for example, rearrange some items of decor or move the furniture a bit.
Shoot from below
When shooting interiors it’s very important to choose the best angle: the composition and the perception of the picture is influenced by how high up the camera is above the floor. From my own experience I usually fix my camera at the height of the door handle or just above my waist. When the camera is below your eye level, you get beautiful pictures, just like in magazines.
Photograph straight ahead
How can you tell the difference between professional and amateur photography? In a picture taken by a professional photographer, the vertical lines will always be vertical, straight. Pay attention to this and keep the camera straight: don’t tilt it up or down. When you tilt the camera, vertical lines get distorted, and this “breaks” the space, interferes with its correct perception.
Don’t use wide angle lenses
This might seem counterintuitive, because a wide angle lens makes it possible to capture more space. But it’s not that simple. The truth is that when you take pictures with a wide angle lens, it can make your pictures look distorted in space and perspective. When you look at these images, you feel the unnaturalness of such an interior. So, if you want to take a good picture, use a standard lens. And move away from the subject. Often professional photographers prefer to sacrifice something and not fit everything in the frame, but not to resort to wide angle lenses. What kind of customer wants photos that distort reality badly?
Don’t use a flash
Proper lighting is paramount in interior photography. It’s great if there is a lot of natural light, but this is often not the case. But I advise you not to overdo it with flash anyway: it can never light up a room evenly and completely. So even the most trivial shot taken without a flash in low light looks nicer. Plus, when you use a tripod, the chance of getting blurry shots is minimal. And if even on a tripod you get blurry shots because of a long exposure, use the self-timer.
Think about the composition
An interesting composition makes a frame expressive. To achieve this, all you need to do is arrange the objects in the frame according to the simple rule of thirds: divide the frame in your mind into three equal parts horizontally and vertically, you’ll have a grid. And if you put the main subject of the picture along the lines or at their intersections, you will get a harmonious picture. In modern cameras, you can set the settings so that you can see the grid in the frame. However, the rule is not ironclad, and you can deviate from it, the main thing – build your frame so that it was balanced, easy to perceive.