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Photo Tips & Techniques

"Home Sweet Home," "A Man's Home is His Castle," "Home is Where the Heart Is" - all these expressions prove how much we cherish and prize the walls in which we live. As photographers, we take pictures of loved ones, friends, and relatives, but for some reason, even though our homes are cherished, they're not often photographed. The following are some hints showing you how to capture some great images of the biggest purchase of your life.

1) Depending upon which way the front of your house is oriented, it will look better at either sunrise of sunset. If the front of your house faces east, you'll want to shoot it in the morning. If it faces west, sunset will provide better light. If its predominately north or south facing, you'll need to see which time of day the sun lights up more of its facade to get the best light. The warm glow of sunrise and sunset give the pictures more appeal than the harsh and cool tones of mid day.

2) To give your home a warm and lived in look, try photographing it at dawn or dusk contingent upon its orientation. The key to the shot is to turn on all interior lights which  provide a warm, yellowish color on daylight film. The ambient light at dawn or dusk is low so the exposure of the lights inside the house should equal the exposure of the existing light  creating a balance between the two. Approximately thirty minutes prior to sunrise or thirty minutes after sunset is the optimal time to make this image. See accompanying photo.

3) Avoid taking pictures when the skies are gray, white or in any way overcast. The light is flat and cool giving the house a cold look. The same way you'd avoid taking a picture of someone with a goofy expression, avoid making images of your home under flat light conditions as it makes it look sad and melancholy. See accompanying image.

4) Interior shots are fun to do but are more difficult. Wide angle lenses are necessary in that you'll be shooting in tight quarters. With regards to lighting, it can get very elaborate. Adding bounce light off a ceiling helps soften the contrast when trying to light a room with just the existing lamps. To maintain accurate color if the main source of light is incandescent, use a tungsten balanced film.

5) If you're a tree lover like me, it's very difficult to get good shots of your home in the summer when they're leafed out. I photograph my house when the leaves fall. Autumn is a nice time of the year to photograph your home in that a touch of color can be added to the image. Winter works well just after a freshly fallen snow decorates the surrounding landscape. When the trees in front of your home begin to bud in spring, don't miss the opportunity to capture images of your house in every season.

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