Spray and Pray Method for Photographing Interiors

In this video I break down how I shot and edited an extremely challenging (but all to common) photo for interior and architecture photographers-the dreaded looking-straight-at-a-glass-shower-door photo!
How is it possible to get an image that looks good with no natural light in the room when you're shooting directly into a giant pane of glass? The answer is what we call "spray and pray". That, and lots of Photoshop layers!
Learn to License Your Photos: Online licensing course for interiors, architecture, and real estate photographers... www.LicenseYourPhotos.com
More educational resources for architecture, interiors, and real estate photographers: adamtaylorphotos.com/education/
Follow me on Instagram: / adamtaylorphotos
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Adam Taylor is a Hawaii interior and architecture photographer based in Oahu, and servicing all islands, including Maui, Kauai, and Big Island.

[@PeeGeeTips]

Great results, but I can’t help think that to save yourself a ton of time with fighting reflections, using a combo of a polariser and hanging a large black cloth on the opposing wall would have cut your post production time dramatically. The flash use inside the shower definitely helped to make the tiles pop, looks great!

[@adamtaylorphotos]

CPL filters don't work when shooting head on...they only work at an angle. (I tried anyway though juuuuust in case, haha.) And I did hang a black cloth behind the camera to cover the massive window. The reflections were still VERY strong and super distracting.

[@ColinRobertson_LLAP]

Clients have no idea how involved some of these edits can be! I kept nodding to your commentary about how you shot and edited this. Been there! One recent bathroom shot I did had a hard reflection of a window in the glass. It was a one point composition like this and after trying different techniques to remove the reflection (which I should have done on-site of course), I selected it, and used generative fill to remove it. Worked GREAT.

[@adamtaylorphotos]

Haha awesome!! I have still not used the generative fill in a way that actually worked for one of my images.

[@jonihofmann3318]

And this is why we can charge $100 for one image! Great job Adam!

[@adamtaylorphotos]

Mahalo Joni!

[@michaelbartello6121]

That's it?

[@adamtaylorphotos]

@@michaelbartello6121 Plus the creative fee, of course.

[@drew-gray]

Love seeing walk throughs on these intensive ones - nice shot! I always see these compositions as a fun game to make the composite work in as few shots as possible. Every room is different in how the light bounces of course but you definitely pick up on more "educated guesses" than "spraying & praying" over the years, and sure looks like you had some keen insticts so give yourself credit. We creatives tend to discredit hiw much experience we pour into choices. I personally find mounting the flash on the end if a sturdy monopod to be a gamechanger. You can hold the flash into a very specific position often while keeping your body out of frame so you can have more usable section from each. Sometimsmes with bathrooms like thing I can actually be behind camera but holding the flash into the room. I often wind up bouncing close to ceiling, right above the glass in this case so the reflection from the light isnt going right back to camera. Just my 2 cents from years of spraying and praying! 😂

[@adamtaylorphotos]

Well said! I never use the “light on a stick” method because I use heavy 600ws flashes. But maybe next time I’ll try that out!

[@drew-gray]

@@adamtaylorphotos True, would be impractical with that. I've got some AD200's that are a nice middle ground but even 1-2 speedlites work! Thanks for sharing!

[@sschaef1000]

Thanks for posting!

[@adamtaylorphotos]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@wilbignal]

Hi Adam, don't know if it was intentional to upload at only 360p but its so hard to see the changes you are making with your edit due to the lower resolution. Looks like a good video topic though.

[@adamtaylorphotos]

It's actually in 4k... You just happened to see it before TH-cam had processed the full version. Thanks for hopping on early though! Haha.

[@wilbignal]

@@adamtaylorphotos Didn't know that was a thing. 4give me. Thanks for such a great walkthrough.

[@pdroangelo]

Could you use a polarized lens filter to get rid of the reflections?

[@adamtaylorphotos]

That would only help if shot at an angle...not head-on.

[@tomzphone]

wonder if a polarizing filter wouldn't help a little?

[@adamtaylorphotos]

Good question! I have one and use it often. But they don’t work when shooting straight on at the glare. The glare has to be at an angle for a CPL to work.

[@xpost92]

Epic. We’ll done great shot. Question: do you approach suppliers directly?

[@adamtaylorphotos]

Thanks! And yes, I approach them directly.

[@xpost92]

@@adamtaylorphotos thanks Adam it’s very efficient and smart way to work. Does that license fee vary depending on the reach or capitalisation of the image for the persons licensing it? Large multinational company vs small boutique vendor?

[@adamtaylorphotos]

@@xpost92 Yes, that’s generally how it works.

[@princeproduction9730]

Hello. May I ask what type of wifi transmitter is for your iPad? Thank you very much for what you have shared.

[@adamtaylorphotos]

I use a CamRanger 2

[@rc3designs]

How did you get proper white balance when bouncing of the blue tile?

[@adamtaylorphotos]

You don't really, haha. Just gotta adjust in Photoshop accordingly.