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July 11, 2022

Why is being an interior design photographer in NYC so competitive? How is it different?

interior design photographyAround 8 million people live across the various neighborhoods and boroughs of New York City. With such a high population of people, it is understandable why the competition within the real estate market and interior design is held to such a high degree. Interior design photography tips, real estate photography tips, and everything in between are scattered across the internet, leaving people to find their best source of information on their own. 

Interior design photography tips in NYC are going to be much different from that of any other city. Standing out when selling a property is essential in selling anything. An interior designer may be hired to help stage a space but, showing off the design is where the interior design photographers come into play. 

Being a real estate photographer is competitive in itself, but being an interior design photographer in NYC where New York residents desire the best of the best, becomes an even tougher job. 

The portfolio of an interior designer, especially a good interior designer, will be extensive so they will require an extensive amount of photography. These visuals of past works, crafted by interior design photographers, help showcase the designers aesthetic and appeal to their future customers’ needs. 

The primary issue that arises with capturing the intention of interior design is the difficulty of capturing the integrity of a space through a photograph. An interior design photographer uses the professional eye of the camera to showcase the expressions within the design of the interior designer. 

In NYC, to stay competitive as an interior design photographer, one must be consistent, unique, and understand the ins and outs of the city. Knowing how to take a picture is just step one, but understanding the appeal of a design to both designer and clientele is essential in staying on top. 

Know different styles seeing throughout the city

Just as with any different location, there are different needs across the various boroughs, neighborhoods, and sections of NYC. There are a number of interior design styles that appeal to the diverse neighborhoods across the city. Watching an interior design photography tutorial won’t teach you the intricacies of design throughout the city. Knowing these styles of architecture and interior design can aid to orient a photographer’s approach. Take the pre-war style of architecture and design for an example:

Pre-War Style

A common style within NYC is the pre-war style home. Pre-war-style homes and apartments were built before World War II and are architecturally designed with intricate detail that is built to last. Pre-war-style apartments and designs typically have thick walls, high ceilings, and hardwood floors. These spaces tend to have large layouts with large windows, detailed architecture and lots of built-in shelving, etc. 

This particular style of housing leaves room for a lot of inspiration in design to put a twist of modernity on traditional spaces. The lasting nature of these pre-war spaces does not tie them down to one particular style, but it allows for the design of the space to easily change throughout time. 

High Ceilings are Key for Styling

High ceilings make a space seem vast and larger than life. When taking pictures of real estate properties with high ceilings, it is essential that the picture showcases the comfort of a space while providing an area to showcase design. 

The cohesiveness of the property in collaboration with design should be the main purpose of the photographer. The property should look as cozy as possible, despite a larger set of areas within the image, and it should show the decorations that pull the place together. The photographer should also aim to show how the architecture of the high ceiling works with the rest of the design of the space. This is a nice challenge for both interior designers and interior design photographers.

 

Play around with decoration

Among the most simple interior design photography tips is to play around with the decoration within a room. If a space is decorated by an interior designer or even just the people who occupy a space, the design will be intentional to the layout of the room. On camera, sometimes items and furniture can look a bit more cluttered than in person. The key for a real estate photographer is to make sure that even with movement in design, the design stays intentional. As things might have to be moved around for the best look, the picture needs to make sure that it maintains the integrity of the style of the designer and the area. 

An easy way to maintain this integrity is to understand what the designer likes in their images. Some questions to ask the interior designer are:

  • What do you want the focal point of the image to be?
  • What is your favorite part of the room? 
  • How can I help to make this picture showcase your design?

Using these questions can help an interior design photographer find the best pictures of a space. This can also aid in finding that vignette image to showcase the space concisely. 

Remember to take into account the rest of the room and the other rooms in the apartment. How does the design of the space feel unique, and how does this design help display a movement within the property?

Know your background 

This tip is one of the simple interior design photography tips, but knowing what lies in the background of the windows of a space can aid in capturing the environment of the interior design. Is there a park beyond the apartment complex? Is the Manhattan skyline in the background of a window? In total, the background is just another feature that showcases how the space works with the design. 

Interior design photography lighting is another key component to taking quality images. What is the best time of day for the space to be photographed? Does sunset show off the space properly or does midday encapsulate the room best? Understanding how the background of a space plays with everything else aids to create the best images possible. 

Work with your interior designer to understand appeal

Another part of interior design photography tips for NYC photography is understanding the client. A key factor in taking interior design photography is understanding the audience of the photos. With any marketing tactic, there is an audience that is being appealed and understanding that audience will help to capture the best images. 

Take into account the neighborhood that the property is in as well. How does other interior design photography fare in other properties in the area? Modeling real estate photography in a competitive factor with other real estate photographers can help an interior design photographer be more competitive than others.