Email Answer: Snap To It
Q: Do you guys have any tips for photographing your rooms? I’m actually listing my house for sale and thinking of snapping some photos (for memories and also to help with the flier) but I want them to look great. Any and all tricks, tips and suggestions are appreciated! – Leslie
A: We totally feel your pain. When we started our blog and were suddenly tasked with sharing photos we had no idea how to make rooms look their best (hence all the fugly pictures way back in our archives). But we did learn our fair share of simple tricks (mostly through trial and error) along the way- and we’re happy to share the goods. First of all, we’re definitely not professional photographers and we don’t have a fancy expensive camera. We snap every picture that you see on our blog (including all the “after” pictures on our House Tour page) with a Canon PowerShot SD1100-IS Digital Elph. It’s a small 8 megapixel camera that has great little features like a macro setting, an image stabilizer, and a manual setting (which we use 100% of the time so we can turn the flash off- pictures look so much better without it!).
So that’s tip #1: turn on all the lights and take your photos during the day without the flash. Opening up the blinds to let in the light stream in and turning on all the lamps during the day will create a soft glowing ambiance instead of blowing things out in the foreground while leaving everything dark in the background (which often happens when you use the flash). Sunny days are great for room photos so aim for those but try not to take pictures when the sun is shining directly into the room onto the rug or the furniture and casting harsh shadows (you might want to wait a few hours for it to shift slightly).
Now for tip #2: tweak the room first. Really look around the space and see what you can do to enhance the look of the room before picking up the camera and snapping away. Some seemingly obvious (but often forgotten) ideas would be lighting any and all candles, fluffing pillows, picking up dog or kid toys on the floor, and even making a fire in the fireplace (or lighting some large pillar candles in lieu of logs). Little flickering touches of light around the room are like jewelry- they’ll add a nice warm sparkle and a certain je ne sais quois that the same space wouldn’t have when they’re not lit. At the same token, small toys on the floor and flat mashed couch pillows take a little bit away from the polished image that you might be trying to capture. And it definitely saves you time to make these small changes before you take all of your photos and upload them only to notice a bunch of little things that you wish you had changed.
And now for tip #3: take a test shot. It just takes one picture to really “see” a room in a way that you can’t see it in person. By grabbing one shot in the beginning and looking at it critically, you might notice other details in a room that you’d like to change (instead of spotting them after snapping away for an hour). We’ve identified everything from wonky curtains (which were easily shifted on the rod to look more balanced) to the fact that we needed a shot of color in a bland corner (easily accomplished by switching out a throw pillow). This little test shot is a great “last look” before you really give your fingers a workout and snap your final room photos (and it really can make all the difference in your after pics). For example, after shooting a test shot of the kitchen below, we added the dishcloth draped over the sink and the cutting board with tomatoes on it for more interest (and to balance out the splash of red in the art to the right of the sink). Oh and on a side note, bowls of fresh fruit- we love real lemons and limes- make great (and cheap!) centerpieces in a dining room, eat-in kitchen, and even on a living room coffee table. Especially if you’re staging your house to sell.
This brings us to tip #4: work those angles. We take a lot of pictures just to get one that we love. And when I say a lot, I mean anywhere from 25-75 or more (especially when it comes to capturing “after” photos for a big reveal). Try standing on a chair to get an alternate angle or squatting down a bit to make the ceilings feel higher. Shooting from each corner of the room and the center of each wall will also help you evaluate which points of view look best. You can even put the camera on a tripod if your hands aren’t very steady (especially when you have the flash off, you’ll need to keep the camera still to get crisp delicious photos).
And now for tip #5: don’t forget to go tall instead of long. You’ll find a fair amount of vertical after photos on our House Tour page, which might seems strange since you can get a wider shot with more furniture by turning the camera and grabbing a horizontal pic. The key here is again to take a plethora of pictures, both horizontal and vertical. Sometimes the furniture layout just looks better (and the ceilings look higher) in the vertical photos. And sometimes the wide shots will win out for their overarching views. We’re consistently surprised how often we’re drawn to certain vertical shots though, so they’re definitely worth taking (they might just be your favs in the end).
Then there’s tip #6: think about zones and function. Sometimes your instinct will be to cram as much of the room into the shot as possible, but if you’re shooting a small office area that’s within a larger den, you might not want to capture half of the TV and the seating area when the focus should be on the desk. Try taking a few steps forward to spotlight that specific zone instead of capturing half of another area that could look disjointed and busy if it’s wedged into frame.
