As a young photographer, and maybe as a photographer in general, every shoot seems new and different. My take is that [one] I owe it to my client to deliver a great product, and [two] I owe it to myself to be the best that I can be by practicing and studying. I have taken interior photos before, but I always like to do a quick refresh before any shoot no matter how comfortable I feel, and it is either glancing at some things online, or in most cases, finding a good $5 magazine with a lot of photos similar to what I want to make. These are my thoughts, questions to myself, notes, and my take on other’s home interior photographs thanks to “Kitchen and Bath Ideas” magazine:

What height do the photos appear to be taken at?

In most of the wide, full-room shots, the camera is set 12″-20″ above the counter tops or main-table’s height; this means the camera would sit about 5-6 feet off the ground. This is the one instance where you could almost get away with taking a photo in a normal standing position. However, I think getting a step stool is the best way to get the height you need, and I will go up to about 6.5 feet on my shots so the angle is not exactly eye level- I don’t particularly like that “natural” perspective.

Notes: I approximate the camera height to be 5-6 feet off the ground, assuming the table is about 3.5 feet high. Notice the towel draping off the kitchen table, I assume this was intentional to make it appear more “real” and as if someone was just in there. Lastly, the large depth of field is noticeable, in that the foreground edge of the table is in focus, as well as the hands of the clock in the background.

Does there seem to be any artificial lighting in the scene?

Generally, no. Whether or not some big soft boxes were used is entirely beyond me, but most interior photos will rely on natural lighting because it is generally very soft, and is the most pleasing. However, this can be a challenge, and reminds you to both schedule shoots in the morning or evening so the light is not too harsh, as well as take note of any trouble areas where the light may be too direct (big window facing the east for a morning shoot = sunny!). Reflectors will become your friends, and can help fill shadowed crevices in a scene.

Notes: The blinds have been pulled on the left-side of the main kitchen window to most likely diffuse the light (make it softer), while there also looks like a light source hitting the right side of the kitchen table- hallway with a window, or flash? The ratio of floor-to-ceiling interests me, as it is usually about this amount, say 80% floor, 20% ceiling. Lastly, there is one chair that is turned, giving the scene an element of a “real” house. Estimated camera height, 6 feet.

Are the windows completely blown out, over-exposed, or exposed the same as the interior?

For windows that are not covered, they are generally very over exposed. If at all possible, this is usually the most reasonable and desirable look. If windows are properly exposed, too much attention is brought too them, and more importantly, the window can no longer can act as a fill light. This said, blown-out, overexposed ANYTHING is bad, so try to keep the windows in your histogram!

On a scale from 1-10, how “perfect” is the decor and table items set/placed? Is it un-natural looking?

Usually about a 9. As mentioned above, there are usually some elements, whether it be a towel, a chair, food, or decor that lends itself to the idea of someone actually living in the room or space photographed, but everything in the good photographs is clean as a whistle and straight as an arrow.

Notes: There has been particular attention paid to how the towels are both hung, folded, and placed. This photo uses a lower angle, placing the camera just above table height. This scene would most likely not have such pleasant light if it weren’t for the overhead skylight. This angle (very straight-on) is attractive, and captures this tight space well.

Is it good to have many, few, or no vibrant items in the scene (such as flowers, linens, accesories, etc)?

Vibrant items such as flowers and fruit are very common, as they provide color, “freshness”, and a sense of a livable space. They are however used in moderation, and my findings are that while they are vibrant, they are most likely single colored, which makes them unobtrusive to the scene; accents generally are single colored in whatever type of artform you look at.

Notes: The plants and flowers take on vibrant single color accents, and are placed sparingly. This straight-on angle taken just above table-level works well as it creates nice symmetry with the overhead lights, and allows the table’s angles to show depth.

Is it the job of the photographer to allow room in the photograph for text or copy?

It appears as though the job of the photographer is to take great photos. There may, in some cases, be collaborations with graphic designers if the photo shoot is for a specific campaign or purpose, but in my experience, and in my research, there is no room for special treatment and it is the layout departments job to place the text appropriately.

What are your findings on depth of field (DOF)?

Simple- very large depth of field for wide photos, very shallow for closer details photos. When taking a photo of an entire room you want people to notice ALL the details, not just one, so keeping your aperture between 5.6-10 is good (test it though!). When getting photos of single objects, the background blur is very pleasing, and is sure to highlight whatever you choose on putting in focus.

Notes: Notice the narrow depth of field, only keeping particular objects in focus. Also, faucets are running in 75% of the photos that have a faucet as a semi-important part of the scene.

What about focal length?

This is probably the toughest one for me to judge. Wide-angle lenses will distort the edges of the frame, while a lens much past 50mm will be too tight for any normal sized house. I personally use a 35mm for most wide interior shots, and I anticipate that this is about what others use. The 35mm is “wider”, but doesn’t give that “bubbly” look that say, a 24mm will give. An as for a 50mm, I just think thats getting a little tight for full-room photos.

The tighter, more detailed photos are most likely using anything between a 50mm and a 200mm (for that “zoomed” look). There are a few instances where a macro lens can provide some added detail by getting really close to a special texture, such as hardwood floors, granite counter tops, or tiling.

Notes: This photo likely used a focal length from 50mm to 110mm (my guess), as the cabinet’s corners and edges are very straight, and not rounded by a wider angle lens. The tilted and colorful thumb-tac’ed cards and invitations give this cabinet a “fun” factor. The three books on the top shelf are stacked both ways, as it created a nice break in horizontal and vertical lines.

Notes: Two zoomed shots, the left side showing very tight and crisp angles. The right side showing the counter-top in full use, making toast for the entire neighborhood.

Portrait or Landscape? Panorama?

This can depend on both the limitations of the room, and/or where the photo is supposed to end up. Most rooms are going to “want” a landscape photograph; it makes the room look bigger, and can include everything from chairs to full counter-tops. However, there will be instances where you can’t get camera gear through a door, so the a portrait-style photo will be best for capturing all the details. I personally find that panorama stitching is a lifesaver, and I always will take my panoramas as set of portrait-style photographs.

Notes: The most interesting thing about this scene is the two place settings with full glasses of water; no food, just empty soup bowls, spoons, and glasses of water. The yellow and green fruit, along with the flowers provide nice accents to the rather dull, tan-themed kitchen. All counter tops are visible, which puts the camera somewhere around 6 feet off of the ground.