When it comes to lighting interiors, the photographer has to keep in mind many things. Who the client is, the purpose for which the shoot is done, what their requirements and priorities are etc.
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| interior photography lighting techniques |
Remember different clients have different requirements; one can get a fair understanding about the preferred style of the client by communicating with them and by going through their recent published works. It is based on this that the photographer decides the lighting approach.
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| interior photography lighting tips |
In general most architectural and interior shoots are commissioned by three groups of people, architects and interior designers, real estate agents and editorial clients. As an architecture photographer it pays to have a good understanding of the general requirements of each of these clients..
Architects and Interior Design Firms
Architects and interior designers expect much higher quality than real estate agents. They are more interested in showcasing the functionality and aesthetics of a building and its interiors. Ultra wide angle shots will be few, and emphasis would be more on details rather than on exaggerating floor space. Furniture and other décor items now become more important than the spaces; pay special attention to design elements like drapes, color of walls, furniture, paintings, light fittings etc. The lighting should be such that it captures the mood of the scene, so very minimal fill lighting will be most common approach. The important thing to remember here is that there should be continuity in lighting, i.e the lighting scheme for the room as a whole should match the lighting used for detail shots.
Real Estate Agents
The purpose of real estate photography is to mainly illustrate different spaces and their relationships there by conveying a feeling of the property as a whole. Real estate agents in general will ask you to shoot with your widest lens to make the interiors look spacious, will also prefer to add as many windows in the compositions as possible to show that the space receives a lot of daylight, it also creates an airy, fresh look to the images. Use strong fill light to get a much brighter looking interior.
Editorial Clients
The goal here is to portray the property in the most appealing fashion. Pick pleasing angles so as to make it desirable. Editorial clients like magazines have to be dealt with care. As each have their own way of showcasing interiors. Some prefer using normal lenses to wide angle lenses so as to maintain a natural perspective; to show the space as it is seen by the human who is physically present there. They also differ in their opinion as to whether or not interior lights are to be turned on while photographing. Some go by the logic that normally artificial lights are turned on only during dull weather conditions while others prefer to include the atmosphere rendered by the lighting designers and also show details like the lamp shades used. What all of them commonly agree is that the pictures should capture the mood or atmosphere of the space. They also prefer to schedule most of their shoots during summer months as they do not want to showcase dull days to their clients. Lighting approach is more or less similar to what is done for interior design firms but should match the individual preference of the clients.
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