Interior Photography: 5 Tips to Create Magazine-Worthy Images
Looking to up your interior photography game? Keep reading to find the tips you need to make the images on your website truly pop.
It's easy to use a
stock site for photos, but why would you spend money when you can earn it?
There are lots of ways to earn cash from your photography skills, such as making products in your online store look irresistible or selling photos for profit.
Taking digital photos for your website or to sell to a stock site isn't difficult. The competition is high though, so you've got to be ready to experiment and learn more about interior photography techniques to stand out.
The good news is that there are lots of ways to take your images from so-so to so-fabulous.
Why a Professional Look Matters
Making money from your photography doesn't always mean you want to sell the images for profit. Using them yourself can benefit your own business, too.
Professional images on your blog or business website will help to sell your products. Customers like to have a good idea of what they're buying so clear and professional-looking images will help.
Secret Interior Photography Tips for Professional Photos
From lighting techniques to editing secrets, there are plenty of ways to improve your interior photographs. Here's how to get magazine-ready photos that people will be clamoring to buy from you.
1. Keep It Steady: Use a Tripod
Never try to wing it with an interior photograph by holding the camera. Instead,
invest in a tripod to keep it steady.
This will also help you to replicate the exact same shot time and again so that you can play around with ISO settings and exposure times. This will help you learn the best settings to use in a range of environments.
2. Turn off the Lights
Yes, really! Turn off artificial lights in the room you're photographing and make the most of natural light.
If you absolutely have to use artificial light, opt for a handheld flash and reflector. Use these to direct light onto a wall behind your camera, which will diffuse the harsh flash to create a natural-looking brightness in your photograph.
If you're after a cozy interior look, wait until it's dark outside and use soft natural lamps or string lights for an inviting glow.
3. Narrow Your Field of Vision
You may be tempted to sit tight into one corner of a room and get the other three corners in the shot, but this always ends up looking odd.
Instead, narrow your field of vision by picking a maximum of one corner to photograph. This also helps you make the most of natural light and creates depth to the image.
Try to take photos of the room at mid-room height, too. You can invest in tilt lenses but these often require a lot of post-production editing to make sure the walls look straight.
4. Use Long Shutter Speeds
Longer exposures make the most of natural light. Digital cameras have manual options to allow you to play around with the shutter speed to maximize light exposure. It's also another great reason to use a tripod - your hand will shake during long shutter speeds!
Even if a room looks a little dark to your eye, try extending the exposure time to capture more of the sunlight. You'll soon learn the best shutter speeds for a range of environments simply by experimenting.
5. Use Professional Editing Software
Consider investing in paid
design software that'll help you create stunning finishes for your photos.
Free software will do the trick if you're really strapped for cash, but the wide range of editing features on paid apps will make the difference between an amateur and professional finish.
Unsure whether you can handle the advanced Adobe post-production programs? Check out a review of the
best photo editing software for beginners. There you will find a number of editors that are super easy to use but are feature-packed and guarantee a professional result.
Consider creating a signature style, too. A custom preset filter that gives your photos a unique personality becomes your style
calling card, meaning people will instantly know you're the photographer behind the image.
Promote Your Photos with Print
Now you know some interior photography tips for the best photographs, it's time to consider how you'll sell your images to magazines. Your photography business could be huge with the right marketing strategy!
A great way to sneak in extra advertising of your business is to use framed
posters of your work as part of the dressing in your interior photographs. Or you could send postcards with your photos printed on them to potential clients to show them what you can do.
There are loads of ways to promote your new photography business using print media.
Check out our online shop to pick out print for your marketing strategy now!
