Need help with indoor architectural shots

[LittleMike]

I work at a custom cabinet shop that specializes in high-end, million dollar homes. I talked to the owner today after work, and asked him if he would be interested in getting any pictures of the work we do after it has been installed in the homes. He got very excited and said they have hired photographers to do it in the past, but havn't had any do it in quite some time. He and one of the co-owners started thinking of a few nearby jobsites they could send me to in the coming month to see how I do. They said if they liked my work, they would continue to use me for any of their upcoming jobs they want to use for advertising.

But herein lies my problem...I've never done this kind of photography before :lmao: I know I have a lot to learn, and have thrown myself into a sink or swim situation, but I am determined to make this work. Most of my experience lies in scenic, but I have done some portraits and stock-car racing as well. I am thinking of trying pull principles from those that will help me with this. For example, in a kitchen I would want to use the island as a foreground, while thinking of the upper cabinets as "mountains" I would look for in the distance with scenery. Or if I wanted to highlight the hardware, I think it would be geared more towards portraits and shallow depth of field. I am learning about how to form leading lines, which is really going to be a key factor in this.

I guess I have several questions about this kind of work. I have a fairly good knowledge of photography in general, but this seems to be a little different. For example, I've seen several uses of symmetry rather than the rule of thirds.

Another question that arrises is the height from which the picture is taken. From what I have seen, if you are trying to showcase an entire room the picture is generally taken from eye-level, right?

Does anyone have any websites they could refer me to so I can see more examples of this kind of photography? All I have really seen is what the company I work for has posted on their website: Riverwoods Mill, Inc. On the bottom of the screen is a gallery and portfolio link.

Now with all of this being said, I feel I have a very good idea of what to showcase. I have been in the cabinetry industry for a few years now, and am a co-lead in the finish department. I know what is most attractive and appealing about our products, I just need to find a way to showcase it.

As far as my equipment goes, I'll be using a 5DmkII w/24-105 lens, and am thinking of renting a 17-40 in case the need for wide-angle arrises. I will also have a 550ex flash, along with different umbrellas/reflectors/diffusers as the need arrises. However, from what they were telling me they have generally liked pictures taken using only the available lighting in the home. Keep in mind these homes are designed to accentuate the architecture.

Any and all advice is extremely appreciated! Thanks again!!

Mike

 

[clanthar]

Gotta use a tripod.

Lighting is your biggest problem. If you're going to try and work with the available light in the room without bringing in supplemental lights then get good at using Photoshops Automate to HDR process.

Joe

 

[Patrice]

To get an idea of how you might go about it look at the websites of high end builders and renovators. Their web sites have many examples of this type of photography, some very executed, others not so much.

A couple of things stand out:
-rectilinear wide angle lens. Does not need to be a 1.4 or 2.8 because you need depth of field so you'll be using f5.6, f8 and maybe even f16. Curved lines can ruin these types of images.
-low aperture means longer shutter speed which means tripod. Always get the most you can afford in tripods.
-interiors mean artificial lighting. Assess your flash skills and equipment and adjust either one as necessary. You don't need a lot but you need to know how to use it very well. The scenes need to be evenly lit but not to the point of boredom. White balance is lumped in here with lighting and you need to pay attention. The home's existing lighting will be a mixture of daylight, incandescent and fluorescent in a multitude of temperatures.