In this Expert Access, our very own DLN Advisor Michael Boodro hosted an enlightening conversation with famed stylist Robert Rufino about what it takes to capture the best elements of projects through photography. See below for some points of wisdom from Robert:
- Use fresh flowers to help the shot, but don’t make them the focus. Keep them simple, and don’t use too many.
- Each photograph should have an edge, or a story, that makes you ask, “Why did they put that there?” For example, including a light fixture in the shot that causes an intriguing imbalance.
- It’s not necessary to try to capture the entire room. It’s more important to generate a beautiful image that captures a moment.
- Most of the time, the power outlets and switches are edited out. But sometimes if it’s appropriate, like with the Frank Lloyd Wright restoration example, it makes sense to leave them in.
- Sometimes it makes sense to give the shot a bit of a feeling of being “lived in,” like a throw blanket on a sofa.
- Often times a shot needs just one more element, like a chair, and it can even come from another room.
- Don’t shy away from trying new, up-and-coming photographers.
- Natural lighting has largely become the standard, but that doesn’t mean a shot cannot be done at night. It depends on the space and the eye of the photographer.
- Designers, if your client lives in the space and it’s going to be photographed, don’t assume they left it in presentable condition. Go the day before and make sure it’s tidy for the shoot. Robert told a funny story about coming to shoot an apartment and finding it in a state of disarray.
- Give a shot some tension – put one chair of a dining room table at an angle while the others are in place, for example.
- As it relates to decorating surfaces, like a table, don’t make it too cluttered or “fussy.” There is elegance in having only a few, thoughtfully selected items.
- Try to find a shot that invites you through, that shows multiple rooms and leaves you intrigued and wanting more.
- When asked if Robert ever tries to find shots “for Instagram,” the answer is no. Find the best shots, and from them you will find something that works for social media.