How best to shoot home interior photos, flash, lens ???s

[tyra_pacheco]

I have been shooting photos of houses, both inside and out, for a weekly real estate newspaper feature.

To date, I have been using a Nikon D50 with an 18-55 lens and an SB600 flash. Although I have been

achieving satisfactory results, the best photos are often those taken without the flash. Which leads me to

my questions:

 

-What is the best resource to learn the ins and outs of digital flash photography--beyond the basics?

-Is the 18-55 lens the most appropriate lens for the job?

-Does anyone have any specific advice for shooting home interiors?

 

This is not the best paying gig in the land, so I am hoping to avoid a major equipment upgrade. Prior to

landing this job, much of my photography experience was outdoors and flash-free. I have a good grasp of

the use of shutter speed and aperture, but I know I need to learn more about the capabilities of the SB600

and how to master those features.

 

Help!!??!!

[bsd230]

I don't have a lot of experience with flash myself but have you tried a softbox or diffuser? Maybe that would help to soften the flash a little so it's not so harsh.

[juanjo_viagran]

if you like the result of the pictures w/o flash better I'd pick up a Nikon 24mm 2.8 and a light tripod.

[tom_jenner1]

Here's is few tips:

 

Don't shoot from such a low position.

 

Expose for those lights and then add flash.

 

Go to a pro shop and tell them you want some CTO (color temperature orange) filter material. With incandescent lighting, you want to match your flash color temperature to the ambient lighting. Set your white balance to "incandescent" when doing shots like this (with the filter on and with incandescent ambient lighting).

 

Do a ceiling bounce but also throw a little bit of the flash forward. Put some velcro on your flash and use a small piece of white cardboard to bounce some of the light forward. You need to practice doing this.

 

Get a SB-800 and use both that and the SB-600 on light stands off camera.

 

Crank up your speed to 800, this will help make up for the limited power of your flash.

 

If you're shooting with ambient incandescent light and shooting with the CTO filter on your flash, consider shooting when it's dark out or close the curtains. This is so you only have to deal with two light sources and not three different color temperature lighting sources.

 

If your pics are for web use or for smaller prints then your lens should be fine. Although it's not the best Nikkor primes lens, you can pick up a 28/2.8 AIS (manual focus and manual exposer only on your camera) for around $70.

 

Get to know your flash and how to use it in manual mode.

 

Hope this helps!

 

-Tom

[jose_angel]

I think it is almost impossible to get good results with one hot shoe head, perhaps with two heads you will be satisfied. Hot shoe flashes haven`t enough power to be bounced on big rooms, specially if ceilings and walls are not white painted.

<p>

Tom, I`m surprised you say the AiS 28/2.8 is not the best Nikkor prime... I suppose you mean <i>for that purpose...</i>

[sam_thompson2]

You should try to use the flash off camera, unfortunately the D50 doesn't have built in support for the CLS system.

 

I would check out strobist.com for cheaper off lighting solutions.

 

Also check out this flickr thread by Scott Hargis he describes how he uses flashes to light rooms. He gets some good results even when the ceilings are very high.

 

http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157600081467414/

[tom_jenner1]

Oops, Sam, good point, I forgot the D50 doesn't have CLS commander mode.

 

Jose, IMO, the 105/2.5 is the best Nikkor manual focus lens. My 28/2.8 is actually the e model :>(

[elliot1]

You don't need any other equipment other than a tripod so you can use longer exposures without camera shake. Use the self timer when taking the pictures.

 

My first thought was to suggest you use the flash aimed directly up at the ceiling as suggested above but because the ceiling is so high, that option would likely be ineffective. I think the natural lighting looks best for this type of shot anyway.

 

You can brighten the pictures using 'd lighting' such as in Nikon Caputure NX and correct for the distortion as well (see the sample I attached). I highly recommend DXO software which has those features plus excellent Keystoning options that would easily correct the low angle perspective issue. They offer a 30 day free trial at www.dxo.com.<div></div>

[jose_angel]

Tyra, your image:<div></div>

[jose_angel]

Color corrected, sharpening:<div></div>

[szrimaging]

Ahem, if you don't mind too much digital work, you can start blending images. I ahave used this technique with success. The idea is basically you take diffenrent exposures for the differnt parts of the image. This can be through HDR software, or through layers/masks. This can be both used with flash and no flash.

 

As for a lens, that depends on the money you are willng to invest. There are a few kind of bellows systems that give you full tilt/shift movements, those should (have yet to buy one) work well. ALternativly, you may go with a 15mm AIS lens. Or the Sigma 10-20 or Tokina 12 - 24. I would avoid a 28 due to the crop factor on your camera. The wider the lens, the bigger the room looks.

