January 23, 2024

Photographing a Residential Interior Design Project

Interior Design Photography, Ottawa Architecture, Behind the Scenes

Interior Design


Keyserlingk Design

Construction


Crossford Construction

Millwork


Cedar Ridge Designs

Location


Ottawa, Ontario

Photo services provided to client


Interior + Exterior Photography (One full day session, plus an additional exterior photo booking), mini portrait session of client & homeowner.

Spaces captured: Kitchen/Dining, Living Room, Powder rm, Primary Suite, Ensuite.

The Design


Nestled within Ottawa's core, this home undertook a significant transformation. The project was designed by the creative minds at Keserlingk Designs and guided by the skilled hands at Crossford Construction, who turned the team's vision into reality. The home is an elegant fusion of sophistication and timeless comfort. Classic elements are weaved seamlessly throughout the home with cozy textiles that add an extra layer of comfort. Extra storage was seamlessly integrated throughout the home with beautiful custom solutions.

BEHIND THE SCENES


Photographing the Interiors


We chose to capture the home in a single 8-hour interior photography session, focusing on the inside spaces initially, and reserved a follow-up date for the exteriors. Summer's abundant natural light played to our advantage, offering a full day of light to work with. Guided by the home's warm and inviting aesthetic, we strategically photographed the kitchen in the morning to take advantage of the soft light streaming through the back windows. Jane and her team expertly styled the space, incorporating impactful decor pieces and fresh flowers. Summer's bright green foliage posed a common challenge for interior photographers, introducing colour casts that required attention. Recognizing this, I planned to counteract the green hue by using clean, daylight-balanced artificial light, ensuring the final images reflected the true colour in the spaces. This artificial lighting will also sharpen areas and add definition.


Residential Exteriors

While capturing the interiors on a sunny summer evening, I gained a good sense of what the front might look like around this time and it looked nice and warm, complimenting the white exterior. White tends to be very bright in direct sunlight as well, so I wanted the sunlight to be subtle. On the planning call with my client we decided to showcase the project best (these images were for an award submission) by aiming to capture a mix of shots during the summer evening and at dusk. However, photographing both the front and back exteriors in the same session can be a bit challenging due to the need for impeccable timing! I capture multiple shots of a single scene at various times, and then in post-production, I blend these images together to create a seamless and enhanced final composition. Typically, I strategize for the "hero" shot to showcase the entire home during the twilight hours, when the radiant glow comes from the interior, creating a warm effect with undeniable WOW factor.

Using a strobe with a soft box to add definition to cabinetry and clean up green colour casts.