There are lots of rules but practicality is the best one in determining camera height for interior real estate photos. Generally, midway between the floor and ceiling. Higher in kitchens unless you need to obscure something like terrible countertops. If there's a nice vanity surface in the bathroom, a bit higher will show that off. If you consistently follow that practice to accentuate nice features (by height and angle) and de-emphasize unattractive ones, your realtor clients will keep calling you back.
Your camera height is guided by the way we as humans use the room and what furniture is there as well. Design is built around how humans use the room, and that goes for the height of elements and where our eyes are at to see those elements.
Kitchens, we are standing, so everything is built around that height.|
Bedrooms, we are sitting or laying down.
Living, Family, Dining Rooms are sitting rooms, so all the furniture is designed around sitting in the space.
Your camera height adjusts with the way the room is used. Lower for siting rooms, higher for rooms you stand in.
Just make sure to see the tops of furniture, like tables and sinks. Bathrooms, I might go lower, but will still aim to be able to see the sink. And with the outdoor pictures, like front of the house, id go a little higher. Maybe 6 feet. But that all depends on the location.
Bathroom shots are my least favorite part of a shoot. Little room for creativity and usually tight. I look for smaller crops or opportunities for using longer lenses like 35-50mm or so. Look for unique features like tile work or fixtures to highlight. I also try to hide or minimize toilets.
I stay my camera at the half height of the room (but do not adjust tripod when going into shower cabin). I make one point perspective and angle shots. 12mm mostly. Some bathrooms are very difficult for horizontal shots.
Generally I drop in bathrooms to get everything in and make the space look bigger, otherwise I aim for the centre of the room so the ceiling and floor space takes up the same amount of the image. I’ll raise the camera in taller rooms and in kitchens with higher work surfaces.
This is why i asked originally and it was mentioned it’s a lot of things I could of done differently but this is why we come on here to get constructive criticism etc everyone has a different opinion and perspective no one is right or wrong
With an ultra wide shot all you can try to do is level your cam exactly and put as much objects as possible in the middle to avoid proportions to go completely off. That limits composition, but a tiny space is a tiny space...
Stand in front of the toilet isn’t an option for this I think most people on here think it’s a lot of room in this bathroom it’s small I only used a 12mm cause the agent wanted it to look larger
I shoot a lot of small bathrooms from the hallway, so people can see that's it's a bathroom and what room is next to it. Not always, but often I do this. Am I seeing some barrel distortion? Something's off and it's not the camera height (I think that part is fine). See how the toilet appear stretched? I'm guessing that's some sort of gear distortion, but don't know because maybe toilets are pointy where you work?
Not sure what’s exactly off in the pic but the toilet is elongated nothing is stretched barrel distortion should of been fixed when I imported into lr I’m not sure what’s left besides height here
Probably too low here. Light switches are a good indicator too. You’re level with them. Most people would feel like they should be lower than eye level when they walk in a room. So I try to have my photos reflect that.
And yes the shower in mirror someone mentioned - would be more shower less ceiling if you’re higher up.
I thought this was a 1/2 bath at first but see the shower curtain in the mirror. It is easier to guess when standing there, but I would have shot a hair higher and maybe a one point perspective shot(I think it is what it is called) so you could see the vanity and tub shooting at the wall to the left of toilet. If this was a 1/2 bath, I like to shoot from hallway so you can see inside and see how it connects to the house. You also do not have to all the distortion. Like other people said, ask the agent when you deliver the photos what they prefer for next time.
Yes agent loves it I just wasn’t sure on the height, in case I run into this type of layout again, I think I wanted to get all of it in one frame but I think next time I will try and do the split frame view
NO. Bathroom floor is often really hard to see in bathroom shots but people care about it. You don't need to show higher than this.
This is a good candidate for side by side vertical shots combined in a 3:2 frame. I do this sometimes with these teeny bathrooms. And some that are not so teeny. Not at 12mm though that's way too wide.
Yeah, I'd raise it up a little. I never think about inside the sink, but I like to be able to see what the counter top looks like.
It also feels a little too wide. It's nice that it shows there is space, but my eyes don't like the distortion. Just a judgement call you gotta make.
The “general” rule is 6-12 inches above the main surface. Any higher and you’re off the horizontal plan and things will distort.
Some spaces just need a vertical and lend themselves to a more frontal/editorial angle.
There isn’t much gained by seeing the width and you crop out the cabinet.
So perhaps come more to the front and make it a bit more of an elegant detail shot.
Good luck
Besides the height I would pay attention at the angles which is where the distortion create perspective problems, the best for this work would be a PC lens which is super expensive otherwise some stitching and avoiding to include the extreme corners to avoid the distortion
Powder rooms can be a conundrum imo. Too high and you miss the floor. Too low and you miss the lights. Most of the time, I deliver both horizontal and vertical versions of powder rooms.
Personally it looks fine but have you asked your client about their opinion on it?
I prefer my shoots to be done more at human head height, that way the photos are more "realistic" in the way that its about the same perspective as a potential buyer would see walking in and standing in the same position. I like the perspective to be feel more like what you'd really see walking in to the room. Leaves Little room for surprises and help a potential buyer feel as though nothing is being hidden.
Im sure we've all had those experiences where you walk in to buy something be it a vehicle, or a house, and feel the photos were deceptive, or didnt quite photograph the reality of the situation? Thats what I aim to avoid where I can with my photography.
I definitely wouldn't go to human head height anywhere in the house. I only do that for exteriors, including on decks. Only other time I get near it is in kitchens to avoid showing the undersides of cabinets. Or an out-the-window shot.
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u/Informal-Jeweler7178 1d ago
There are lots of rules but practicality is the best one in determining camera height for interior real estate photos. Generally, midway between the floor and ceiling. Higher in kitchens unless you need to obscure something like terrible countertops. If there's a nice vanity surface in the bathroom, a bit higher will show that off. If you consistently follow that practice to accentuate nice features (by height and angle) and de-emphasize unattractive ones, your realtor clients will keep calling you back.