What types of photos to include in a renovation project portfolio

Before I talk about the practical details, it’s worth understanding how a prospective client actually moves through a portfolio online.

They don’t linger on wide shots the way you might expect. They scan them quickly, getting the overall impression, and then they slow down on detail images.

Details like a close-up of the way a drawer front meets the countertop. The texture of a stone backsplash in natural light. The precise reveal of an inset cabinet door.

These are the images that communicate craftsmanship to someone who cares about craftsmanship. And they’re often the images that don’t get taken because wide shots are faster, and because most photographers default to what they know.

Don’t stop at the wide shot! Your website portfolio should also feature images that show the subtle details of a renovation.

Shot list for photographing a luxury home remodel

Establish shots, two or three per space –

These are the wide or three-quarter-angle images that give context. They don’t need to show the entire room, in fact, a slightly tighter frame often feels more editorial and less like a listing. Natural light where possible. Shoot during the golden hour if the space allows it.

Material close-ups, four to six per space –

This is where your craftsmanship really sells it. Whether it’s a focus on a wood texture or the pattern of a marble countertop. The edge detail on a custom island. The unique pattern of the tile. These images are often more powerful than the wide shots for a discerning prospect because they show exactly what kind of attention is being paid.

Signature details, one or two per project –

Every great renovation has a moment…a detail that captures the spirit of the whole project. It could be a custom range hood. An integrated refrigeration panel. A fireplace surround with an unexpected material choice. Identify it before the shoot and make sure the photographer knows to treat it as a hero image.

Lifestyle context, one or two per project –

Lifestyle photos help prospective clients imagine themselves living in the image. An image of morning light falling across a kitchen island, or place settings on a dining table in a renovated space or a couple of examples that can give a portfolio the warmth of a lived-in home rather than a staged model. Done well, it’s the image that makes someone feel the renovation rather than just seeing it.

(As a side note, shelter magazines also prefer lifestyle photographs. So if you’re hoping to get some PR from a recent renovation, be sure to capture quite a few lifestyle images you can send to editors.)

What to tell a photographer on your next project

The brief you give interior photographers will determine the images you have to work with afterward.

A few things worth specifying explicitly:

Shoot for vertical formats as well as horizontal –

You’ll need vertical photos to show your projects on social media, but website design also increasingly favors vertical imagery for portfolio galleries and for mobile-responsive webpages. A photographer shooting only in landscape orientation gives you fewer options for how your work can be presented.

Request ambient light images separately from artificially lit ones –

Natural light images tend to feel warmer and more editorial. Artificial lighting images can feel colder and more showroom-like. You want both, so you can choose by context.

Ask for the detail shots first –

It’s easy for a photographer to spend the first hour on the wide shots and then rush the close-ups at the end because they’re running out of time or light. Set the expectation at the start: details are a priority.

Tell the photographer what makes this project special –

You know where the craft lives in this renovation. So tell the photographer what to focus on. Things like, “The joinery on this island is where I’d spend some time.” Or “Be sure to capture the way the stone was book-matched on this fireplace.” Give them the story so they can capture it.