1. Find the most flattering angle. Move
around and look for pleasing angles. Show
off the good features and hide any bad
spots just by moving your position. Shoot
from several angles if you're not sure which
is best, then decide later.
2. Back up! Put yourself tight into a corner
or doorway to capture lots of the room.
Rarely will the middle of a room be the best
camera position.
3. Hold the camera straight, not inclining up
or down and not tilted to either side. Easy
method: the left and right edges of your
viewfinder should be exactly parallel with
vertical lines in the scene, such as doorways.
4. Use a tripod, even if it's a $10 discount
mart special. Holding the camera perfectly
still will save many shots that would be
ruined by a hand-held camera.
5. Use the self-timer and let go of the
camera so you don't jar it during the
| exposure. The timer adds a few seconds, but
patience is rewarded.
6. Get Down! If holding the camera straight
(above) aims too high, bend your knees or
sit on a chair to lower the camera position.
Get comfortable, though, before carefully
aiming and taking the shot.
7. Get Up! Not all shots need to be from
human head height... try for some variety by
elevating your position (careful if standing
on things), or shoot from a balcony or
staircase.
8. Adjust for even light throughout the
room to avoid dark areas or too-bright
areas (like sun-blasted windows). The
camera captures a narrow range from dark
to light, so the more evenly lit the more
good detail will show in the photograph.
There are lots of things you can adjust, and
lots of combinations: open/close shades,
| turn lamps on/off, add lamps from other
rooms, use your flash.
9. Avoid fluorescent lighting which can look
ugly-green on film. Mixing fluorescent with
daylight (windows) and tungsten (regular
light bulbs) requires some expertise, though
digital cameras with automatic white
balance will handle the mix better than film.
10. Housekeeping details will show up
clearly in a photograph. Schedule your
photo session after a house cleaning, and
watch for stray dirt. Take the time to
straighten furniture, drapes, linens, and brush
out obvious foot tracks in pile carpet using
a broom. Move trash cans and clutter out of
sight.
11. Overcast skies can be perfect for
shooting interiors: the windows look bright
but not overwhelmingly so.
(Excerpt by Tom Field, January 2004)
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