We understand how exciting it is when you just move into a new house, or you’ve revamped your old place to look completely new! You want to show off your place, and the best way to do this is through photography. Alas, you don’t think your photography skills are up to the mark, and browsing through photos by skilled photographers can lead to some amount of mind-block and confusion. Fret not, you have come to the right place. Given below are five of the best home photography tips you can use for quick and stylish photos:
Before you begin, clean up! We cannot stress on how important it is to declutter your space and organise it in a neat manner before taking your photos. Make sure the wires attached to your electronic items are hidden away, position the furniture in a chic fashion, and you’re good to go! Make your way through the house one room at a time, and focus solely on the lens of your camera or your phone to take incredible pictures. You can also “stage” your rooms to make the final pictures more aesthetically pleasing. This might require you to rearrange your furniture a bit and place items in an appealing manner before clicking the best shot.
Staging your home:
You can “stage” your rooms to make the final pictures more aesthetically pleasing. This might require you to rearrange your furniture a bit and place items in an appealing manner before clicking the best shot. For example, consider placing a flower vase in the middle of your coffee table as a centerpiece for a good shot.
Lighting
The best photos can be taken in natural lighting. Using artificial lighting can add unappealing hues to your pictures, so steer clear if you do not have professional photography equipment. Remember, natural lighting is key to getting some jaw-dropping shots, especially if you are an amateur. Colors captured under natural light appear more bright and fresh, reducing the need to fix pictures after you take them.
Pro tip: Although natural lighting is your best friend, the time of the day you click your snaps is equally critical. When the sun casts its light directly into the photographing space: some objects appear brighter than others. This will make the picture lose its balance, making it look blotchy. Try taking pictures on a cloud day, or when the sun’s rays aren’t too strong
Focus
Nowadays, phone cameras tend to automatically focus on the shot once you open the camera app. However, sometimes it tends to get blurry due to frequent hand movements, so it is important to click on the screen to ensure focus is maintained while taking the picture. Additionally, it is equally important to click on where you want the focus to be. For instance, if you are photographing a shot of your coffee table and you want the center piece to stand out, focus on the center piece to create greater depth around the object
Pro tip: Adjust focus by tapping on your phone screen. Also remember, where you tap on the phone screen is also important. You can also use filters to make the picture more vivid or adjust the quality of the picture
Utilise negative space
“Negative space” is the area in your photo which is around the object that is being photographed. It is important to identify when and how much negative space can be photographed to bring out the best bits of a snap. Consider capturing more negative space in natural environments, such as a window. This allows you to make the subject in the picture stand out more, thereby making the picture more unique
Pro tip: Use negative space judiciously!
Type of aperture is important:
Picture Courtesy: Ryan Hafey on Unsplash
This tip is specifically for people who are using professional photography equipment such as a DSLR camera. Aperture controls the size of the camera’s hole light that is allowed to come through. Different styles of pictures call for different shots: if you are looking to take a picture of the whole room, try using the wide-lens. Vignette shots are appealing if you want to focus on specific parts of a space
Pro tip: The larger the aperture number, the more in focus and sharp your pictures will come out. The smaller the number, the depth of your picture field would be shallower. Although wide angle lenses are important in interior photos, don’t rely too much on it to take perfect shots. Instead, try different angles and see what works best for your space at a given point
Height matters!
The height from which you take your pictures is important, as the amount captured in the photo can greatly vary. Usually, low shots are great for capturing more in one frame. This can make your photos look very professional, akin to the kind you might see in magazines! When you are considering wide angle shots, low level pictures work best. These shots make your space look bigger than what it is, creating a spacious illusion. Try taking straight shots while clicking your photos: angle the camera in line with one wall, and snap away! Some phones (like the iPhone) have a built-in feature of grids/compositional guides to show you if you are taking a straight photo or not. (The grids in an iPhone can be found in the Viewfinder)
Pro tip: While shooting, take notice of any mirrors around: This will help in avoiding any awkward selfies. Angle the camera from a low level to avoid capturing yourself in the picture. Also, try taking pictures from a lower height on a usual basis, as these capture more ground in the photo
If you are up for something more professional and are considering using a DSLR, here are a few additional tips:
RAW photos:
Update your camera setting to click pictures in the RAW mode. This will ensure all the data clicked remains intact. Usually when pictures are taken in the JPEG format, photos become compressed. This compression makes the photos lose some of their photographic data. However, shooting photos in the RAW format will require you to use Photoshop tools to retrieve information without losing photo quality.
Pro tip: RAW shots help you have full control over your final image. It can allow you to adjust the white balance as required and help in determining the final size of your snap. RAW photos capture greater brightness levels and allow you to easily correct over or underexposed pictures. They also aid in allowing you to edit your photos in a non-destructive manner. Use Photoshop’s RAW editor (a built-in tool) to work on your photos after clicking them
Use a tripod:
If you are feeling confident and you want to go all out, consider splurging in a tripod! Tripods are relatively reasonable and can be purchased from big e-commerce retailers. Tripods can help work with uneven light issues at home, which can occur more frequently depending on the natural light that comes in. Tripods can assist you in taking deliberate and steady photos. Adjusting the composition of your picture can become easy while using a tripod. If you have a digital camera, you can take several trial shots before snapping the final one.
Pro tip: Consider investing in a tripod, as it offers several benefits: it helps you in adjusting composition and shutter speed issues. Tripods with bubble levels (a leveling device which helps understand how straight the tripod is positioned) can last for years to come
Last but not the least, don’t stress over it! Photography skills come with practice and time, and try out different angles, lighting and heights to figure out what works best for your space. Now that you’re fairly equipped with some knowledge on home photography, we cannot wait to see what you guys have up your sleeves!