4 Ways to Shoot a Living Room

Often with our clients, when we first begin the process of shooting, we’ll take some handheld photos of the space sot he client can better see how the space looks through the lens to understand what can be captured. We usually give a few choices to the client before we mutually finalize the correct angle to shoot a room, but sometimes a client needs more than one angle. Here, in four photos, is a living room shot in a few different ways. I would usually push the client in a certain direction but there is value to each of these different perspectives. Which would you choose?

Hoboken Studio

Most studios are either one interrupted area or an annexed area but the studio below has a more interesting layout. Were the bedroom to have windows and a door, it could be legally called a bedroom but it remains a studio, and a unique one to boot.

One Ten Lounge

One Ten Amenities

This has definitely been touched upon in other posts but it’s so wonderful when a space is artfully lit so that most of the work of a photographer is already done. That isn’t to say there isn’t a skill in finding the light, much like a photographer would shoot in natural light but since the photos are shot to highlight the space, and the lighting of a space like below does the same, it makes for a more harmonious shoot when those two factors work in tandem.

118 Washington

There’s something about wallpapers that just gets me so excited. Maybe it’s the color, maybe it’s that I’m a sucker for patterns, but wallpapers truly inspire joy and I love when I’m entering a home to shoot and there is wallpaper everywhere. Sadly, only one room in this unit had wallpaper but it was enough to fill my fix.

The Benjamin

Outside of the city, in New Jersey, there are tons of developments in the process. Some of which are nestled right at the train station so you can easily get to the city, or wherever else you need to go, at your doorstep.

Westside Views

In real estate photography, catching the views is essential to a solid photo. When the weather is clear for a shoot like this, it’s truly kismet. The weather in New York changes so frequently that, except in parts of the summer, you never know what you’re going to get. There are ways to retouch a photo to make it appear as if it were sunny but it’s always better to take photos of the real thing.

605 W 42

Light is a photographer’s tool, and once can never have too much of it. Typically, the higher up you climb a building in NYC the more light you have, and when you pair that with impeccable design its easy to take a great photo.

800 Grand Concourse

New York is full of pre-war buildings that just look boring and bland on the outside, but inside they can be a treasure trove of wonderful design and artistry. Take this 3-bedroom unit in the Bronx, just shy of the Manhattan border.

383 Grand St

It’s interesting how the architect/interior design hat can be shared by many professionals, the two roles are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Take this apartment, for instance, which was a gut renovation by an architect who also designed the home, quite beautifully. The kitchen was opened up, and the kids room was divided to allow for privacy between the two children.

404 Park Ave South

Designers will often ask for a photographer of themselves in a space to represent their business. Though my experience in photography stems in interiors, I’ve often had to get resourceful and figure out how to shoot subjects associated with spaces: food/beverage, products, and people. This designer created a wonderfully serene atmosphere with the furnishings selected for the space, and her outfit, luckily, accompanied it quite well.

Shakuff

Shakuff is a lighting company that designs floor lamps, to pendant lights, to chandeliers - to any other kind of light fixture you can imagine and this property was the house of Shakuff - owned by the eponymous company head, and filled with more light fixtures than you could dream of.

Shaker House

I was only recently made aware of the Shaker Houses and their wonderfully hygge-like design. This walk-up building featured a small handful of units that had beautiful cabin-esque touches that made you feel like you had stepped out of the city and into the Catskills.

Mark's Off Madison

When life gives you lemons ,make lemonade, and when Barney’s closes - open your own restaurant. That’s what Mark Strausman of Mark’s Off Madison did when he opened his new ode to New York food. The restaurant features an in-house bakery which crafts bagels, pretzels and loaves every day, in addition to the full kitchen serving up Italian specialties and a bevy of other delights. In shooting the space, it was important we capture how the bakery (and the baked goods) are front-and-center in the space.

Peak

It’s a new year - time to move onwards and upwards. Speaking of upwards, Peak is situated on the 101st floor of the Hudson Yards complex. It features stunning views from above other landmark skyscrapers from the East Village to the Hudson. These photos were taken days before Peak opened and moments before the coronavirus crept in, shutting down the restaurant for months, but it has since opened up and had been solid strong through the holidays.

520 Park Ave

Park Ave has such a loaded connotation. It would be interesting to live in a basement studio unit with a bathtub in the middle of room and happen to have your address be Park Avenue. “I have to wash my hair within feet of where I chop my vegetables but at least I live on Park Avenue!” Such was not the case for this apartment that a gorgeous kitchen, and many other gorgeous spaces with plenty of light and beautiful design pieces. And it happens to be on Park Avenue.

Atlantic Terminal

I grew up going to a lot of malls but there aren’t many in NYC. However, the Atlantic Terminal/Atlantic Center Mall seems to be an inalienable fixture in Brooklyn with big box stores, flanked by an Apple Store, Whole Foods, and the Barclay’s center. Perhaps it’s the gentrification of an area, or the modernizing of an already kinetic junction in the borough. Either way, I was tasked to shoot the space that I’ve frequented so much in the past by its management company.

123 PLG

Prospect Lefferts Garden is growing, and 123 PLG is the beacon of change it seems. The massive complex towers the area and has a slew of amenities from rooftop pools, to basketball courts. I used the drone for this one and was able to capture both the rooftop pool with a lovely view of the Manhattan skyline.

100 House

As people move to working from home, buildings need to provide enough reasons to keep people wanting to stay home and pay for it. This particular property boasted an enormous lounge, countless outdoor spaces, an arcade and even a bowling alley.

277 2nd St

When I walked into this shoot, I didn’t realize that I would be doing a two-fer. In the past, I have had interior designers I work with partner up with realtors to help shoot an apartment they designed, that would also be leased or sold. This shoot was a bit of the opposite, where I walked in thinking I would be shooting for a FSBO (for sale by owner) situation, but lo and behold there was an interior designer running around prepping each room for me before I entered. I can enjoy shooting real estate but I far prefer to shoot interior design and it’s a lovely surprise when the two meet.