Great photos of your home are an invaluable tool for attracting location bookings and a lot of work goes into professional interior shoots. However, if you are not ready to hire a professional (or you are looking to up your Instagram game) here are some top tips to quickly and easily improve your interior photography on a phone or a camera.
A tripod is probably the most important piece of kit when photographing interiors, especially if using a camera. It reduces camera shake, which helps you photograph in lower light and keeps the camera level. Having your camera/phone on a tripod will help to compose and align your image correctly. Enable the grid feature ( to check that the dominant lines of the walls, floors and ceilings are straight and that you are taking the shot from a level position that does not give a skewed and awkward perspective. If you don’t have a grid you can do it by eye and make minor adjustments if needed in post production.
Shots taken at your full height can distort the look of the room and furniture so try shooting at around belly button height (or at the height of the light switches). Shooting lower allows you to balance your perspective as above and get a natural looking view that shows off the room.
Where possible it is best to use natural light when photographing home interiors. You want to let as much light into the room as possible so open the blinds and pull back the curtains. If necessary then a simple off camera flash is often all that is needed. Be sure to turn off ceiling lights as they are likely to affect the colour temperature of the images.
Adjust your position to get as much of the room into the shot as possible instead of using very wide angle or fisheye lenses (which will give your images an estate agency vibe that is best to avoid). Don’t be afraid to pick out details in separate shots too. Interesting corners, unique furnishings and beautifully styled areas are lovely additional shots, especially for social media.
Have a really good tidy before you get the camera out and consider what is going to be in shot. Is there anything underneath the sofa that might be visible if you look at it from belly button height for example? Plump up cushions and style the space, removing anything that does not contribute to the look and feel of the room. A good example is the bathroom, hide the bottles of brightly coloured branded shampoo, razor and toothpaste for example.
Avoid drastically altering your images and be wary of filters as they may adjust colours without your knowledge, which would give an inaccurate reflection of your space.
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