The Art of Successful Furniture Photography

Firstly, the furniture photographer needs to get to grips with the distance and position of the equipment in hand. Finding a big enough area to set up a realistic and comfortable shoot gives the best results. However despite a bigger photography area helping to initially shoot the furniture, the bigger the space the harder it is to control the lighting.

It is important to decide a theme for your photos; whether the furniture alone will be the only element to the picture or whether it will be part of a set. This can often be decided by what purpose the pictures are being used for. Another element to consider is the use of models in the photographs; depending on the theme off the shoot, models can help bring an element of life to the picture and really have an real effect on the viewer.

With furniture photography, it is important to note the variation on controlling light depending on the texture of the equipment in hand. High reflective furniture such as varnished cabinets, need bigger and diffused sources of light, with larger, paler backgrounds. Softer furniture such as material sofas and cushions need much harder lighting to help bring to life the varying textures and mirror the effect of natural sunlight. Painted and upholstered furniture are the easiest to shoot as the matte surfaces bring reflection to a minimal.

Keeping the background simple is essential for the furniture photographer; a boldly patterned or cluttered background could divert the viewers' attention away from the subject.

With furniture photography, it is often considered best to use a wide angle lens as to minimize distortion and position the camera both horizontally and vertically in the centre of the furniture to capture more detail.

It is important to note that when it comes to furniture photography, preparation is key. Preparation will generally take longer than the shoot itself, lighting and staging of props should be carefully prepared before the first picture is even taken. The ending of the shoot can also have an effect on the overall outcome, if elements of the process such as the lighting or reflection of the final photographs were not as you had hoped it is possible to edit the work to extent. It is always best to have an idea of what the final product will look like and work towards that image.

Don't forget! It is essential that the furniture is clean and well-polished!