Whether you’re hoping to show your home off to friends, sell it, or simply share your style on Instagram, taking incredible interior photographs is a must.

As a professional photographer and home-decor-lover, I am excited to share my interior photography tips with you! Take a look and see what you can do! You might have absolutely amazing decor, but nobody will know about it if you can’t photograph it properly. In today’s post, you’ll learn a few easy ways to take incredible interior photographs.

My Easy Guide To Taking Incredible Interior Decor Photographs: Tips from A Professional!

Make The Most of Natural Light

Make sure you make the most of natural light when you’re trying to take amazing decor photographs. Remember that overcast days are better for shooting indoors, while sunny days are better for outdoor shots. You’ll definitely need to take the weather and time of day into account before you start snapping pictures. Artificial light nearly never looks good for decor pictures, so avoid it.

Keep Your Lines Straight

If you’re using a phone, then turn your grid on so you can keep your lines straight. You can take great pictures even on a smartphone, but many of the same rules apply as with digital photography.

Learn How To Edit Your Shots Stealthily

Being able to edit your shots well is important, so take a look at apps and anything else that can help you out. You may want to edit out small things like cables or light switches, and you may want to brighten it up to make it look cleaner. Whatever you do, don’t go overboard. You can figure out which platforms and apps to use here.

Stage Your Interiors Carefully

If you want this to be an authentic Instagram post, then you shouldn’t need to swap around all of your furniture to take a shot. However, a picture will always look better when you get out all the clutter like cords, cables, and mail.

 Take Low Shots

One really important compositional consideration is how high the camera is off the ground. Taking pictures lower to the ground can be a great idea, and your pictures will likely turn out like those you see in magazines and on Pinterest.

Avoid Overly Wide Angle Lenses

Wide-angle lenses will make things close to the camera look bigger and those further away look smaller. It’s quite distorted and can seem unnatural to the person viewing it. Use a normal lens and step away from the subject so you can get as much as possible into the shot.

Turn Off Your Flash

Many basic cameras are getting better at low-light photographs, so there’s really no need to use a direct flash. A direct flash from a camera will not be able to light the room well, so it is best avoided. When I use my flash I bounce it off the walls or ceiling of the room so that it floods light evenly throughout the space.

Taking incredible interior photographs may take some practice, but with a little practice and the above tips, you should find that your interior photographs look amazing in no time at all. Of course, you may find better ways that work for you, and it may not be so important to stick to “rules” if this is for an Instagram account, for example. However, if these photos are for real estate purposes, you will need to portray the place as accurately as possible.

Love what you see? Shop Our West Elm Master Bedroom

1. CB2 Bed: The Drommen Bed is solid acacia wood and I cannot tell how much I adore our bed. They also sell it with a leather headboard, ours is the linen one.
2. Deco Fasade Rug Rug: Taking cues from art deco architecture, our hand-tufted Deco Facade Rug brings together matte and shine thanks to a combination of viscose and wool. A mix of handwoven techniques adds an element of depth.
3. Mid-Century Modern Nightstand: Inspired by Scandinavian modernism, our Modern Nightstand marries a simple silhouette and minimal hardware with playfully angled legs in a warm pecan finish.
4. Black Nightstand Lamp: How funny that we are photographers and this Pottery Barn lamp is called Photographer’s Task Table Lamp.
5. Mid-Century Modern Dresser: Inspired by Scandinavian modernism, our Modern Dresser marries a simple silhouette and minimal hardware with playfully angled legs in a warm pecan finish.
6. Decor Pillows: All of the pillows on our bed are from West Elm. I cannot remember where I bought the leather and navy one, but you can find a similar one on Etsy, HERE.
7. Extra Large Round Wire Decorative Storage Bin with Handles Copper: We got this from my friend Maya for our wedding. The storage basket is built to last long with durable metal construction and gives you extra-large space to store your laundry, kitchen essentials, pillows, and much more. The contrast copper handles give easy mobility options and are a must-have storage unit for your house.
8. Olive Green Throw: This Cotton Knit Throw is a lightweight layer for all seasons. Pick your favorite color (or two!) to toss on the sofa or at the end of the bed.
9. Antique Brass 48in Round Mirror: Oversized for maximum impact, our Metal Framed Wall mirror adds intrigue in a bedroom, behind a sofa, or wherever you simply have too much empty wall space. It comes in a variety of finishes so that you can pick the color that complements your home’s decor best. We went with the Antique Brass.
10. Dobby Ladder Stripe Coverlet & Shams: Classic cotton bedding gets a modern update in 100% organic cotton that’s woven on a dobby loom and garment-washed for a super-soft feel. Heavyweight and rich in texture, this coverlet is a versatile layering piece for the bedroom.