Shooting Small Spaces

Small bathrooms, en-suites, utility rooms, and compact bedrooms are among the most challenging spaces to photograph. Here's how to make them look their best.

This is where your widest lens earns its keep. At 14-16mm on full-frame, you can capture a small bathroom in a single frame. But be careful, going too wide introduces distortion that makes the space look unnatural.

In small spaces, your options are limited. Common approaches:

In a small bathroom, you don't need to show everything. Focus on the key elements:

Mirrors are your secret weapon in small spaces. A large mirror on a wall effectively doubles the visual depth of a room. Position your camera so the mirror reflects the opposite wall or window, this creates an illusion of space that makes the room feel much larger than it is. Be careful about your own reflection, though. Stand to one side or crouch below the mirror's line of sight.

While most property photographs are horizontal, small spaces sometimes benefit from a vertical (portrait) orientation. Tall, narrow shower rooms and galley kitchens can look better in vertical format because you're not wasting frame space on empty walls either side. Some agents specifically request horizontal-only images for their portals, so check before delivering vertical shots.

Small rooms are often the darkest in a property. They tend to have small windows (or none at all), and the close walls absorb light quickly. Bounce flash is particularly effective here, the close ceiling and walls act as natural reflectors, creating soft, even light from a single speedlight.

If the room has a window, keep it in frame. Even a small window provides a visual connection to the outside world and prevents the space from feeling claustrophobic.

Some small rooms simply can't be made to look large. A tiny box bedroom or a cramped shower room is what it is. Your job is to show it at its best, clean, well-lit, and uncluttered, not to misrepresent its size. Agents and buyers appreciate honest photography that accurately represents the property. Overly wide-angle shots that make a small room look huge will only lead to disappointed viewings.