How to Prepare Your Home for an Interior Photography Shoot
A great interior photograph starts long before the camera comes out. How a space is prepared makes an enormous difference to what ends up in the final image. Here are five things I always recommend to clients before shoot day.
1. Work with your photographer to create a shot list in advance
Coming to the shoot with a clear sense of what needs to be captured makes the day run smoothly. Before shoot day, connect with your photographer to go over the priority spaces, any specific details worth highlighting, and the overall vision for the images. A little planning upfront means less guesswork on the day and more time spent doing the actual work
2. Clean thoroughly, especially the kitchen and bathroom
This is the most common thing I encounter on shoots and the easiest to fix in advance. Fingerprints on appliances, crumbs on counters, smudges on mirrors. A camera picks up everything. Kitchens and bathrooms in particular deserve extra attention. A professional clean the day before goes a long way.
3. Consider bringing in a stylist
I know it's an added expense, and budgets don't always allow for it. But when a stylist is involved alongside the designer, the difference in the final images is noticeable. A good stylist brings a space to life and gives it a narrative. It's one of those investments that tends to pay for itself in the quality of the work.
4. Plan for a 9am or 10am start on full day shoots
For full day shoots I always recommend starting at 9am or 10am. It's not about the light specifically. It's about having enough time to move through the space properly, give each room the attention it deserves, and not feel rushed toward the end of the day. Half day shoots can start a little later, time on set is what allows the work to breathe.
5. Declutter before your photographer arrives
Personal items, excess furniture, anything that pulls the eye away from the space itself. Less is almost always more in interior photography. The goal is to let the design speak. We can always add things back in on the day, but removing them takes time we'd rather spend shooting.
/M