The 4 steps to success with interior photo shoots

 Top tips on photographing interiors 

I have recently done a couple of house interior photo shoots for airbnb listings and realised that it might be useful to pass on some tips that I used that should help you perfect your own interior shots, whether for airbnb or for product, location or architectural purposes.

Step 1: Planning

First of all consider what camera lens you will use.  As your shoot is likely to be within a confined space a wide angle lens is better than a standard or telephoto lens. However, if you go for too wide a lens you will run the risk of getting distortion and curved lines in the images.

I decided to use my 18-55mm zoom lens at the 18mm setting for most of my interior shots, using the longer end of the zoom range for detail shots only.

I also made the decision not to use a flash but rather to use available light as much as possible, or lights within the property. This decision meant that I had to use a tripod, there would not be enough available light for hand-held shots. A remote shutter release is also a useful device, you might be able to do this through a linked mobile phone app or use an actual cable release.  If you don't have either of these then use the 2 second timer on your camera.

Another thing to consider in advance is what purpose the images will be used for, and whether this would have an impact on the best orientation to use for the images.  The recommendation for airbnb is to standardise on landscape orientation images rather than have a mix of landscape and portrait. This flows better when looking at the photos on the airbnb site.

Speak with the owner or person responsible for the presentation of the property and suggest some preparation for them to put in place:

• declutter
• clean
• prepare rooms
• get flowers / magazines / bowls of fruit / other props

Step 2: Arrival at the shoot

Take a tour of the rooms being photographed. Check for clutter, open curtains, make sure props are in place, turn on lights if necessary. Speak with the owner and see if they have any specific requests for the photos. Check if they have a shot list.

Check camera settings. My recommendations are:

• ISO 100-400 (I use ISO 200)
• Aperture f/8 (no wider than f/4)
• Speed - this is likely to be slow, 1/60th - 1/2 sec but I set my speed to auto and let the camera decide depending on available light.
• If using a tripod turn off any Image Stabilisation if your camera or lens has this
• White Balance - set according to the main light source or simply use average white balance and correct if necessary in post production
• Shoot in RAW if you can (and if you have suitable photo editing software)
• Set your picture format as required such as 3:2 

Step 3: Taking the photos

Make sure the room looks as required, check there is adequate light and set up the camera and tripod to shoot at approximately just above waist height, try and keep this a standard height with all the rooms. Shoot into corners and make sure the corners are straight. Use camera shooting guidelines to ensure straight images.

Shooting from outside a room, framing with the door can be effective.

When shooting in a kitchen turn on the lights, any under cupboard lights and the cooker light.

Shooting from outside looking in can be effective, especially with conservatories.

Notice details and take a few images that pick out just the details.

If lamps are casting strange or harsh shadows then turn them off and shoot in just natural light.

Step 4: Post production

I always shoot in RAW so I have more opportunities to recover shadows and highlights. Using your chosen photo editing software aim for balance in colour and style. Correct any crooked angles. Use the Transform tool to straighten any bending lines. Use consistent white balance within the same rooms of the property. Warm up colours and add some clarity as appropriate. 

Save your chosen images in the correct format for the purpose they are to be used in. For example, images for airbnb should be in 3:2 format in landscape with a minimum of 1024 x 683 pixels.

If you prepare in advance, keep calm and have fun your images should turn out just fine!