If you want to show off your home in the most spectacular pictures imaginable, styling it is an important part of the process. Here are 4 important steps to take when styling your home for a photo shoot:
1. Evaluate the Lighting
Light is one of the most important elements in any photograph. Before you schedule a photo shoot in your home, it’s beneficial to spend some time evaluating whether or not there is a time of day when each room is at its best. Ideally, you’ll want to schedule your photo shoot for a time when your rooms will be bathed in natural light.
There are some situations where sufficient natural light isn’t available at any time of day. Perhaps your windows are small or the light is blocked by trees or buildings. Keep in mind that there are steps you can take to get more light into your home— like pruning your trees if they’re blocking your windows. But if you can’t avoid using some interior lighting during the photo shoot, you’ll usually get the best results by supplementing with daylight bulbs that mimic the look of natural light.
Be aware that your existing lights may not be ideal or even sufficient for properly lighting your photos. In that case, consider using portable lights like the ones offered by Spectrum studio lighting.
2. Clean, Spruce Up, Edit and Remove Clutter
A dirty or cluttered environment is never going to photograph its best – so get out your feather duster, broom and mop to make every surface spotless.
You may be among the Australians who have too much clutter at home. Clutter rarely photographs well. If your environment is overly crowded, you’ll want to consider removing some items before the day of the photo shoot.
Not sure what to remove and what to keep? Start here. But if you can’t bear to part with things like receipts and old greeting cards, at least file them rather than leaving them out on the counter or table tops to be photographed.
3. Set the Mood by Choosing Suitable Photo Props
What mood do you want to evoke in your finished photos? Choose photo props that will help you capture that mood in the pictures.
If the home doesn’t already have an abundance of greenery and flowers incorporated into the décor, it would benefit from the addition of potted plants or a prominently placed floral arrangement. If you’re hoping to capture a romantic mood, roses are the ideal flowers to work with. If the look is more mid-century modern, a Split Leaf Philodendron or Monstera plant might be the ideal houseplant for capturing the retro mood you’re trying to evoke.
Other photo props can also be useful. In a baby’s nursery, a well-placed teddy bear, toy or baby blanket can help to create the right mood. In the kitchen, a bowl of pears or lemons would add an element of liveliness to the photos.
4. Rearrange Furnishings As Necessary
It may be necessary to take some artistic liberties with furniture or accessory placement to capture exactly the right photograph. Don’t be afraid to push your furniture pieces closer together or shuffle them around a bit if that’s what it takes to achieve an aesthetically pleasing composition in the finished photos.
Styling your home for a photo shoot isn’t difficult, but it does require time and attention to detail. If you decide you want to outsource your photo shoot, I invite you to get in touch with me to discuss the possibility of working together.Thanks for your interest!