Oh and we can’t forget tip #7: it’s all in the details. We love using the “macro” setting on our camera if we’re doing a close up detail shot (like trying to capture the weave in our jute rug or the soft veining in our granite counters). This built-in camera setting makes things look extremely clear and crisp when they’re up close without any photographic skill required on your part (except for keeping the camera nice and still of course). While this might not be as applicable for snapping wide room pictures for listing your house, it’ll definitely come in handy if you’re taking any shots for memories (and have a particular detail or arrangement that you want to remember long after you move).
And now for tip #8: practice makes perfect. We’re still learning different angles and approaches to picture taking as we go. Don’t wait until you’re under pressure to snap a gorgeous picture (to sell your house or document your baby’s first birthday). Just pick up the camera and start clicking away so by the time something imperative pops up you’ll have more experience and more confidence with your cam. If you go back into our archives it’s obvious that we were terrrrrrrrible photographers when we started blogging back in 2007. But thankfully over the course of a few months we definitely started to hit our stride (heck, we’re still hoping to get better after more than two years of regularly clicking away).
So that’s our non-professional-learn-on-the-job approach to photography. Now we wanna hear what you guys do to get the shot. Any additional pointers for Leslie (and us). Do tell.
If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Hey Amy,
They’re called Pashmina granite and we got them through the Home Depot. We’ve heard that they have since been discontinued through HD but any local stone yard should have them (just not by that name). So you can visit one and just describe them as white and gray granite that looks like marble and has obvious gray veins and flecks of garnet. They should know what you’re talking about and show you our exact stone. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
One tip I haven’t seen yet, think about your audience when you are taking the picture. If you are taking the picture to put on your decorating blog your image will focus on the furniture, decor, wall color, window coverings etc, and a little bit on the architecture of the house. If however you are taking pictures to help sell your house, focus less on the furniture or decor (since that will be going with you) and more on the space, architectural features (french doors, arched doorways, windows, fireplaces, hardwood floors etc).
Regarding the Linens and Things comment. Even though they are (sadly) closed they do have an online store: http://www.lnt.com/. I’m not sure where they ship to or what products they have but it’s still worth a shot to take a look for those Linens and Things lovers.
These are great tips. This is definitely something I struggle with too, so Leslie, you are not alone! I think getting a little tripod set-up would be helpful for me. A chair works sometimes but not when I want to be up a little higher.
EXCELLENT advice. I’ve recently begun taking ALL my pictures without a flash. I either place it on the “kids and pets” or “athletics” function for a faster shutter speed, or I adjust the tuning later with Picasa (or photoshop, depending on how much work I want to put into it).
Thanks for mentioning portrait instead of landscape. I never knew that, and I appreciate the advice!
Keep up the tremednously good work!
icj,
~j
This is random, but where did you get that giant shell in your kitchen? (I believe you have fruit in it) I have been looking for one! Thanks!
Hey Lauren,
It’s actually from http://www.zgallerie.com and we believe they still sell it. Just search “clam shell” (happily, it’s faux). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Thanks for the great tips guys! I always admire how fresh and bright your house looks but can never seem to achieve that in photos of my own house. Partly to blame is the fact that I only seem to have time to photograph things after work, ie. at night time, so that doesn’t help!
Great post! I struggle with taking acceptable photos for my blog, but it’s nice to know you guys didn’t start out taking pics like you do now. I appreciate that you don’t use a fancy camera, either (in fact, we use the same one). All that potential is there in mine, just waiting to be achieved! I just did a master bedroom reveal on my blog, and I’m getting ready to go back and light candles, take pictures during the day, and try different angles to see if there’s room for improvement! Thanks YHL =)
Master bedroom reveal: http://welcometoheardmont.com/2010/02/master-bedroom-redo-the-big-reveal/
Great tips and wonderful examples! One of the many things I love about your blog is the quality of the photos. For digital camera reviews and news, you can’t beat dpreview.com. I buy only cameras their reviewers rate as “highly recommended” and love the side-by-side comparison you can do of several cameras. I now have a Panasonic Lumix G1 and LOVE it. My other recommendation is Shutterfly.com — I upload my photos and make prints, personalized cards, photo books of vacations and special events, magnets, calendars, and more. Plus once the Beanette is born, you can upload your photos into virtual “albums” there and send them to family and friends — all free.
