Photography & Styling tips

Great photography can really sell your product online or in marketing brochures. It's the first thing that people see when they're looking at what you have to offer. Every home magazine has a stylist to arrange the props before the shoot: everything from candles to lamps, flowers and food are brought in to add some ‘pop’ to the shot.

1. Take advantage of daylight

You can always turn on a lamp or two to create artificial illumination, but natural light makes for better pictures. Try to minimise the use of flash as it can create shine and glare. Before taking your shots, open the blinds, remove the curtains, and let the sun shine in.

Daylight

Artificial illumination

2. A room is more than corners

People don't want to see just the corners of your rooms. Stand in a doorway to get a more encompassing shot, or open a window and shoot from outside. You should try to fit in as much of the room as you can.

3. Clear the clutter & minimise the furniture

Nobody likes clutter. Remove any ornaments, furniture or items that are overpowering the photo. By clearing the clutter, you can show the room without the distractions.

image via cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com

4. The wide shot
Position yourself in the corner of the room. Try to centre the key elements and cut out as much of the ceiling as possible. If you don't have a wide-angle lens, or you cannot capture the whole room in one shot, then do it a piece at a time.

5. Close-ups
Don't just stand still and zoom in; move the camera to capture interesting details. Frame the key elements well, and make sure there are other things in the photo that complement them.
Home magazines aren’t just selling products, they’re selling a lifestyle. So you’ll notice on most shoots, the houses have fresh flowers in the living room, cupcakes on the table, and drinks by the pool.

6. Focus

If your camera has a self-timer, use it for low-light shots. If you don’t have a tripod, simply set your camera on something solid like a table or a counter or even a pile of books, compose the shot and start the self-timer. The lack of camera shake means you’ll be able to take good quality shots even by candlelight. For tricky camera placements, I use a GorillaPod and I love how flexible it is.

7. Get some perspective

Don't take all your photos from the same vantage point. Stand on a chair, lie on the floor, and experiment. You’ll get a whole new perspective on your home.

8. Go digital

A digital camera allows you to take as many photos as you like, so go crazy and try new things. You never know what you might come up with. Professionals take hundreds of shots to get the one or two that go in the magazine, so don’t be discouraged if all your photos aren’t brilliant.

9. Editing
Edit your photos. To do this you’ll need a photo editing program and there are lots to choose from, many of which are free. In the beginning, you’ll mostly be cropping the shots, adjusting the brightness, contrast or colours. It’s easy to get started so give it a go.

Cropped out some unnecessary space, which draws even more attention to the great product.

10. Share this tips with your friends 

Hope you have fun with it and don’t forget to Like and share it with your friends.