Hello, this is Stuart from the Photomatix Team, and here I am going to show you how to take great interior photos for your listings.
You'll learn a pro technique that real estate photographers use, using nothing more than natural light.
You'll need this technique whenever you're photographing an interior, that has bright light coming in through the windows.
Let me explain why.
Typically, this is what happens when you take an interior photograph using the camera's automatic settings.
This happens because the camera simply isn't able to capture a scene with both very bright and very dark areas.
Whatever settings you use, you'll never get both the window and the interior of the room exposed properly.
The technique I am about to show you solves the problem by taking 3 or more photos of your interior, each at a different exposure...
...and once you've taken the photos, you'll merge them on your computer using Photomatix.
So, let's look at how you take the photos.
Firstly, try to find the most interesting angle, one that shows the entire room.
You might find a suitable perspective when shooting from one of the corners...
...or the entrance.
Get as far back as possible to show the widest view you can.
Now that we're starting to set up the camera, let's take this opportunity to talk about tripods.
You can take the photos hand held and it won't be an issue to merge them, as the software will align the photos and compensate for any camera movement.
However, you'll get much better results if you use a tripod, and here is why:
Firstly, the tripod will keep your camera level, and that's important to avoid photos of sloping rooms...
...and secondly, as there is much less chance of the camera shaking you'll get really sharp images.
This is particularly important with interiors, as to photograph the entire room you'll probably need some long exposures...
...and if you don't use a tripod - no matter how steady your hands are - this may well result in blurred photos.
So, let's start by roughly framing the shot.
Position the camera to show the room from chest height...
...and make sure it's level, so the horizontal and vertical lines in the scene don't look like they're sloping.
Tilt the camera up or down until you're happy with the amount of the ceiling showing, but keep the vertical lines straight.
Now let's look at the camera settings.
To get more control over the settings, first switch to manual mode.
Then set the ISO to 400.
Now set the aperture to F/11.
F/11 is usually a good choice for getting sharp photos when using a wide angle lens.
Now we'll set the shutter speed...
...and for this measurement to be accurate the camera should be set to spot metering mode.
This will be the setting for the middle exposure in the series of bracketed photos.
To find this measurement take the camera off the tripod if you're using one.
Now aim your camera at a point in the room which has an average brightness level...
So, not at the windows where the brightest areas are,...
...and not at the darkest areas of the interior.
Now move the shutter wheel until the speed marker in the view finder or on the display lines up with the zero marker or a little above zero.
This will be the normal exposure for your photo.
Now that the shutter speed is selected, you are ready to set the camera to Automatic Exposure Bracketing... AEB.
This function all ows the camera to automatically take three or more photos at different exposures when you press the shutter button.
But don't worry if you're unfamiliar with setting the AEB on your camera...
...as you'll find some really helpful and easy-to-understand AEB setup videos on our Youtube channel.
So, in your camera's settings menu, find the function to set the number of shots.
Set the number of bracketed shots to the maximum your camera allows.
Some cameras offer just 3 bracketed shots, while others can do 5 or more.
My camera supports 5, so let's select 5.
Find the 'AEB' function.
Set the exposure increment to plus and minus 2 EV if it supports increments of 2 EV steps,...
...otherwise set it to the maximum EV step increment it allows.
Switch the camera to continuous shooting mode.
Now focus your camera on an area in the foreground so everything from the foreground to the background is in focus.
Then press and hold down the shutter button until all your bracketed photos are taken.
That's it!
You've now taken the photos necessary to get a well lit picture of your interior.
Now, you just need to load the photos into Photomatix, and let the software do the rest.
Check out the next video to see how.
If you have any questions please leave them in the comments section.
And make sure to check part two of this tutorial, that shows how you merge the photos into a nice well-lit image.