How to Choose the Right Camera Angle for Your Listing Photos
Western architecture is largely influenced by the theories of Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, a Roman engineer who lived in the first century BC. Vitruvius argued that buildings should be designed in proportion to human scale—from this idea, Leonardo Da Vinci drew the Vitruvian Man, depicting his own reflections of human proportions.
Since the Renaissance age, buildings have been designed in proportion to the Vitruvian Man to make people feel as comfortable as possible. For example, the standard ceiling height is 9 feet, one-third higher than the Vitruvian Man.
This is considered the ideal height for a working space like an office. Spaces with a ceiling higher than 9 feet are considered to be grand spaces, often used in entrances and lobbies. A grand scale is often designed to impress the viewer, but the expansive height can also be overwhelming. On the other hand, low ceilings can create a feeling of calm, but can also make the room feel small and dark.
These principles of design have a large impact on the way we photograph a room. Considering that rooms are designed for a 6-foot-tall person to feel comfortable, it is best to photograph from that eye level, especially in an empty room.
This photo, taken with an iPhone, was shot from an eye level height. Notice that from this height, there is roughly an equal amount of floor and ceiling.
With this in mind, we can use the camera height to make the most of the room limitations. For example, if a tall ceiling gives feelings of grandeur, we can make a small room look more spacious by photographing from a low angle, giving the impression of a tall ceiling. Conversely, if an empty room looks cavernous and uninviting, a high camera angle would make the ceiling feel lower and give the room a cozy feel.
This is the same room from the previous image but taken from a lower angle. This gives the impression that the ceiling is higher and makes the room feel larger.
In this take, the camera position is high, giving the impression of a lower ceiling that makes the room feel smaller. This often works well when the room is empty.
In rooms with furniture, the furniture is designed to be viewed mostly from a sitting perspective. When photographing a room with furniture, the best height is from roughly shoulder height of the 6-foot man, so about 5 feet high.
This image is photographed from the height someone would be viewing the room from if they were sitting down.
No matter what position you choose for the camera, it is crucially important to make sure the camera is level before taking the shot. An all too common problem when photographing buildings is pointing the camera up. This causes the vertical lines of the building to lean inwards as illustrated below.
Note how the pillars lean inwards.
If you’re using a phone, there is no built-in leveler, but you can get close to being level by judging the vertical lines on the left and right edges. When both sides appear to be pointing straight up at 90 degrees, the camera is level. Watch the video below to see the technique in action:
With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to take the best photos of your space to showcase your listing.
About the Author: Jonathan Reid
Jonathan Reid is a UK-based architectural photographer for CoStar.
