3 Tips to Make Your DIY Home Shoot Look Professional

Have you ever attempted to shoot indoors only to be left frustrated? Either the lighting was inadequate or the backdrop aesthetic was not what you envisioned.

If you avoid shooting indoors for the aforementioned reasons, here are three tried-and-true tips that will transform your indoor environment and your photos:

Find the Best Light

The key to any great photo is knowing how to play with light, especially natural light. Prior to shooting, study how natural light illuminates your space. Pay particular attention to the season, time of day and what spaces it floods into. In doing so, you may discover spaces you may have overlooked or hadn’t noticed before.

Even if you only have one great window, your options are limitless. You can get creative with sun flares, haze or shadows. For instance, in the photo on the left, I positioned Teresha by the window, so the sun would illuminate her face and create white, bright composition.

Important Note: When shooting indoors, you’ll have access to multiple light sources. You might think, “Isn’t more light better?” However, the combination of natural and artificial light may distort the light in your photos. To keep exposure and saturation balanced, I suggest choosing one type of light source whether it’s a window, recess lighting or professional lights.

REFLECTIONS

Reflectors are an excellent tool that will cast light onto you. Neutral colored floors, white walls or mirrors will naturally bounce light for you. Even wearing light colored clothing can achieve this effect, giving your photos a clean, airy essence.

In the photo on the right,I used a decorative mirror to reflect light from the window behind Teresha. It took a little finessing, but we were able to position the mirror, so the light illuminated her profile.

Stage Your Setting

Once you selected a space with ample lighting, notice its staging.

Is it clean and uncluttered?
Is there plenty of open space?
Is there blank or non-distracting backdrop?

If the answer is NO to any of these questions, purchase a backdrop that matches your aesthetic, remove clutter out of the background and move furniture to open the space. In the photo on the left, Teresha and I moved pillows and plants, so she was the center of attention.

Get bold and find creative ways to make your setting work for you.