Do you work in the construction, design and real estate industry?
Do you ever have a property or job site that you want good photos for but don't have the budget for a professional architectural photographer?
In our last post on Interior Photography we talked about how to buy the right camera and shoot in RAW mode. This time we'll go through some more useful tips to improve your photography over run-of-the-mill snapshots, and some pitfalls to avoid.
Don't Use On-Camera Flash
The most common mistake by far is using the camera's built-in-flash. Even with a professional-grade SLR, the on-camera flash is a small light source that is directly in line with the lens. This produces very unflattering lighting - both for people and places - and the ambient lighting that you installed or designed will be completely overpowered and washed away. How do you take photos in low-light interiors without a flash?
Use a Tripod
If only for the fact that you can do away with flash, a tripod is the most important piece of equipment other than your camera. With it, you can get rid of the flash, use a slower shutter speed and get pretty nice results out-of-the-box on most modern digital cameras. Even a cheap tripod is better than no tripod. You can still use the automatic setting on your camera - just disable the flash (and remember to shoot in RAW format ;)
Straight Lines
Imagine there's a lazer beam shooting straight out of your camera's lens. When you setup your camera on the tripod, make sure this imaginary lazer beam is parallel to the floor - or more accurately, perpendicular to the vertical lines in your subject. Your subject is the door, cabinet, shower enclosure, wall tiles, etc that's in your photo. If your camera isn't lined up as described, you'll likely get a distorted view of your subject.
If you design or build an amazing home, but no one except the homeowner gets to see it, how will it help build your future business? Interior and architectural photography is a vital part of your marketing plan - don't miss out on the chance to show off your work ;)
