The Basics of Interior Photography

Taking attractive photos of interior spaces can be challenging but it’s a skill that any photographer can develop. Struggling with challenging lighting, dealing with a rapidly changing landscape and unknowing subjects are part of the fun and difficulty of interior photography. Here are five tips to get started with interiors, all of which you can try with minimal gear.

Use People

Sure, there are some interiors that are going to look best when empty. But one of the most interesting parts of interior photography is seeing how people interact with their environment. This can help you a lot especially when you’re trying to shoot at odd angles or show scale of objects, like having a person stand next to the Lincoln Memorial to show the massive size of the monument. Often times, taking pictures of groups or individuals in your interior can make for a more powerful image than one shot without people.

Assume it Will Have Low Light

One of the frequent problems with interior photography is working with low light. Anytime you’re inside shooting interiors, low light is going to be a problem especially for digital cameras. You can minimize this problem by working with a tripod. The added stability of the tripod will allow you to take photographs at much lower shutter speeds without risking the blur caused by the natural movement of your body as you press the shutter button. Additionally, pack a filter or adjust your white balance to help avoid the nasty hue of fluorescent lights.

Check Out Your Surroundings

We spend a lot of time looking forward. When we’re trying to get from one place to the other, we don’t usually have time to observe our surroundings. Make sure to examine everything in your entire environment since you can take the extra time to look around as the photographer. In the world of interior photography, there are countless beautiful images of floors, ceilings, obscure wall details, and plenty of other things that the photographer would have never noticed had they kept their eyes on the horizon. Every interior has its beauty but it’s up to you to discover it.

Tell a Story

Photographs of walls and ceilings can certainly be pretty, but as a photographer it is your job to tell a story with every shot. Use people, construction, graffiti, building degradation, signage, or anything else you can find to make your photograph tell the story of that moment. Even when it comes to interior photography, there should always be a purpose for taking the photograph. Although you may just take a picture because “it looked nice,” try to challenge yourself to take pictures that look beyond the surface and represent common connections.

Perception

What would be more visually interesting - a photograph of a spiral staircase, or a shot from the top of that staircase showing its long wind to the lower floors of a building? Whenever possible, try and force yourself to come up with new and interesting ways to capture an object. Much like human subjects, architecture can be made to look beautiful, ugly, or anywhere in between simply by finding a different angle or cropping out certain elements.

Interior photography is certainly a challenge, but without the necessity of a willing subject you may find that learning through trial and error is a little more fun. Take some time to shoot some of your favorite interiors and look for new ways to capture it. Just make sure that you have permission from the building owner - there are many interiors that are quite unfriendly to photographers. Most people however are happy to invite photographers to shoot as long as they come with minimal gear so try to shoot as many as possible.

Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Shop online and see our selection of black picture frames in a wide variety of styles and shapes. Visit our website and see our unique black picture frames in wood and metal or call 1-800-780-0699.