[fred_bonnett2]

Hi Tyra - For beginning equipment: interior shots Sigma 10-20, exterior shots your 18-55 and something longer like a 55-200, a first rate $150 tripod, 2 or 3 Vivitar 285 flashes with slaves, a pretty powerful computer with lots of RAM and a software program that includes distortion correction, hue/saturation adjustments and lens correction as well as all the normal photographic adjustments (such as PS v.7 or better).

 

Newspaper work doesn't require large, hi-res, files. Never use the on-camera flash for lighting - use it only to trigger other flashes. Use hue/saturation and the history brush to counter mixed lighting problems.

 

There's lots to learn and much more equipment to buy but starting with newspaper work is an ideal way to get into the business.

[tyra_pacheco]

What a great collection of advice!

 

I have had good results with a tripod and no flash, but that is not always practical. For

example, if a living room is 12 by 25, it can be tricky to get the far end of the room bright

enough. I will check out strobist.com for some off camera light options. The photo I

posted with my question is not the typical house I shoot, but an example of how natural

light has been better for me.

 

Tom--I usually avoid such a low vantage point, but I wanted to capture the crown molding

against the ceiling, as this is a house filled with amazing architectural details. Also, do you

have any suggestions about HOW to better get to know my flash? Is there any book you

might recommend that will shed some light (heh heh) on the subject? As for the Nikon

24mm 2.8, will this angle be wide enough to shoot in the average kitchen, for example? I

find that I am often using my lens at the 18 end for interiors.

 

As for the D50, I have been seriously considering selling the body on ebay and upgrading

to the D80 instead. However, I'll still have the same questions with effective flash

photography. (I also own a 28-105 lens.)

 

Thanks again for the great advice! What a fabulous resource!

[bsd230]

I have seen books on Amazon that are written specifically for Nikon flash setups.

[tom_jenner1]

Nice job Jose, night and day difference!

 

Tyra, as mentioned above and from your own experience, 28mm might be a bit long. I'd just stick with the lens you have. For $250 you can get the 18-70/3.5-4.5 which is a bit of an improvement but for web/small prints I don't think I'd bother.

 

I use my 28mm for industrial kitchen shots (chefs in action, food prep, product development documentation etc). Industrial kitchens tend to be larger than home kitchens.

 

For what you're doing, the only real advantage of the D80 is if you need to make large prints (>11x14) and the ability to use off camera flash (commander mode). If you want commander mode you can pick up a used D70s (what I use). If you're planning on using your SB-600 on your camera then there's no reason to upgrade but off camera flash is much more flexible.

 

Beyond reading the entire strobist web site I didn't read any books, just many thousands of practice shots. Lots of practice in different shooting situations is the best advice I can give (and of course following photo.net threads!). Follow the lighting threads on photo.net.

 

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/03/lighting-101.html

[tom_jenner1]

Tyra, now that I'm rambling....

 

Another option for you is to use your SB-600 on camera in manual mode and pick up a few of the new Vivitar 285HV flashes (about $100 each) and pick up a couple of optical slave units (about $20 each). For about $250 you can have yourself a nice 3 flash set up (not including light stands, umbrellas) that's nice and portable. I use a similar set up and you'll be able to light up pretty much any residential room.

 

The 285HV has a convient power control dial on the front and with an optical slave it will trigger off of your SB-600 (manual mode only).

 

But first read the entire strobist website.

[watchin]

I've shot several of these, here's what I use

 

17-35AFs ED, SB-80dx on camera pointed up, Fong Lightsphere II

 

Other tricks, turn on all incandecents, off all the flourecents,

raise the blinds.

 

Lens set for 17mm, camera at eye level, 1/60 to allow for

ambient light to come into play<div></div>

[watchin]

Here's some rational to go along with the data.

The 17-35 exhibits almost no distortion and gives ~30mm POV.

 

Eye level - to give it the normal perspective of a person, focus for

a midpoint and adjust for farthest to be a rear edge of focus.

 

Flash on camera with Lightsphere gives nice even almost shadowless light

with few hotspots.

 

If it's on the camera and you/camera/flash are not

visible in viewfinder you'll not be in final photo (eg reflections)

 

PS manipulations, as Jose has shown above (nice job BTW). A good

shadow highlighter helps (I believe this was FixerLabs ).

 

Tripod and all natural will work sometimes but usually too dark.

 

The shot above would have been dark/light/realdark/light/reallight/dark

as you look down the living room into dining/sitting into back hall.

 

Actual exposure for above was Fuji-S2 17mm 1/45 f2.8