As photographers, we know it’s possible to create a decent photo in just about any nook or cranny. The moments are what’s important, and we accept that we won’t always have the perfect backdrop or light. But when we’re in our own homes, we all have our favorite photography spots, don’t we? You know, that hallway that fills with an orange glow mid-morning, or that messy playroom that gets just the perfect amount of light in the afternoon. Sure, we can manipulate natural light or redirect our kids into another room (oops, how did your Legos get into that dramatic patch of window light?), but we also have those favorite photography locations at home that send us running for our cameras over and over. It’s these favorite photo spots that cannot escape our lenses.
We asked our Click Pros to show us their favorite photography locations at home. Some of these photos will make you laugh, others will make your jaw drop, but they will all leave you feeling inspired. Because a great photo comes from the heart, and your heart goes where you go (even in the shower). So, let’s see what inspires these talented photographers in their own homes.
Curtained window:
My favorite photography location at home is my bedroom. It’s east facing and gets bright light. I can play with early morning light, flat light, shadows and more. I love to shape the light with sheer curtains, block the light with heavy curtains or play with just the window grill.
–Shilpa Harolikar
Well-lit shower:
My shower actually has the best light! The way the light, water droplets and steam mix together is just magical. I do have to get creative and be careful of my angles, because, it is, well, the shower, but it is always a fun challenge. And my boys love to play in the shower, so they are happy and content while being trapped in one small space. Photographer win!
–Natalie Greenroyd
Neutral living room:
Our living room is painted a really light blue-gray, and we try to keep the furniture and fixtures white or light. It makes shooting in there with natural light a breeze. The absence of competing colors and color casts is the perfect way to draw attention to my subjects.
–Andrea Moffett
Outdoor patio:
My fave photo spot in the house is on my back patio. Is that cheating? I love the backlight in the evening with the fill light coming up from the concrete below. It’s just so satisfying to shoot there.
–Vanessa Brack
Hallway:
My favorite photography location in my house is my hallway. I can create pockets of light in different spots by closing and opening doors and varying the set up a little each time. I can leave the door open at the very end of the hallway to utilize backlight or I can even climb onto the staircase to shoot from above.
–Jillian Baudry
Not-so-tidy living room:
We just moved into a new house (hello bare walls!), so I am still learning the light around here. So far, my favorite spot is in our living room, which has a large southwest-facing window. Early in the day, the light is indirect and soft, but as the day goes on, the light gets stronger and more directional. This allows me to have fun with portraits, shadows play, and even silhouettes.
–Anna Margaret
Versatile window:
I love photographing my children by the window in our living room. The light is soft and beautiful in the morning, and if you want shadows and harsh light, the late afternoon is perfect. I also love the hardwood flooring and the shutters.
–Brandi Markham
Tidy guest room:
I LOVE my guest room. It never gets direct light. It has only one window with tan colored shears, so the light is always soft, warm, and moody. Plus, it’s one of the only rooms that is somewhat decorated and stays clean in my crazy household. It’s basically like my little studio room.
–Jamie Rubeis
Messy playroom:
I love shooting in my messy toy room for the stories I can tell there. The messy toys give the viewer more insight into my kids’ personalities, their likes and their ages. I love how I can create depth while using the clutter. It also brings in some color pops and visual interest.
–Karen OsdieckÂ
Big picture window:
I love to use our big living room window! It has amazing light all day, from hard, directional morning light to soft, diffused evening light. I shoot it straight on, or I can use it for good side light. It also creates great shadows for when I’m feeling extra creative.
–Brandy Dykes
Plantation shutters:
My favorite spot is my room (which, now that I think about it, MAY just be painted MIDDLE GREY!!). But I love it because it has plantation shutters on windows on two walls. I can control the light so well. I can have lots of light, back light, flat light, directional light or I can use my fog machine to capture sun rays. The possibilities are endless!
–Cami Turpin
Shadow wall:
I explore various spots in my house when I can. I’m an observer and will keep following the light movement and patterns in my house. I love how light falls on this wall to create shadows. I just let my child play there and try and capture some shadow fun.
–Jyotsna Bhamidipati
Dining room:
My dining room is my happy place. It has one giant window with sheers and blackout curtains, so I can shape the light in so many ways. I painted it a dark blue/gray that I can make darker or lighter depending on how I light the room and process the images. I love the huge variety of looks I can get.
