How to Photograph the Interior of a Building

Boston Public Library

From your own home to the public library or museum, building interiors have always made fascinating pictures. I have found it particularly rewarding to work with natural light, but many opportunities exist under the glare of artificial lights. In most situations a tripod is unnecessary, so just take along your hand-held camera and bring back some good pictures.

Things You'll Need

• Camera

Instructions

1. Make a study of sunlight pouring through a window. The idea behind this exercise is to get used to the idea that one can make interesting pictures by focusing on the small things. Maybe there is an interesting array of fruit and vegetables sitting in your kitchen window that would make a good picture. If not, perhaps you might want to set one up.

2. Photograph a small room in its entirety. To do this you will have to move to one corner and angle your lens to include as much of the interior space as possible. A wide-angle lens, with the focal length of around 35mm, is ideal for this type of picture.

3. Take the picture from the bottom of a stairwell, looking up. You can do this in your own home or in a public building that has a circular rotunda. A spiral staircase that climbs through a large open space always makes a great picture, as this shot has often been pictured by many photographers.

4. Go to a public building, such as a museum or a library, and capture the image of a person within the space. This adds scale and as long as the photographer is not too obtrusive adds human interest, too. When taking a picture in a public building, it is imperative that your flash be turned off. This is especially true in art museums and churches.

5. Take a picture looking from inside to outside through glass. If you capture the reflective nature of glass you can easily come up with multiple images juxtaposed into one single picture. The creative possibilities are mind boggling.

Tips & Warnings

• The list of public buildings one can photograph is almost endless. Some popular places to go are churches, museums, lighthouses, old forts and theatres.

• Make sure you turn your flash off, especially when you are inside a public building.