How do I photograph large furniture like sofas without a studio?

What space do I need to photograph a sofa?

Enough room to stand well back from the piece, with a clean wall and floor behind it. The distance matters more than the backdrop, because it lets you use a longer lens and keep the proportions true.

• A warehouse or loading bay with the roller door open for light
• The showroom before opening, with the other pieces moved out of the frame
• A double garage, with the door open and the car out
• A plain room at home, if the piece fits through the door and the room is deep enough to step back

A large roll of seamless paper behind and under the piece gives the cleanest result. A plain painted wall and a clean concrete or timber floor also work, as long as they are the same for every piece in the range.

How do I light large furniture without studio lights?

With big, soft daylight: an open roller door, a large window on an overcast day, or open shade outdoors. Turn off the overhead lights, because mixing them with daylight tints the fabric.

• Keep the piece out of direct sun, which throws hard shadows and bleaches pale fabric
• Bounce light into the shadow side with large sheets of white foam board
• Shoot at the same time of day for every piece, so the light matches across the range
• Watch for reflections on leather, timber and metal legs, and move the camera a step to lose them

Which angles does each furniture piece need?

A front view, a three-quarter view, a side profile and the back, then close-ups of the fabric, the legs or base, and any feature buyers ask about, such as a pull-out bed or reversible cushions.

• Front, with the camera at about seat height
• Three-quarter, which shows the front and the side together
• Side profile, to show the depth and the arm shape
• Back, because sofas often sit in the middle of a room
• Fabric close-up, in daylight, showing the weave
• Legs or base, and the finish of the timber or metal
• A scale shot: the piece beside a side table, a lamp or a person

Do not skip the scale shot. In Baymard Institute’s testing, 42% of users tried to work out a product’s size from its images, and one shopper dismissed a desk as “really huge” after seeing it cut out on a plain background with nothing to compare it to.

How do I stop furniture photos looking distorted?

Step back and zoom in. A wide lens close to a sofa stretches the near arm and shrinks the far one, while a longer lens from further away keeps the proportions as they are.

• On a phone, use the 2x or 3x lens and walk back until the piece fits
• Keep the camera level, so the vertical lines of the legs and back stay vertical
• Use a tripod, so every piece is shot from the same height and distance
• Leave space around the piece, so the crop can be made the same for the whole range

How do I show a sofa in a room without hiring a location?

Have room scenes made from your photos of the piece. The front, three-quarter and fabric photos you take in the warehouse are enough for the piece to be placed in rooms that suit your range.

Bartley Studio works from a couple of phone photos of each piece, taken in daylight: the front, one other angle and a close-up of the fabric, with a note on the materials and dimensions. Nothing is freighted. Each frame is made with AI and finished by hand, and if the fabric, finish or proportions do not match the real piece, the frame is re-edited until they do, with no cap and no extra fee.

The smallest order is one piece with six images for $350 plus GST, and the first look arrives in 2 to 3 working days. There is more on how room scenes work in how to show furniture in a real room without a location, and on the furniture page.

When is a studio or location shoot worth it for furniture?

When the photos need real people using the furniture, a real home that is part of the brand’s story, or a campaign with a photographer’s particular look. A flagship launch shot on location can be worth its freight.