Name: Gary Nelling
Vicente – I’m curious what qualities and techniques of photography you think best suit the spaces featured in the design magazines. I looked more closely at some recent copies of AD and noticed that they have a lot of one point perspective shots and perfect 30-60 degree angle shots in their feature articles, taken at a distance with a what appears to be a wide angle lens, making grand spaces even appear grander. Also I think they set their exposures at the light beyond the windows and floodlight the interior so you can see both in great detail with equal brightness inside and out, which is something the eye doesn’t see. Is that correct? Something diminishes the soft effect of natural light and making the whole a bit cool and impersonal.
Elle Décor has some slightly overexposed interior shots, especially of white rooms, though the overall effect is more natural. Veranda is one magazine that seems to capture the subtlety of whites and soft colors and the character of light accurately. Any compositional or technical thoughts you or the other photographers out there have would be appreciated. – Gary
Photo: Grant Perigo
Vicente Responds:
Gary, thank you for all your comments on this blog – your view and opinion is always appreciated! Different magazines have different points of views and photography briefs. Elle Decor likes natural light with sun coming in and maintains an American freshness in its approach to photography. AD chosses a lot of room lighting, inside and out which sets a different mode. If you shoot your space, shoot it however you feel it looks best. As it pertains to the angle, it depends on the lens. Wide angle, 50mm, close up? Shooting a room is an arduous process of moving the furniture so nothing stands in front of another, eliminating clutter and you have to keep going back and forth to the camera to make sure it looks just right.
Regarding lighting – so many photographers now use digital which makes it a much easier process. I still shoot using film and a Pentax medium format camera – 75mm makes rooms look a little more intimate, 50mm gets more space out of it. I believe that sometimes its better to have the photographs more intimate as it allows you to truly explore the room.
#1 by Christa Pirl on July 3, 2010 - 8:02 pm
Great topic…its so hard to get the right look in photos. I am always trying to recreate the ‘Elle Decor’ or ‘House Beautiful’ look. I feel I often have too many or too few accessories, etc. It certainly takes a trained eye and lots of practice.
#2 by Heather on July 4, 2010 - 1:41 am
Very interesting…it is incredible how long it takes arranging things to get the balance/composition correct or vaguely like you think will make a decent photo, before one even starts tackling the light and mood.
#3 by Gary Nelling on July 4, 2010 - 10:21 am
Vicente – Thank you so much for your insight. It adds greatly to my understanding. I think the photographer’s art is unique because it involves extracting meaningful elements, whether realistic or abstract, out of a larger reality rather than creating images in additive layers of pencil or paint. So the photographic process is editorial and perhaps akin to the process of modern design.
After a trip to Europe a couple years ago with my family, I was amazed to compare my photographs, which were all about façade, mass, light and dark, and positive and negative space, with my daughters photos which were about artifacts and attitudes like signs, stacks of colorful chairs or a homeless man asleep on a park bench where children played, and told a more nuanced story than my grand gestures. I appreciate that your images move back and forth from the broad to the specific of your travels and designs so that we understand both the dimension and soul of your spaces and thoughts. And I never thought of using a 75mm lens indoors. I’ll try that!
Have a wonderful 4th of July and I will continue to search these pages, the magazines and books for more examples of your spatial fireworks. – Gary
#4 by Acanthus & Acorn on July 4, 2010 - 1:53 pm
This was an excellent question by Gary. One I have often wondered but, would not have been able to articuate as well!
And, Vicente I look at your photography from your books so often for inspiration, so anything you have to say on the subject always interests and informs me!
I am counting the months until the release of book three!!!
#5 by mandy on July 5, 2010 - 6:50 pm
Do magazine’s photoshop things out – like a bad view, and inserted things to fill voids.
#6 by kissmo on July 6, 2010 - 2:43 am
Really there is a great work behind every photographs…