You only get one shot to make a great first impression. For interior designers, this usually boils down to one thing: eye-catching photos. Think about it. How do most clients experience your work for the first time? Unless they come through a referral, it’s most likely not in person. The majority of people will get to know your designs through imagery on your website, social media profiles or in print.

What message do you want these photos to send? Depending on the quality, these images can make or break your business. A well-lit, well-framed visual portfolio demonstrates that you take your work seriously, pay attention to every detail, and maintain high standards across your brand. Meanwhile, lackluster photography can reflect poorly on your business and your craft.

Interior design is a visual art, and trust with clients is built upon the visual aspect as much as the relationships formed. Your marketing and messaging needs to to be consistent across all mediums in order to wow potential clients at every touchpoint. You can be an extremely talented designer, but if your work doesn’t translate through photos, you’ll have a hard time attracting the same caliber of clientele.

Key Considerations for Top Photography

Photography is an art and a skill. If you don’t have the capability in-house, we strongly recommend hiring a professional photographer who understands your aesthetic and can translate it into beautiful imagery. Hiring a top quality photographer is an investment in your business that will continue to pay dividends for years to come.

Still not convinced? Consider how these three components of photography impact your visual portfolio and your brand as a whole.

Consistency

What do you want to be known for as a designer? Your brand is what sets you apart from the competition and helps you connect with your ideal clients. It’s the secret sauce that no one can replicate. Once you know what the recipe is, it’s important to communicate it consistently. The more consistent your branding, the more you will start to build brand awareness and develop greater trust with your customers.

Photography is one of the many ways in which you communicate your brand story. Are you more formal or fun-loving as a designer? The right photographer will be able to stage the photos appropriately and capture the essence of your designs in every shot. This will send a strong message to potential customers about what to expect when working with you. Maintaining consistency across your portfolio will also help you appear more polished to the industry at large.

Quality

Interior photography is a skilled art that requires specialized knowledge in order to produce high-end images. As with any other profession, there are varying levels of mastery. As much as smartphone cameras have improved in the past decade, there is still something to be said for hiring a professional.

The hard truth is that a million dollar design doesn’t look much better than an amateur effort if the images aren’t top quality. A professional photographer with experience shooting interiors will possess the technical knowledge, creativity, and equipment to ensure your designs are well represented from a visual perspective. Proper lighting, composition, and staging are just a few of the considerations a professional photographer will take into account when capturing your designs.

Post-Production

Post-production is an important, yet often overlooked aspect of photography. A skilled photographer will be able to correct imperfections in the original photos and edit them to perfection. Keep in mind though that the better the photos are at the time of the shoot, the better the end result will be. Even the most skilled photo editor will have a hard time correcting a photo that is grainy or out of focus.

Using photo editing software such as Photoshop or Lightroom, photographers can enhance photos after the fact to correct things like lighting, contrast, highlights and shadows, and the way the image is cropped. The end result will be one you’re proud of — an image that beautifully showcases your work in the best possible light.

Now Isn’t the Time to Cut Corners

You’ve already spent the time and effort to create beautifully designed spaces. Don’t let it go to waste by neglecting to market yourself properly. After all, this should be the fun part! Now is the time to show off your hard work to the world.

Impeccable photography is just one ingredient in building a successful brand. When combined with outstanding customer service and an impeccable eye for design, it can be a differentiating factor that sets you apart from the rest. By curating a collection of photos that accurately portray who you are as a designer, you will set yourself up to attract the clients of your dreams.

Not sure how to find the best photographer for your designs? Check out these 4 Tips for Hiring the Right Photographer to Shoot Your Design Projects.