It can be so difficult to find the right angle to capture a room sometimes; thanks for the tips!
Awesome tips; thanks for the no flash idea… I never would have guessed!
I have to admit that I cannot stop looking at your desk picture! We have a ranch, kind of like yours, but only have one living space (no den, no sun porch); the living room also functions as entryway, mail clutter collection area, mudroom, and we’re hoping to add office functionality (to replace the mail clutter function). We even have a goofy room divider like the one you took out next to your front door and a mail slot that spills our mail all over the entry space.
I would love to know what makes your desk tick… is that ottoman the sole “file cabinet” for your house, or do you spread them across all the storage ottomans (most of my box-style storage functions as stash-the-mess-before-guests-arrive storage, hence the need for functional storage solutions)? Where does all of your mail go? What is inside of all your nifty desktop containers? Do you feel like you need more drawers on your desk? Wastebasket or recycle container? I’m ready to buy a desk solution yesterday, and just cannot figure out what will work the best, and it seems like you have an uber functional uber tidy desk (perhaps we’re just missing out on the “messy desk” pictures?… I have to say, I am one of those readers that enjoys seeing your “messy house” every now and then during your big transformations!) Maybe you’ve already posted about this and could link me back to it? I dig your blog!
Yup here’s a link with all that info for ya:
http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/04/how-ya-bin/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Love your site and need your wisdom. I loooove chandeliers! Unfortunately, I live in a home with 9 ft ceilings and a tall husband. Do you have any advice to get some bling in my ceiling without decapitating my husband? (Particularly my entryway and living room…)
Just flush mount something (hang it higher to the ceiling instead if dangling it) like we did with our capiz chandelier in our master bedroom (check out our house tour tab under the header for a visual). We only have 8 foot ceilings and John is over 6′ but it works! You can also place them where no one will walk below them, like above a dining table or a coffee table in the middle of the living room. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I think when selling your house and taking pictures you won’t to remember to purge all your personal items and clutter items. No one wants to see pictures of your kids or dogs all over your house. It makes people uncomfortable when house hunting. They feel like they are invading someones space instead of looking at the house on a buying perspective. Also, when I was house hunting I hated looking at pictures of cluttered counters and messy rooms. It is best to declutter and organize, even if you have to store a bunch of stuff during the process.
Try to keep the walls and floors level. Keeping the vertical lines vertical gives a better impression of a room or space than one that is “off kilter.”
Absolutely love your house and your blog. Where did you get your armless chairs? the one in the living room and one in the den? I am looking for a pair. You always have great posts–very inspiring! thanks!
They’re actually from Target and they’re called “Dolce Lounge Chairs” – they come in a tan and a sage tone (we have the creamy-tan ones). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I love these tips! Thank you! I have a hard time shooting in manual and getting it just right but I will try try again.
I am in love with the yellow rug under your coffee table. Where did you get that? and do they have other colors?
Thank you for all your inspiration!
Hey Becky,
It’s from Pottery Barn (called the Moorish Tile rug) but they don’t sell it anymore so maybe you can try ebay? They came in brown and orange too so you have a few options. Happy hunting!
xo,
s
Great tips.
I recently read a recommendation to use a tripod and low shutter speed and no overhead lights. It seems to work.
Great tips! and I have had the best luck with Target’s instant photo printing.!
I have an off topic question for you. What wall paint color is that in the room with the yellow rug?? I’m starting to look for paint colors for . well basically my entire living area, since my apartment is all open floor plan (except for bedrooms!) and I want something that will make all my color pop but not be boring (i’m an anti white wall kind of gal)
Thanks!
Great Post!
A couple of things that have made a huge difference in our listing photos. Biggie – have a wide angle lens especially for those tight spots; i.e. bathrooms and hallways that lead to another room. Take landscape photos late afternoon to avoid either direct sunlight. A good (free) photo editor is Google’s Picasa.
great advice! i do have a random question, not so much a/b taking pictures. what type of countertops do you have in the kitchen (color/stone)? i noticed a close-up of the counters in one of the kitchen pictures and really liked the look. we are looking to paint our cabinets and change the countertop. thanks!