Interior design photography is a commercial genre of photography that is associated with the imaging of design elements, furnishings, and artefacts within an architectural space or environment. This genre of photography is interconnected with and compliments architectural photography and real estate photography.
Interior design and real estate photography
Most photographers that specialise in interior design photography will also be familiar with architectural and real estate photography. An architectural photographer not only captures a building, but also many of the interior design aspects of the build. A real estate photographer on the other hand, although focussed mainly on the building, may also capture some interior design aspects.
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Clients
Clients of interior design photography include interior designers, architects, builders, home style magazines, home product manufacturers and retailers, and to a minor extent – real estate agents (by association with real estate home sales).
Interior designers may engage a photographer to capture their staged wares in an architectural environment, so it is common for interior designers to work closely with architects on a project. The architect will design the structure and may appoint an interior designer to suggest fittings, colour schemes and furnishings.
Expectations of architectural photographers
When a photographer is assigned by an architect or builder to photograph a final and staged building or structure the contract for the work will almost always be between the architect and the photographer and it will usually exclude the interior designer. However, it is very common for interior designers to expect copies of photographs that feature their work.
License rights
It is important for the photographer to include a non-transferrable, non-sub-licensable and non-exclusive licences of the photographs to the architect or builder. If the interior designer were to require copies of the photos from the assignment, then the Interior Designer should contact the photographer to be issued the photographs for an additional licencing fee.
Composition of interior design photography
Composition can be a critical element of interior design photography. Where real estate photography usually requires most shots to be wide, interior design photography will require tighter shots, including compositions such as straight on, deep or shallow depth of field (depending on the subject), detailed shots (zoomed-in imagery) and before and after shots where required. Your clients are likely to suggest compositions, so take note of their requirements.
Additionally, as you gain more experience in interior design photography you will be able to suggest better compositions to your client.
Direction
The interior designer, architect or builder will often direct the photographer during the assignment. So be patient with your client! They will likely have spent considerable time and budget on the interior designs, so listen to their requirements and ensure you deliver on them as requested.
Interior design photography is a commercial genre associated with the imaging of design elements, furnishings, and artefacts within an architectural space or environment.
Photo aspect
Portrait orientation (vertical aspect) is a common requirement for interior design photography. Vertical oriented photos will often provide magazines with better placement options, and it will give interior designers more pleasing results when sharing photos in social media where vertically oriented photos look much better on mobile devices.
Verticals
The importance of ensuring all, or at least most, of interior design photographs to have straight verticals and horizontals cannot be understated. Verticals in photography means ensuring vertical and horizontal edges are precisely vertical. The camera must be set up horizontal to achieve this, or by the use of a tilt-shift lens.
Time
The length of an interior design shoot can range from an hour for more basic requests to a full day or more where entire projects are required to be photographed. Payment for interior design photography will usually be calculated by the number or photographs delivered, by the hour or as a day rate.
Post-processing
The photographer or their carefully selected editor must be proficient in editing interior design photos, especially where the images are to be used in a magazine or by an architect.
Interior design lighting
Interior design photography will commonly be done with lights off. This is so that natural shadows can be maintained throughout, and has the additional benefit of reducing white balance issues. However, the addition of flash to fill dark shadows or to create new ones can also be included.
Lights on or lights off
It may also be the preference of the client or even you as the photographer to keep lights on during the assignment. Keeping lights on will most likely introduce white balance issues, however this can be overcome by the introduction of flash to bring back correct colours. Blending layers in post-processing can bring back natural shadows while maintaining correct colours.
Portfolios
Maintain a web presence of your interior design photography through a website portfolio and on your social accounts at TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
Interior design photograpers work with interior designers!
The interior design photographer will need and eye for good composition.
