definitely agree with using the viewfinder! too often people hold the digital camera out away from them and you can't clearly see what is making it into the shot!

Underexposure in a room scene as a result of bright windows is often a problem, so people oftentimes close their curtains or shades, but this just darkens everything.

Instead, play with your camera's exposure settings so that your windows are completely blown out and the room itself is exposed correctly. If you want to include the view beyond the window, expose for the outside correctly and just include a tiny bit of the window frame for the viewer's frame of reference.

For that magazine-y look, see if your camera allows you to control your shutter speed, and if so, set it to a low shutter speed, say 1/8 or 1/15, and have someone walk through the room. You'll get that I-have-an-active-home-type look so popularized by every home design magazine out there.

Lastly, USE A TRIPOD, even a cheapie one will do. Natural light is your friend; on-camera flash is NOT.

Don't "try" not to use a flash.

N E V E R use a flash.

Flash lighting is for mug shots & crime scenes.

if you're willing to invest, use a wide-angle lens. they are typically used for interior shots (esp. real estate photos) because they make the room look larger and show more of the space in a single shot.

Wide angle shots are very deceptive to the consumer and should be outlawed in the real estate business! A lot of time is wasted when looking at homes from a photo and then going to see it in person.

Don't overlook this website and other interior design sites. They're fantastic resources for ideas and other inspiration.

Look at as many images as you can, and figure out where the person/photographer positioned themselves to get the shot that you like. Then, play around with the composition to make it unique to your home.

www.tarakocourek.com

i have a hard time taking pictures in my studio b/c it's tiny & full of weird angles. so, i can't exactly step back far enough. i don't really know what to do about it.

I don't like the "it's okay to cheat" and 'remove things' part of this advice. This is essentially staging and makes the places look fake and like no one lives in them. I've noticed people remove trash cans, power cords on computers, and any devices with cords as well.

If your can't integrate your daily use items smoothly into your decor, then don't put up pictures of your home rather than project this illusion of a flawless space. No wonder few people can match the look of spaces that are paraded in magazines and interior design sites.

I'd like to add this:
it generally looks better to have more floor showing than ceiling.
If there is too much ceiling in the photo, it'll make even the most cavernous of rooms look squat.

I agree that removing cords or other small things that are normally out when your house is in perfect order is totally wack.

it is, however ok to corral the cords with twist ties, cord conduit, or tape since you'll probably keep it that way after having tken the photos.

photographing your space makes it easy to look at just one room/area/surface/whatever and edit if you're feeling overwhelmed by the task of decorating.

When I'm home all day, I notice distinct differences in how my place looks (and feels) as the day goes on.

With my big west windows, there's a short time in the early evening when my place feels ethereal. The sun is low in the sky -- casting long shadows and making things deeper in my space glow, unlike at any other time of day.

That would be the best time for me to photograph my loft.

I wholeheartedly agree with scmtngirl, magnaverde and others that you should use natural light and avoid a flash, which means a longer exposure, making a tripod almost mandatory.

So - my advice would be to find the time of day when the natural light makes your place look and feel its best.

make your bed!
I don't care if you never ever make your bed in real life...
if you are taking a picture of your bed; make it!

Do what professional photographers do. Take a picture. (I've seen them use Polaroids) and then decide what has to be changed in the room. This is especially easy now with digital cameras. That's how you will find out exactly how cluttered your room looks. It will also help you see flaws in your room that you have gotten used to. This "pre-picture" practice also helps when you're re-decorating a room or rearranging furniture.

In contrast to the "don't use a flash" I am going to say "learn to use flash correctly" - just blasting everything with on camera flash that points straight at your subject is horrifying, flattening, and ruins color. BUT! If you learn to use your flash correctly (adjust the power level, bouncing it off walls, dragging the shutter, setting your white balance to match the flash lighting) you can actually get a richer, more dimensional photo than one lit by a single light source, whether that is the window, an over head light, or flash.

I believe that staging for photos is fine - We don't want to see cords draped everywhere, kleenex boxes on the nightstand or mail on the countertops...

...but some staging can go too far, like pillows displayed on shelves and credenzas or tables with nothing on them.

And if your home really isn't ready for prime-time - wait until your home is finished - and submit your pix for the next go-around.

Remember to take the cat off of the dining room table.

Orchid64--

So I guess you leave the spinach in your teeth when you are having your picture taken?

Patrick (the other one) that is so hilarious!...This site is so big I hardly ever see your posts, (which I love very much by the way)!!

Staging or "Cheating"...

Pro: I think it is definitely ok within limits. If you are taking a photograph and the way corner of a chair or couch is in the way, shift it to get it out of the frame. I am the Art Director at an Interior Design/Architecture magazine and that damn corner of a piece of furniture that can't even be seen totally ruins a photo especially when it can't be cropped out so easily! And yes we don't all live so de-cluttered but sometimes in photos, moving/shifting clutter or cords show better the design and interior space that is more easily seen in person. Photography is just not the same as in person and things have to be done to get the experience as realistic as possible even if it means not being quite realistic.

Cons: A fruit bowl can be quite lame unless the person actually eats fruit, of course.

Flash and Wide-Angle lenses: If you know how to use them like a pro, use them. If not, avoid them. A good wide-angle lens makes it possible for the viewer to see a lot more of the room, like if they were standing there. Now it has to be a GOOD lens, otherwise it is decieving and there is distortion. Like with anything, moderation is key.

Tripod: an absolute must.

Do I have to use gimp or illustrator to submit photos that are taken by a "high definition" camera? What size should a photo be?