How to Create Striking Photos of Your Latest DIY or Home Decor Project
When you’ve finally put the finishing touches to a home improvement project, you’ll want to share it with the world. But the shine can come off all your hard work if the photos you snap don’t do it justice. Before you add sub-par pics to your social feeds, follow these tips to create striking photos of your latest DIY or home decor project and letting your latest adventures in interior design look their best.
1. Use a color replacement tool to change or enhance colors
Depending on the lighting conditions and the lens you’re using, colors that look good to the naked eye can be washed-out and drab when captured on camera.
The good news is that any initial issues with the image can be fixed afterward using software, and dealing with imperfect colors is one of the simplest issues to address.
You can edit the color in the picture with BeFunky and either enhance what’s already there so that it really pops or replace colors altogether. This can even be useful in the run-up to a DIY project when you’re trying to work out what colors work best in your space without needing to paint tester patches directly onto the walls.
2. Get inspiration from influencers
It’s not just in the run-up to a creative project that you need inspiration; you can also find new ways to approach photographing completed schemes by looking at the techniques used by others.
If you don’t do so already, search Instagram for interior design influencers and start following accounts that fit in with your tastes. You can then see how they compose their shots, what filters they use, and what accessories they add to the mix to get the best results.
3. Declutter without removing personality
If your completed DIY project is swamped by domestic clutter, it might be challenging to see what has changed when photographing it.
On the other hand, if you’ve just got an image of a room completely free of furniture or any other everyday items you’d expect to see in this sort of space, it can seem unfinished.
The solution is to think like a professional photographer and add back items to make it look lived-in without overwhelming the image with detritus.
4. Clean your camera lens
Chances are that you’ll be using a smartphone camera if you’re photographing a home décor project. And because our mobile handsets get used for all sorts of other things while we’re on the move, it’s normal for the lens to be grimier.
Using a soft cloth to clean the lens will remove dirt and grease and turn your photos from a smeary, indistinct mess into a crisp, clear, and striking snap you’ll be proud to post online.
5. Find the right angle
Plenty of people have a good side they want to capture in photographs, and the same goes for rooms. So while you can’t ask your kitchen to tilt its head, you can adjust where you’re standing so that the angle is right to emphasize the finer qualities of your work.
It’s generally not that visually interesting to take photos of rooms completely head-on. Instead, reposition yourself to get a different perspective and see if this brings more interest to the image or highlights a feature that you’re incredibly proud of.
6. The bottom line
Anyone can take incredible pictures of DIY projects, so long as they have a modern mobile phone and free editing software.
However, this is also something you’ll need to practice, as hardware and software can only go so far. Get snap-happy, and you’ll learn a lot.
