vespachick's Profile

I love it. The 8 photos in the original article are not enough, and I really wish they were bigger. I think the installation with the child is amazing. I wonder if the mice live in there full time though, I'm sure they would eventually ruin the silicone doll, which would be a shame.

I am a photographer, though I specialize in something other than interior photography, but I have shot interiors from time to time.

It will be a challenge to obtain professional results without the proper equipment and experience...which is why photography remains a profession, despite how "easy" digital makes things.

But in general here are a few things to try:

-Start with a camera with a wide angle lens. Something in the 24-35mm range is a good place to start.

-Read your manual and learn how to compensate for your camera's exposure. Shooting in auto will usually result in a photo where everything is flat and not exposed optimally, because the camera is trying to compensate for super bright windows, versus the rest of the interior.

-Your camera has a fixed dynamic range. Unless you want to do an HDR, you are going to have to realize that your windows are gonna be blown out to really show the details inside.

-Turn on interior lights, and disable your flash. Use a tripod to prevent motion blur from a longer exposure. Shooting at dusk or on an overcast day may work better if you are trying to keep the windows from being blown out, but that said, your interior may look best with a lot of natural light. Let the room dictate which is best.

-Remove extraneous clutter, empty waste bins, , close closet/cabinet doors, put the toilet seat lid down, and try to keep strong vertical or horizontal lines straight. (There will be issues with distortion, but a table for example, should look flat, not sloped. Using a tripod will keep you from unconsciously tilting the camera.)

-When it's time to edit, make corrections for white balance if necessary, and adjust the exposure if needed. I generally don't mind if tungsten lighting looks a little yellow as long as it's confined to the light source, I think it adds ambience. But the image should not have an all-over color cast from your lighting.

-For those with dSLRs who really want the best image quality, consider renting a tilt-shift lens to correct distortion, or a better quality lens than what you have. Good glass makes a HUGE difference, even if you are just using a rebel. If you are using a super-wide lens with barrel distortion, correct for it in Photoshop. And experiment with HDR, but don't over do it. Lenses can be rented online for a weekend or a couple weeks. Depending on your level of commitment, you may find this too expensive, but it's much cheaper than buying a professional lens, which will be over $1,000.

Professional interior photographers do things like adding neutral density filters to windows to tame them, and add additional light with strobes or small flashes. They are taking and combining multiple exposures and have stylists on hand. So don't feel bad if your images don't look like a catalog's!

One last thing, my pet peeve when I worked in real estate was when other agents posted photos that showed one piece of furniture, rather than showing how the room works. A bedroom photo shouldn't be just the bed, it should show window placement, closet placement, etc.

Also wondering about the son's room. Is it normal in the city to have an open bedroom when you live with kids? Seems like that would become a drag real fast.

I have the same sofa/loveseat, except I did the green and grey. Love them so far.

Great little herb garden with the basil, rosemary (and I think in the other pot, mint). I am surprised basil grows that lushly indoors. I never have luck with mine when I try to bring it in during the fall.

Chairs look pristine for an ebay find!

I spent a little over a year living in newer construction home in Florida with cathedral ceilings, and tall tray ceilings in the bedrooms. The expansiveness didn't really sink in until I returned to the midwest and visited my parents' home - a 50's ranch w/standard ceilings that I had lived in during my teen years. The difference was jarring...literally, it made me dizzy. It felt SO small and confining. I felt very disorientated, and it surprised me. Almost akin to someone returning to dry land after months at sea. It took a long time for regular ceiling heights to feel normal to me, and not like I was living in Hobbiton.