Design by Kelly Scanlon Designs

Design by Cynthia Spence Design

One of the most challenging rooms for an interiors photographer to shoot is a powder room. I find them a challenge but in a good way. Powder rooms lend themselves to flights of fancy for designers. They are an opportunity to use bold wallpaper, lux fixtures, and have a bit of fun. As the photographer, how should I record this bold, yet small room and do it justice with limited access and angle options?

My goal in every interior shoot is to showcase the designer’s creativity and design aesthetic while providing them with beautiful images of their design work to share with editors and prospective clients. 

With that in mind, here are my thoughts on what to think about to get the best shots when shooting a very small room, or in this case, a powder room:

• Consider what the angle options are:

  • They may be limited. Can a tight detail, rather than an overview shot, tell the story?

  • Consider focusing on the main event -the vanity. It’s hardware and accessories, and often the wallpaper as the backsplash can tell the viewer a lot about the room without showing the entire space.

Design by Grant K. Gibson

• How much to show?

  • Sometimes a straight on, or a single angle shot will do the job.

Design by Sullivan Design Studio

Design by Grant K. Gibson

• What lens to use?

  • This is a chance to use a semi-wide-angle lens but that may not always be the best answer to the challenge of a small room. Wide lenses create less intimate shots. The tight shot may be the ticket here. Experiment with your photographer about lens options.

Design by Grant K. Gibson

• How far back you should go to capture the right shot?

  • Start to approach a powder room (or small room) before you even get in the door. Will looking at it from the hallway lend it to great photo options?

  • How it is framed can be used for setting the stage. A shot of the powder room framed by the door and seeing into the room can be quite effective.

Design by Cynthia Spence Design

Design by Julie Misfud Interior Design

The take away: Though small rooms can be challenging to document, think about the angle options from the perspective of a person walking up to and into the space. What will they experience at each step of the process? The approach, the entry into the room, the surprise and fun of experiencing its design, and the use and functionality of the space. Keeping these tips in mind will make deciding on your angles much easier and provide a wider range of options.

Interior designer client Grant K. Gibson has a book coming out this fall that we collaborated on. It is entitled The Curated Home: A Fresh Take on Tradition featuring his personable Westie, Wesley, on the cover!

To pre-order a signed copy visit Grant's website.

I had the opportunity to speak at the Design Bloggers Conference in March, held in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton. Grant K. Gibson and I gave a session entitled "Building Collaborative Relationships: Photographers and Designers".

We had a great time. It was a privilege to meet so many talented designers and design vendors. Thanks to Adam Japko of Esteem Media and Luba Hrynyk for a wonderful experience.

Two photographs of the same lovely kitchen (Christine Sheldon Design), but one angle of this kitchen has gotten over 61,000 likes and shares while the other has gotten over 6,000. Though 6,000 saves aren’t bad, the other similar angle received 10x the engagement. Why?

Photo A, the top photo with 6000 saves, is the straight on shot. It shows the overall layout of the kitchen and how the room flows. It is a satisfyingly symmetrical shot and its value is that it helps to set the stage to tell the story of this kitchen and lead the viewer in. It is a valuable photo to have in a project portfolio, but less intimate.

Photo B, the vertical angle with 61,000 saves, is still an overview of sorts but a tighter perspective, showing more of the appealing details of the kitchen. This angle allows the viewer in to make note of the color choices, the details of the cabinetry and hardware, the design of the chairs, and the texture of the marble backsplash but up close and in a personal way.

Lesson learned:  It is important to document a design project from multiple angles to allow a potential client to observe the fine details and thought brought to a project. Overviews, ¾ shots, vignettes, and detail shots all contribute to telling the story of a great design project but a variety of overviews are key in helping the viewer dream of themselves in a space.