–Kate Luber
Horizontal blinds:
One of my favorite rooms is my living room. It has a large south-facing window that looks out onto a small porch. There is a garage to the left and another house to the right that act as flags, so I can get really good directional light. I love that the light changes so much throughout the day, allowing me to get this hard direct light that is fun to play with, as well as soft, indirect light that is great for portraits. I also love that the room is a pretty neutral gray.
–Jonica Weiler
Kitchen nook:
I love shooting in my kitchen nook. It has a big bay window and always has the perfect light, even on a cloudy day. I often catch my kids sitting at the table eating their afternoon snacks or working on a project. We sometimes use the table for baking and decorating cookies. It’s the best spot in the house!
–Erica Williams
Dark corner:
Back in the corner from my sliding glass doors in the kitchen is one of my favorite spots to photograph my subject. The light hits my subject just enough, while still creating beautiful shadows in the background.
–Eve Tuft
Dining room window:
My favorite spot for photos is my dining room! It has a large window and neutral taupe walls. I love that I can get close to the window in order to get a nice, dark background. There’s not a ton of furniture in there and I am known for moving at all out of the room to shoot.
–Tiffany Kelly
Painted living room:
One of my favorite spots in my home is right next to my living room window. The walls are a light mocha color that I love and the lighting can easily be controlled through the curtains.
–Chelsey Hill
Kitchen window:
My favorite photography location in my home is one corner of my kitchen. When we renovated it, I had the chance to add a window where past owners had taken it out. Years later, I’m still enjoying all the extra light that window lets into our kitchen, and it’s the main spot we use for cooking and baking. My daughter loves to pull her step stool up to the counter and I enjoy shooting from all different angles.
–Michelle Arlotta
Kitchen sink:
My favorite photography spot in my home is the kitchen, even when it’s a wreck. The shadows on those dirty dishes are lovely. We have a large south-facing window just above the sink. It creates great light in the middle of the day and a sweet pocket late in the evening. Lucky for me, my toddler loves to play in the sink and my tween loves to bake at the island.
–Melissa Gibson
Bright bedroom:
One of my favorite places to shoot at home is in my bedroom. We have a window that gives nice light right next to the bed. At different times of the day we get fun shadows to play with from the same window.
–Kaela Elliott
Front entrance:
One of my favorite photography locations at home is the front entrance. This spot offers plenty of photo opportunities with different types of light. It’s my favorite spot to play with deep shadows, too.
–Olga Levien
Sliding glass door:
My favorite photography location is our back slider. It’s north-facing, so we have beautiful light most of the day. Even on cloudy days (and there are a lot in Pittsburgh), I have enough light to create beautiful images.
–Julie Kulbago
Soft-lit bedroom:
My favorite place to photograph in my house is my bedroom. It’s pale blue in color and gets soft light almost always, any time of the year. I have blinds and curtains in the room so I can also control the amount of light I let in and create different looks. It’s my go-to when I need to experiment!
–Mariah Fisher
Eating rooms:
We recently moved into our new house. The dining room and kitchen have been my favorite photo spots!
–Winnie Bruce
Mom’s bed:
My favorite photo location in my house is my bedroom. It has a small window that always has the perfect light for the mood I want. My kids love to play and sleep in my bed and I enjoy capturing the moments!
–Gia Queiroz
Airy bedroom:
One of my favorite photography locations at home is in my bedroom. The light is always perfect!
–Jen Cooke
Small space:
I live in a 650 square foot apartment in New York City. Let’s just say that space is limited! I have one corner near a window that works for my indoor portraiture and food photography work. You can do anything in any space as long as you are creative enough.
–Sarah Gupta
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Share your favorite photography locations at home?
Leave us a comment with your favorite photography locations at home! We’re always looking for new ideas, and so are our readers. Bonus points if you have a cool photo nook or cranny that we haven’t thought of yet.
Come find more of what inspires us on Pinterest.
Feature photo at the top of this post is by Winnie Bruce.
I love how your photos turned out, they all look so soft and full of warmth. Some of the angles makes it even look like they’re weren’t taken from your home.
I appreciate the advice about shooting in the kitchen nook since the kids are always eating. My sister wants to get more pictures of her kids this year around the house. She should find ideas from this article and be spontaneous with her shots.