shoot in the day w/o flash?

daytime, no flash, is when I got all the reflections. we have a lot of windows and they were "mirrored" in the granite. It looked the the granite had windowpanes and trees growing in it. ha ha. Night wasn't much better, because of the flash and reflections from the lights. Any thoughts on how to minimize the reflections?

For the lens, you'll get less barreling if you stop down a bit. Don't use the widest setting. Try shooting during the day but add more lighting in the kitchen itself (turn all lights on) and experiment with different shutter speeds to reduce glare and keep the light fixtures from appearing as blurs (faster shutter speed=less blur around the lights).

Forgot to say: try not to use the flash unless you can bounce it. If it's a point and shoot type camera, try draping the edge of a piece of kleenex over the flash to reduce reflections. (People have also been known to hold a up spoon in front of the flash to make it bounce or to use the lid of a pringles can to diffuse the light).

I agree with writersblock about bouncing the flash. With my pictures, even with natural daylight and kitchen lights on, using my lens wide open still produced dark pictures. Bouncing the flash made the pictures come out great (almost better than real life). If you don't have a SLR with a secondary flash then follow her advice for the Point and Shoot.

All Good advice. Daylight, and make sure it's a sunny day. Rooms in magazines they actually put huge spots outside the windows for that sunny day look. All rooms look drab if it's dim outside.

But turn on all the lights inside and do NOT use the flash. Experiment with turning one light off in each shot if you have a number of different choices. Sometimes one particular light makes an annoying glare, but the rest are good.

How tall are you? I always stand on a chair, or stool to shoot a room. I find looking slightly down on kitchen counters from above is best. Wide angles can distort. Instead back out of the room into the next space, then crop off any doorways using the computer software. (Assuming this is digital).

I used to be a photographer, and still do all the shots for DH's side business. It can take a few tries to get a room from it's best angle. Always remember to throw in a spot of red! Or sit a lime on the counter. ;)

Thank you all for the great advice. I actually do a fair bit of photography, but mainly outdoor portraits with natural light. I've been really frustrated trying to get a decent photo of our kitchen. I'll experiment with your suggestions and hopefully have something worth posting!

If you have a DSLR or a high-ISO compact, raising the ISO setting can also help, but with the average fixed lens compact it will produce unacceptably noisy images.

A few suggestions:
I've found that focal lengths of 22 mm on a dSLR (35mm full frame equivalent) are best for depicting actual room size. 10mm is great for showing the entire room but makes rooms seem bigger than real life. [Examples below]
An aperture of f/8 should ensure that most everything in the room is in focus.
Also, keeping the camera perfectly level is key. I shoot on a tripod and have a small bubble level that fits in the flash shoe. A level camera will keep the walls from angling out (or in). Tripods are also helpful to keep the ISO low and minimize noise.
Flash is very helpful but especially so if you can point it a 60 degree angle to the ceiling. In that case, setting an exposure based near a window and using the flash to fill the room helps even out the overall exposure for the room.
Hope that helps!
E

Our 'pre' shot for the kitchen remodel
10mm view:
{{!gwi}}

22mm view:
{{!gwi}}

And a quick shot taken the day we first viewed the property - shot handheld. Notice the distortions of the fridge, cabinets, walls
{{!gwi}}

Eoren, I'd love to see photos of that kitchen *after*! Is it done yet?

Great shots eoren1, and good advice. I notice that even with some window reflection, when you get the whole kitchen in, it doesn't matter as much and gives a good sense of the whole. Can't wait to try out some of these suggestions, though since I work full-time, it won't be til this weekend (for the daylight---too dark when I get home).

The 'afters' are coming...right around April!
I'll post updates as we go - currently in a holding pattern as the house gets demoed and insulated.
More to come.
E