Ben Loveridge

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be one of those real estate photographers, trying to find the best angles to shoot rooms and make them look bigger than they are. Well, recently I got the chance when one of my graphic designer friends asked if I could take some photos of her apartment she was putting up for rent.

Armed with my trusty Canon EOS 5D Mark III and EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II lens, I spent a few minutes in each room formulating the ideal vantage point before proceeding to shoot. A few minor adjustments to rug and cushion positions helped balance the frame and turning on the lights gave an extra warm glow.

I was conscious of keeping the vertical and horizontal lines as straight as possible and crouching down relatively low helped create a feeling of space. Thankfully the owner has very good design sense so very little rearranging or covering up was required.

Although difficult getting everything to fit in the frame, I found that even capturing a glimpse of certain items (such as the washing machine above and bathroom stool below) helped create the overall impression.

Although I brought a tripod along, I didn’t end up using it as there was enough light (and ISO) to be able to capture the frames handheld. Also the tight positioning required (such as the above bathroom shot) meant that I had to squeeze my body into the corner of the toilet space to get the shot. I purposely kept pipes in shot as it kept with the 20′s feel of the room.

Update: The apartment received two pre-inspection offers based on the advert then was eventually rented out for more than the asking price, much to the owner’s delight.