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What to photograph on an organizing or staging job: space, privacy and portfolio
A calm closet or a staged living room looks effortless, and clients forget the chaos that came before. Your work is visual, and it is also the most personal of any trade: you are in somebody's closets, drawers and bedrooms.
Photos need to do two things at once. They need to show the change clearly, and they need to protect your client's privacy. A good set is a wide shot of each space, a few close shots of the worst shelves and drawers, and the same views after, with nothing personal in the frame.
Before you start
- Get the client's okay to take photos, and agree what stays out of them, such as documents, medications, children, and financial or personal items.
- Photograph before you start sorting. Once you pull things out, the before is gone.
- Use the light the room has, with blinds open and lights on.
- Decide whether the photos may be used in your portfolio, and write that down with the client.
The shot list
11 photos, in the order to take them. For each one: what to shoot, how to frame it, and why it is worth the few seconds.
Each space, before
- The whole room or closet from the doorway
How: A fixed spot, phone at chest height, including the floor and the full width.
Why: It is the anchor for the pair, and shows the scale of the work.
- Shelves, drawers and cabinets, opened
How: One shot per section, straight on, with the doors open.
Why: The densest, messiest spots show the biggest change.
- The problem areas
How: The overflowing drawer, the pile, the stuffed shelf: close up, but not of personal papers.
Why: It records what the client was struggling with.
- Flow and function
How: The entry, the counter, the desk, the walkways.
Why: Organizing is often about how a space works, not only how it looks.
The work in progress
- Categories laid out
How: Wide, so the sort is visible, with personal items turned face down or out of the frame.
Why: It shows the method, which clients value.
- Items going to donation, storage or the bin
How: A wide shot of each pile.
Why: It records what left the home and where it went.
- Anything the client wants to keep out of the photos
How: No photo, but a note.
Why: It respects the agreement and builds trust.
Each space, after
- The same views as the before
How: Same spot, same height, same light, with doors and drawers open.
Why: The pair is the portfolio piece, and the report.
- Labels, bins and systems
How: Close up of what makes the system work.
Why: It shows what the client paid for, in detail.
- For staging: each room from the corner that shows the most
How: Bright, even light, with the room styled and furniture placed.
Why: It is the listing shot, and often what a seller or agent wants.
- For staging: details and flow
How: The entry, the focal point, the key vignette.
Why: It shows how the home reads to a buyer.
Get the angle and the light right
- Shoot from the same spot and height each time, which for closets and pantries is the doorway.
- Bright, even light makes organized spaces look clean and calm. Turn on every light and open the blinds.
- Keep people, screens, documents and personal items out of the frame, and crop or reshoot if they sneak in.
- For staging, shoot from the corner that shows the most of the room, and keep the camera level so lines stay straight.
Mistakes that make the result look smaller
- Photographing without agreeing what to avoid.
- Letting personal papers or family photos show in the frame.
- Taking the after at a different height or from a different spot.
- Using photos in your portfolio without the client's permission.
When it is not a standard job
A sensitive space
For a bedroom, a home office or a medicine cabinet, ask first, and often skip the photo. A before and after of a pantry or a garage is easier, and just as persuasive.
A staging job for a listing
Photograph each room before staging, after, and with the final listing photographer if you work with one. Agents and sellers want to see the change.
Using the photos in your portfolio
Ask the client for permission in writing, remove or blur anything personal, and credit the space generally rather than by address.
Printable checklist: organizing and staging
Tick each one before and after.
- The whole room or closet from the doorway
- Shelves, drawers and cabinets, opened
- The problem areas
- Flow and function
- Categories laid out
- Items going to donation, storage or the bin
- Anything the client wants to keep out of the photos
- The same views as the before
- Labels, bins and systems
- For staging: each room from the corner that shows the most
- For staging: details and flow
photoluego.com/guides/organizing-and-staging-photo-checklist
From photos to proof
A folder of photos is not a report. Photo Luego for organizers and stagers lines up each before and after shot with a ghost of the first photo, pairs them for you, and turns the best pairs into a report with your logo, your review links and a pay button. It works in your phone's browser, and it has an always-free plan. New to it? Start with Getting started, then see how to send a report.
Questions
Is it okay to photograph a client's home?
Only with their okay, and with an agreement about what stays out of the photos. Avoid people, documents, medications and personal or financial items. Rules vary by place, so check yours.
How do I make an organized space look good in a photo?
Shoot from the doorway with every light on, keep the camera level, open drawers and doors if they are part of the system, and take a close shot of the labels and the details.
Can I use before and after photos on my website?
With the client's permission, yes. Ask in writing, leave out anything personal, and keep the location general.
General advice, not legal advice. Rules about photographing people and property vary by place, so check yours.