The interior design of a home or a building makes it look attractive. Capturing the design in photographs can help you create memories. This is especially needed for commercial places. You can use the photographs of your interior design on your website or in promotional content.

Attractive, high-quality photos of the interiors can make your place stand out. Interior design photography can help you capture the inside of a building to highlight its décor. If this photography genre interests you, then you will find this guide helpful.

In this guide, you will find information that will help you take the best interior design photographs. Add these photos to your portfolio and impress your clients and social media followers.

What is interior design photography?

Interior design photography refers to photographs taken of the inside of a building with the focus on highlighting the interior design. Homes and commercial buildings are made attractive through interior design. Capturing this interior design through photos helps to record it. The photographs focus on the furniture, walls, and various décor elements inside the house.

The idea behind taking these photographs is to present a home or a building in the best possible way. A reputed interior decorator often uses these photographs to showcase their work to clients. Homeowners use these photographs to show off how good their home looks. Stores and retail outlets can use interior design photographs to present their outlet in a better way.

Interior design photography calls for specialized skills. You are not taking a photo of a room or people but of its interiors. The goal of these photos should be to highlight various aspects of interior design and décor. Interior design photographers may take general photographs or take specific photographs for a client.

Tips for impactful interior design photographs

1) You need the proper equipment

As mentioned, interior design photography is a special niche. It calls for using the right kind of equipment. While you can even use mobile cameras to click photos, they may not look professional. The objective of interior design photos is to make people go wow! To achieve this effect, you need good equipment.

Along with a good quality camera, you need a wide-angle lens. This is needed because most interior design photos try to get an entire room in the shot. If you can afford it, invest in an ultra-wide angle lens. You can get amazing photos. An even more expensive lens is the tilt-shift lens. It helps you take amazing photos.

2) Lighting is the key

Interior design photos are taken inside where you may need to depend on additional lighting. The way you manage lighting can be the difference between an ordinary photo and a great one. Where possible, shoot in the mornings or when natural light illuminates the room. Also, try to make use of the light from fireplaces and lamps in a room. In case you need to see samples, you could check out the profiles of well-known interior designers. Helen Coulston, for example, has a lot of pictures on her Facebook and LinkedIn profiles. Similarly, you could check out different interior design blogs or even photography websites to get an idea of ideal lighting setups.

Such photos look natural and good. When you need to organize extra lighting, make sure you get the lighting needed for proper illumination. Take care to ensure the lighting does not create shadows in your image. You can always edit the photo later and use tools to brighten the photograph.

3) Focus on the details

A room contains so many things. From furniture to paintings and vases to books, there are many things in a room. All these make a photo look attractive. You need to focus on the details while taking interior design photographs. Ensure that all the elements of the interior design are captured in your photos. Before you start clicking, talk to the interior designer or homeowner.

This will help you understand the concept involved in interior design. Once you understand how the interior design has been made, you can plan your photo shoot accordingly. Ensure that all key elements of the interior design are captured. Don’t leave out even minor details. They help to embellish the photograph and make it stand out.

4) Compose your photo well

The composition of the photo plays a very important role in interior design photography. Composition ensures that your photograph is not merely an image but looks like a work of art. Elements like the use of white space, color, balance, and depth can help in getting an incredible photo.

Don’t forget the basics of photo composition. Use the rule of thirds by keeping your subject in the left or right third of the image (keeping in mind a grid). This is a basic rule that always works well in composing a great photo.

Lines play an important role since interiors have horizontal and vertical lines. Make sure the lines of the windows, lamps, and walls are straight and well-balanced. This will ensure a good balance, making your photo look neat.

5) Add depth to your photos

In interior design photography, depth plays a key role. You can create a feeling of depth in the photos through the proper placement of furniture. Other interior décor elements can also be used to accentuate the depth in the photo.

The f-stop setting of your camera can help you in creating depth. Ideally, you need to use a f-stop of f/8 to f/16. That will help you get the best photos. You can experiment with lower f-stops to get a better feeling of depth. You need to take many practice photos varying the f-stop until you get the desired effect.

6) Choreograph your shoot

Interior design photography is like shooting a film. It calls for choreography and you are the choreographer. You need to arrange the room to make it ready for the shoot. An interior design photographer will not start clicking photos straight away. A lot of thought and planning would be involved.

Plan your photo and decide what should be there and what should not. You can make changes in the arrangement of furniture and other items. For example, placing a pillow differently can create a different effect. Try out many options to get the best result. Don’t forget to take the owner’s/client’s permission before making any changes.