When photos are such an enormous part of a business, as they are for interior designers, it can be tempting to think you need the most expensive “pro” equipment on the market to make your shots pop. But! The truth is you carry the very technology you need to take amazing photos in your pocket nearly every day, and gorgeous pictures are just one swipe away. On today’s episode of the Wingnut Social Podcast, we talk with a professional photographer who shoots exclusively on the iPhone about how you can optimize your phone photos and why photo quality is so essential to your social media marketing.
Linda Holt, who joins Natalie and Darla today, puts it best: “No matter how beautiful the room, you put up a crappy photo and it’s going to fall flat.” Linda launched her interior design business in 2011 after a 25-year career as one of Boston’s top commercial headshot photographers. Her past photography clients sought her out not only for her ability to make them look their very best but for her skill in having their personality shine through the lens. Today she applies those very same principles to designing rooms that not only look beautiful but reflect the unique personality of the homeowner and their family. And she helps other interior designers with their photography and photo-editing skills to make sure they’re getting the most out of their images.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[4:02] Who is Linda Holt and why did she switch to shooting with an iPhone?
[6:01] Linda’s past life as a headshot photographer
[6:46] Mistakes graphic designers often make with their photography
[10:01] Is iPhonographer a word?
[11:06] When does the iPhone not cut it?
[13:20] How important are your photos to your brand?
[14:20] What photography apps should interior designers get to know?
[16:57] When is a photograph just a lost cause?
[20:37] The danger of using others’ photographers
[25:24] What up, Wingnut?
[30:06] Natalie and Darla’s takeaways

Connect with Linda Holt
Linda Holt Creative
Linda Holt Creative on Facebook
Linda Holt Creative on Instagram
Linda’s editing services

Resources & People Mentioned
Monty Wills Photography
Snapseed
TouchRetouch
Airbrush
Rachel Reider
Linda’s iPhone photography tutorial
Jeri Cerutti’s Instagram
Darla's Photographers - Janette Oliva -Ethan Murat
Carla Aston
The Wingnut Social Media Lab

The key to image quality is cropping
Natalie asked Linda what she sees as the biggest mistakes made by interior designers when they post their photos, and right away Linda had an answer: Not cropping enough. As she says, sometimes a photo gives a viewer “too much to look at,” and it’s not clear exactly what the viewer should be looking at.
Linda says interior designers often don’t expose their photos correctly, either, meaning the photo is too dark and it’s hard to see, or it’s too light and it’s washed out. She even offers a quick tip on how to fix these common problems, even if you’re not a professional photographer.
iPhones will get you great image quality, but not in every case
Linda tells a great story about how she went to a conference and heard a renowned photographer speak about how she uses her iPhone even for cover shoots for big magazines. That changed everything for her when it came to her interior design photography. But she did say there are still circumstances when it’s better to call in an architectural photographer. For instance, when lighting needs to be brought in to ensure the entire room is evenly exposed, your iPhone alone can’t do that.
Linda also discusses a circumstance we’re all familiar with: She has a bathroom that she needs to have photographed, but the iPhone just can’t capture the whole thing. So she hires an architectural photographer to come in with a full-frame camera that can capture the whole thing. So your cell phone is great, but you have to know when it’s not the right tool.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
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On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
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