Are phone pictures good enough to show clients? Phone verses professional interior photography

The simple answer to this is no. That is not just because I am an interior photographer its because in the majority of cases they just don’t cut it.

So what is the difference? Most phone pictures look ok don’t they?

If you compare a phone picture of an interior with a professional one there is no comparison. A professional interior photograph is a fair bit more complicated that pointing the camera and taking the shot.

Many things are taken into consideration before the photographer even presses the shutter button.

COMPOSITION

What is it the client wants to be highlighted here and what is the best angle, height to take it from. You need to put together a good set of images. Line and symmetry are important to look for. The area must be clutter free as much as is humanly possible! Hiding cables, fire extinguishers, printers, white boards, stationary etc will help out with the finished look and also testing the photographers photoshopping skills. Offices must have all chairs aligned and at the same height. Screens should be at the same heights and angles.

LIGHTING

Many new fit outs often have good lighting now as opposed to the awful strip lighting of the past! Often lots of money and thought has gone into creating lighting effects and this should be taken into account. You will also often find very bright light coming through far windows as opposed to darker areas in the foreground and this should all be accounted for by the photographer. Blown out or overly bright windows look terrible. If the view outside is not great then just a small amount of window detail is fine. This is done by either lighting the foreground a little with some bounce flash and exposing for the window or by bracketing the image at different exposures and compositing in post production.

EQUIPMENT

Professional equipment is a must to produce high quality professional images and the obvious one is the camera! Lenses are just as important as is additional lighting equipment if needed and a good quality tripod. Shooting interiors requires a narrow aperture to get the whole image sharp most times and so stabilising the camera is critical.

If you shoot tethered ie to a laptop to see the image instantly then a decent laptop is needed also. This is a great way of showing the client in real time what the composition of the image is like.

POST PRODUCTION

Post production can take as long as the shoot itself. Especially if compositing the image is required to bring in windows, darker areas or people. Editing the image is like the digital equivalent of the darkroom and the interior photographer will be ensuring that colour balance is correct and lines are straight. Wonky lines just will not do! All unwanted or distracting elements are removed such as sprinklers in the ceiling, stray cables, signs on walls etc.

HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT THE CLIENT

It may appear at first glance if you have never had professional interior photography done before that the cost is too much. However the benefits are huge and will pay for the photography costs with increased business, a professional looking improved brand and engagement with your ideal clients.

When you look at the time it takes to produce the finished photos, the skill, knowledge and equipment required by the photographer, I think it’s money well spent, but then I would wouldn’t I!