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Secrets to Professional Home Photography

If you’ve perused projects by LDa Architecture & Interiors, one of the first things you’ll notice is the amazing photography (and of course, the beautiful homes showcased). But have you ever wondered how the photography looks so good? Yes, they’re professional taken images…but a lot more goes into it than you may think! Amanda Hanley of LDa Architecture & Interiors talks with their photographer Sean Litchfield on how they get the photography down to perfection.

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Q: How did you both start working together?

Amanda: The professional photographers we use have either been working with us since before I started at LDa, or are found through direct mail or research on my part. By far, though, I select new photographers from the postcards or emails they send. If the image is compelling, I’ll check out their website and ask them in for an interview. I look for strong portfolios for sure, but I also try to gauge whether they’ll be good collaborators. They have to be willing to work with us to meet our needs – no prima donnas. I could tell right away that Sean would be a good fit. When looking for a remote photographer, for say a home outside New England, I usually start looking at the local architecture awards – award winning projects are typically shot by the best photographers in that area.

Sean: I started working with Amanda after researching architects and interior designers around Boston. I was really drawn to the work at LDa and knew I'd enjoy photographing for them. I sent out little hand-written note cards explaining who I am and what I do, accompanied by a few small portfolio-quality prints. I got an email from Amanda a few days later and we set up a time to come in to look at my portfolio and talk about the work at LDa. We've been working together quite often ever since.

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Q: How do you prepare for a shoot?

Amanda: On my end, we start by reaching out to the client to schedule a shoot day as well as to familiarize them with what professional photography entails. Many people are surprised that a shoot can last for 12 hours, not to mention the amount of people and equipment necessary. Secondly, we think about staging. On a typical shoot that means flowers and food items for the kitchen. For a home that is less lived in, we may source art, furniture or additional decorative items.

Sean: I usually get an email from Amanda at least a couple weeks before the shoot date. I try to gather as much information as possible about the space so I can be better prepared for what it is exactly we need to capture. We then confirm a date and time, usually around 9 AM. Since I own most of my gear, there isn't much preparation needed on my end. I will, of course, charge my batteries, clean lenses, check off to make sure everything is there (twice!), and pack it all up the night before so I can get up and go first thing the next day.

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Q: How do you decide what images you want to capture?

Amanda: Once a shoot is scheduled, I’ll usually take a look at any construction photos we have and then sit down with the architect and a floor plan. We’ll talk about the unique features of the home, and what are the primary areas we need to capture – how to best tell the story of the project. We’ll mark up a floor plan which will serve as a rough shot list. I also try to take into consideration where we intend to use the images, for example design awards usually prefer shots that capture the entirety of a project, whereas publications tends to be more interested in lifestyle-oriented detail shots. We try to take a balanced mix of more documentary, portfolio-type shots, and softer interior vignettes.

Sean: Like Amanda said, it's about telling the story of the space. Everything the architects and interior designers do is very intentional and specific so we want to make sure we're capturing what the project is all about. Amanda will point out certain architectural details that are important to capture and I try to make compositions around them. I always err on the side of shooting more than I need. It's great to be able to present a lot of options, especially detail shots. They help break up the series of wide, overall shots, which can get tiring for the viewer flipping through.

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Q: Can you describe the shoot process?

Amanda: We arrive in the morning and unload our staging items and usually start by taking a tour of the project with Sean – discussing the areas we want to capture and outlining a rough plan of how we’re going to move through the house. Sean lets me know where he thinks the light will be best and when. We then pick our first room, and get to work. To minimize disruption for the homeowners, I’ll use my camera to take snapshot of the room, so that I can put everything back in its place. Then we work together to choose the best angle and start styling.

Sean: Light in these spaces can be so tricky so starting in a place where it's good is key. We'll try to predict where the sun will go throughout the day (there are some great iPhone apps to help with this) and take it from there. Once I get the image set up, Amanda checks my composition on a tethered laptop and makes any final adjustments to the styling, then I shoot a ton of different exposures and move on to the next shot. Amanda tries to stay a little bit ahead of me so she can start staging/styling the next shot. It makes for a smoother, more efficient work day.

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Q: What goes into styling an image?

Amanda: Once we’ve determined the angle of a shot, we start styling – moving items around, adding or moving items and adjusting furniture – this process is a bit instinctual, but I’m always looking for a balanced composition. This starts with the basics - are things like window shades all at the same height? Are the surfaces clean? Are the chairs all the same distance from the table? Look around and hide cords, smooth fabrics, neaten up the shelves, etc. Then you have to think about how your eye moves through the image, is your eye moving through the whole image or are you distracted by a particular object or area? Are you seeing that one bright yellow book on the bookshelf? Are the pillows evenly spaced on the couch? We keep making small adjustments until the image feels complete. I also spend time looking through shelter magazines to look for styling inspiration, it can be a great way to develop your “eye”.

Sean: This is the area that Amanda excels in. I do my best with composition and lighting but styling is not my area of expertise. I'm very careful with my edges. I never want something being awkwardly cut off or just poking in so I tweak the camera's position until it's the way I want it. It's strange, you can look at a space and to your eye it looks great, but the camera always sees something totally different. For instance, we may need to move a dining room table over to one side so that the chandelier appears to be centered over it. We also spend quite a bit of time neatening up the space. Hiding cords and smoothing fabrics is hugely important because it adds so much more time in post-production. Sometimes Amanda will have to hold a piece of art on the wall and I'll 'paste' it in later. It's a neat little trick and it's certainly helped with a lot of spaces that were more sparsely staged without nailing things to the wall. 

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Q: Any “Lessons Learned,” good or bad?

Amanda: Learning to take snapshots before we start styling was a big lesson for me, you’ll never remember exactly where everything was without help! I’m also trying to be better about styling consistency. If the red bowl with the pears is on the island, it shouldn’t appear on the breakfast table too – people definitely notice!

Sean: Definitely spend the time making sure everything is styled properly/cleaned/neatened up before shooting. While Photoshop is a great tool and I use it extensively on all my work, it's never any fun to sit at a computer for a half hour taking out a cord or smoothing wrinkles when it takes just seconds to do it 'in the field'.

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Q: What other advice do you have for a successful shoot?

Amanda: Do everything you can “on camera”, Photoshop is powerful tool, but don’t rely on it. If there’s a cord that needs to be hidden or dust on a table, fix those things on site.

Sean: Having a clear shot list is key. This way, you'll be sure not to miss anything and have to go back. It's also wise to review all the images taken at the end with your client to make sure they're happy with what you've captured.

LDa Architecture & Interiors

Q: How can non-professionals take better architectural/interiors images?

Amanda: I’ve learned so much from the pros. My photos have improved by getting a tripod, making sure the camera is level and turning off my flash – but I’ll let Sean answer this one!

Sean: It's really quite simple! Definitely use a tripod, level the camera and never use the flash. But there are a lot of other seemingly minor things that can help you make better images. Give the space a walk-through, clean up a bit, wash mirrors, counters and glass.  People will pay more attention to a mess than whatever it is you're photographing. If you're comfortable with your camera and the options are available, try some manual settings. Many cameras, even consumer models, have different settings to better suit the environment you're photographing. Take your camera off 'auto' and try using exposure compensation to make the image brighter/darker. If it's a dark room with a big window, your camera is likely taking an average light reading and you could end up with blown out highlights or lost shadows. Play with the lighting, too. Some rooms look better with the lights off especially if they cause weird shadows on the wall or act as big bright spots your eye goes to.

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