May 28, 2024, by Maartje

Tips from the pros for beginning interior photography with Nikon photographer Sarah de Gheselle

Handy, Interior
May 28, 2024, by Maartje

Tips from the pros for beginning interior photography with Nikon photographer Sarah de Gheselle

By popular request (on the well-known Instagram) that is: how to take the most beautiful snapshots of your favorite interior brands or items? A lot of work goes into this, such as the right camera, the best techniques and the finest tips and tricks. Now let's select some pros who can do this the best. The Flemish Sarah de Gheselle (@sarahdegheselle) photographs with her Nikon and travels all over the world: travel and interior, and her own holiday home: Maison Botanique in De Panne, Belgium. Does she have any tips? So what.

 

 

Sarah De Gheselle has a great passion for travel and photography. She enjoys nothing more than recording her travel adventures in a creative way. She does this in combination with interior photography. This is how photography and social media her outlet.

First things first: How did you get started?
“I have no formal photography training. It all started as a hobby where I taught myself how to photograph manually using YouTube tutorials. When I was asked more often by hotels and other accommodations to take photos of their interiors, I started to focus more on interior photography. In the meantime, I took a number of courses and read a lot of books on this subject, which taught me a lot. But the statement 'you learn by doing' is very important in my opinion! Although courses and books are valuable, it is essential to experiment, practice and discover what works for you.”

And which camera do we purchase?
“One of my first cameras was the full-frame system camera Nikon z6 ii. That is a camera in a higher price segment, but if you want to work professionally, I would still recommend investing in a full-frame camera. If your budget is limited, or you don't want to spend a lot of money right away, it may be worth looking at good second-hand options. Many online photography stores have a section for second hand or Refurbished cameras.

Do you have any advice you wish you had had when you started?

"Certainly! Anyway, start with the Learn the basics of your camera, including all settings such as aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Understand how they affect your photos. Only then does the shooting begin. Or no, not yet: vBefore you start, make sure the room is tidy and tidy. Remove distracting elements that distract from the main subject. And: is it light enough? Natural light is often the best choice for interior photography. Teach yourself how to utilize the natural light in a room and use supplemental lighting to fill in shadows if necessary. And bPay attention to the composition of your photos. Think of rules like the rule of thirds and make sure you have the most important elements in the room emphasizes. Also experiment with different perspectives. Try taking photos from different angles to capture the space in interesting ways. And let on the details in the interior. close-ups of decorative elements, furniture or textures can capture the atmosphere of the room. Finally: odevelop your own style in interior photography. Look to the work of other photographers for inspiration, but try to be unique in your approach. 

To grow and gain a wider reach, try working with interior designers, real estate agents or other professionals in the industry. This way you build a network, which in turn creates more possibilities. Build a strong portfolio of diverse projects, including freelance work: this can help potential clients assess your skills and style. Research the market and identify your target group. Understand what they are looking for in interior photos and tailor your offer accordingly. Finally: wBe critical and learn from your mistakes. Analyze your work and identify areas where you can improve. 

 

Which lenses do you use? 

“I prefer lenses from the same brand as my camera, so I only use Nikon Z lenses. This is because I have previously experienced problems combining another lens with my Nikon body. It's disappointing to spend a lot of money on a lens that doesn't work properly with your camera even after calibration. 

For interior photography I use the NIKKOR Z 14-24 mm f2.8 and the NIKKOR Z 24-70 mm f2.8. I always choose bright lenses, especially because with interior photography you often work in less well-lit spaces. This is also beneficial for detailed photos, where you can really create those photos with a beautiful bokeh background.”

Post-production is of course super important but... Help? Where to start/what to know?

“Always start by taking a really good look at your own image: aanalyze your photos. What are the problems? For example, color deviations: is there too much yellow/blue or too much pink/green? Then you know that you need to adjust the white balance. Try (learn) to pinpoint exactly what is wrong in your photo and where the cause of this problem lies, so you can make a good edit much faster. I optimize my interior photos using Lightroom and Photoshop. In Photoshop you can make substantive adjustments, such as removing unwanted elements, and then I continue editing the result in Lightroom, where I fine-tune the basic settings. I use my own Lightroom presets, where I already have my basic edits set up. Although I often adjust these settings, this speeds up my work workflow considerable.

Some things always remain difficult, such as backlight and small spaces. Do you have any tips?

In smaller spaces, such as a bathroom, I use my 14-24 mm lens. It is also possible to create a panoramic photo of very small spaces by taking multiple photos and then joining them together in Photoshop. However, if possible, I prefer my 24-70mm lens. The wider you go (e.g. 14mm), the more distortion occurs, and I prefer to avoid it fish-eye effect. I always use with backlight a tripod, especially because there is often more limited natural light indoors. This helps to avoid the risk of noise when using too high an ISO value, which requires a slower shutter speed. Moreover, with a tripod you can take the same photo at different light intensities to establish. During post-processing in Photoshop, I merge these photos and select the best elements from each photo for the optimal end result.

Okay, learn first you said. Where can I follow a workshop?

“I took Muk Van Lil's course, very suitable for beginners. However, if you want to gain more in-depth knowledge about working with flash and merging photos in Photoshop, I would recommend inquiring with reputable interior photographers who offer specialized courses. For example, I took a course in white photography, focused on the use of flash in interior photography. I also learned a lot through YouTube. 

 

Check. But... We remain the Instagram generation: how is it possible that our photos sometimes become so blurry? 

Always choose the RAW format when photographing. This type of file preserves all the data captured by the camera sensor, without compression or loss of quality. This allows you to retain all details and color information, which in turn provides flexibility during the editing process. After editing in Lightroom, I export the photos as JPEG files. I then use the JPEG Mini program to reduce the photos. Then I save them to the cloud so I can easily download them to my smartphone when I want to share them on social media. 

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