Posts in Photographing Interiors
Your Portfolio: How Great Photography Can Showcase Your Design Work in it's Best Light

Design mock-ups present something of a challenge to creatives working in the fields of architecture and interior design. It’s not always practical—or within budgetary considerations—to create a three-dimensional model for every project an architect or designer undertakes. Apart from often being expensive, models are frequently burdensome to transport, especially on site. And sometimes models just don’t do the job for customers who need a little more meat to visualize an end product. By the same token, interior designers might present raw source materials such as swatches of fabric and carpet and samples of tiles, but this might not effectively persuade clients that they have a firm grasp of the concept behind the design.

Translating three-dimensional design work into the constraints of a single dimension equally poses a challenge to those who take space as their raw material. More often than not, such work looses some of its luster when presented within the bounds of a flat surface. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Whether you are working with new design proposals, or showcasing past projects you’ve completed, new technologies, coupled with top-notch, professional photography will bring your work to life.  

Most clients will be able to grasp a design concept best through photography. But casual snapshots don’t cut it. Not only will amateur snapshots relay a message of unprofessionalism to your clients, they will also be detrimental to the design work itself. One of the interior designers I’ve worked with regularly brought me in to photograph the work he had recently done on a commercial space. The business owner (his client) had another photographer photograph the interiors to be used for their brochure and website. When the interior designer saw the poor quality of the photos taken he declined to include them in his portfolio, yet he really wanted to be able to showcase this project on his website portfolio. His discerning eye could tell where the lighting was off and where shadows were cast on details that he wanted to highlight. The colors were faded and didn’t accurately convey the color palette he had chosen to use within the interiors. Moral of the story? It’s well worth the investment to scout out an experienced photographer who is willing to really collaborate with you to achieve stellar images of your work to showcase in your portfolio.

Equally important is the manner in which the lens captures the three-dimensionality of the design and the ways in which they render spaces that are meant to be lived in.  A good photographer can achieve this with lighting and composition; both are essential factors when presenting your design work in a photographic image. New technologies, such as advanced 3-D graphics and rendering solutions, can render tangible spaces that have multiple layers of dimensionality in a flat image. Similarly, 360-degree photographic views of interiors and virtual reality approaches to design can have equal impact. Often, a combination of stellar photography, mingled with a few advanced 3-D rendering solutions, is what will best impress today’s client.

Want to get that “WOW!” factor?

So, you’ve found a photographer who is eager to really collaborate with you. What are some of the options you have for showcasing your work through photography? As a rule of thumb, Before-and-After shots are a fantastic way to show prospective clients the high caliber of your work. You might be eager to show clients the end product, but comparative shots that tell the story of how you worked your magic are a highly effective way to let your client know what you’re capable of doing. Be sure your Before-and-After photographs are shot from the same angle so that the differences are immediately discernable. Take this Before-and-After of a recent kitchen remodeled by one of the interior designers with whom I work. It’s hard to believe it’s the same space! The photographs really do pack a punch in telling the story of the space’s transformation.

Before -- Design by Price Style and Design

Before -- Design by Price Style and Design

After--Design by Price Style and Design

After--Design by Price Style and Design

Another consideration, when shooting and selecting photographs of your design work for your portfolio, is the number of images to include. You want to show the breadth of your work, but you also don’t want to overwhelm clients. My advice? By all means be selective! Show only the very best of your work that you’ve created for high-profile clients. If using a physical format, show 20 different photographs that showcase the type of work for which you are being considered. If you submit your portfolio digitally, shoot for 30 photographs. It’s also a good idea to add narrative context to your photos. What was the problem you were asked to solve and how does your design solve the problem for example? Testimonials can equally bolster the images. It’s a way of garnering trust and investing meaning in the work that you do.

In a nutshell: your portfolio should tell a cohesive narrative about the kind of work you deliver. A combination of stellar photography, advanced visualization technologies, testimonials, and project anecdotes will help you do just that.

Need help with great photography that can showcase your design work? Check out our portfolio of interior design and architecture photography at www.macdonaldphoto.com.

Recent Press Coverage in Architectural Digest!

I was thrilled to learn that the June 2016 online issue of Architectural Digest featured my long-time client Interior Designer Grant K. Gibson in a story about color.

Grant and I have collaborated for many years on the photography of his design projects so it is exciting to see my work with him featured in the article - Transform a Traditional Space with a Modern Pop of Color


More Recent Press Coverage

One of the features on Cynthia Spence Design's 2016 SF Decorator Showcase room.

One of the features on Cynthia Spence Design's 2016 SF Decorator Showcase room.

Recent blog post about client Leslie Price's fab SF design project in California Home and Design.

Recent blog post about client Leslie Price's fab SF design project in California Home and Design.

The above two features were recent press coverage for two of my clients, Cynthia Spence of Cynthia Spence Design and Leslie Price of Price Style and Design. Thanks to Coupar Consulting for securing this great exposure.

New Features on Houzz - 2 in One Week!

It has been a great week marketing wise with 2 features on Houzz, the interior design and construction website and blog. Just learned this morning that a project I shot for interior designer Kathy Farley of Art Decor is featured as the Room of the Day with a detailed story about her design process for this classic Berkeley craftsman home by architect Henry Gutterson.

Read the full story on Houzz!

A snippet of the feature story about this Henry gutterson architectural gem in the berkeley hills.

A snippet of the feature story about this Henry gutterson architectural gem in the berkeley hills.

The 2nd feature, earlier this week, was a dressing room that I shot for Marie Christine Design that was featured in a post about dream dressing rooms on the French version of Houzz.

One of the dream dressing rooms featured on French Houzz.

One of the dream dressing rooms featured on French Houzz.

Thanks so much Houzz for the wonderful feature and article! I am honored.

Animals & Interior Photography
Starry in her Atherton garden at the backdoor. - Arterra Landscape architecture

Starry in her Atherton garden at the backdoor. - Arterra Landscape architecture

There is a Japanese design concept / aesthetic called wabi-sabi. Loosely defined, wabi-sabi represents the acceptance of transience and the beauty of imperfection. When I approach an interiors photography shoot, I look to convey that transience into the beauty of the room design. It can be subtly conveyed in a creased pillow, an indentation in a chair, running water, an open door, or an animal wandering in or out. Adding this playfulness or spontaneity lends an intimacy and everyday realness to the images.

On some shoots we get lucky. There might be a personable and cooperative pet who keeps us company as we shoot - following us from room to room. Some are even posers, in the very best sense of the word. They act as the transience I am looking for, adding charm, humor, personality and approachability.

Louie the Frenchie in the master bedroom. - Fannie Allen Design

Louie the Frenchie in the master bedroom. - Fannie Allen Design

Adding Intimacy to Interiors

The character above is Louie. Though a senior citizen with a propensity for wandering out the front door on a moments notice, he quickly won over the whole crew at a recent shoot with designer Fannie Allen at this colorful Menlo Park residence. He patiently cooperated, turning his head this way and that for the perfect profile and mood. Of course a cookie was not too far out of range.
As you can see he adds a breezy spark to an already cheery, sophisticated room.

Adding animals, and other wabi-sabi elements, adds a sense of unpredictability and intimacy that elevates the images. Give it a try!

The family cat in the media room. - Kendall Wilkinson Design

The family cat in the media room. - Kendall Wilkinson Design

Lucy entering the kitchen from the backyard garden. - Megan Warren Interior Design

Lucy entering the kitchen from the backyard garden. - Megan Warren Interior Design