Indoor Photography: Settings, Ideas, Lighting & Tips (2025)

Learning indoor photography will help you to capture all those precious memories that deserve to be preserved, not just the ones that happen outdoors in perfect golden hour light!

So, if you would like to learn how to use natural light indoors, indoor photography camera settings that work, fun ideas to try, including different lighting, and a few indoor photography tips, this article will explain how to make it all work together!

I love using natural light around my home to capture fleeting moments in time with young children without being afraid of the limitations of shooting indoors!

On those occasions where natural light is limited, artificial light sources are a great way to capture those moments.

With a greater understanding of how to use light indoors, I can be more creative in capturing our families’ memories!

Perfecting Your Indoor Photography Settings

The most important aspect of all photography is the light, and indoor photography is no exception!

This could be natural or artificial light, and if you have both, then be sure to be aware of how they might interact together when capturing photos!

Getting your indoor photography camera settings right can be tricky, but here are a few basics to work with.

Shutter Speed

Indoor light is generally weaker than outdoor light, so it is important to get as much light into your camera sensor as possible in low-light settings.

Using a slow shutter speed will allow more light to enter your camera sensor, but remember the reciprocal rule when choosing your shutter speed to prevent camera shake.

This rule directs you to take the reciprocal of your camera lens focal length, so if you are shooting with a 50mm lens, you can safely shoot down to 1/50s when shooting handheld.

Obtaining sharp and well-exposed images is the end goal, so if you have unsteady hands, you might want to increase your shutter speed to prevent blurry images or utilize a tripod if you want to use slower shutter speeds.

Be sure to set a timer or a remote shutter to prevent camera shake when using a tripod.

If you are capturing a stationary object, longer shutter speeds are not a problem.

However, if you are looking to capture people, especially young children, motion blur is a definite possibility with longer shutter speeds.

I don’t like to let my shutter speed drop below 1/200s unless they are sitting very, very still!

Aperture

Choosing your aperture for your indoor photo shoot must incorporate the depth of field you would like to achieve and the amount of available light.

So, for indoor photography, it is a good idea to start with a wide aperture (generally f2.8 – f5.6, depending on your lens) to ensure enough light reaches your camera sensor.

The smaller the f-number, the wider the aperture and the higher volume of light coming in to your camera sensor – the widest aperture is dependent on your lens!

Remember that using a wide aperture will give a shallow depth of field, meaning that instead of a sharp image from front to back, you will only get a small portion of the scene in focus.

Wide aperture = more light = small depth of field (less scene in focus) = small f value eg: f2.8

Narrow aperture = less light = large depth of field (more of the scene in focus) = large f value eg, f22

If you are unsure about manual mode, aperture priority mode can be used here until you figure out all the right camera settings.

ISO

Increasing ISO is a great way to increase the light reaching your camera sensor, therefore increasing the exposure of your image without changing the shutter speed or aperture.

High ISOs do increase the noise in your images, which degrades the quality of those images, so it is important to be aware of your camera’s ISO capabilities (most cameras can tolerate ISO 800-100).

One way to determine how high your ISO camera settings can go, is to capture images at various ISO settings (ensuring they are properly exposed), and viewing them on your computer zoomed in at 100% to determine the level of noise you can tolerate.

If you have enough light or can move closer to your light source, it is always a good idea to use a lower ISO.

The ultimate goal is to get a properly exposed image for your indoor photos, as underexposing and raising exposure in post-processing can introduce more noise than if you had used the higher ISO in the first place.

Lighting Techniques for Indoor Photography

It is important to understand that lighting is a critical component to consider when setting up our photoshoot.

Some of my favourite portraits of my children have been indoor photos captured during the day using natural window light, but there are also occasions when I have used artificial light to great effect (particularly during wedding receptions or nighttime events).

Natural Light

Natural light can be found wherever you have windows in your house – the bigger the window, the more light it will let in!

Take note of what time of day the light comes into certain rooms of your house and which way your house faces to ensure you have beautiful, soft light to capture your subjects.

Hard light can be distinguished by the harsh lines between the light and shadows (when the sun is shining directly through your windows).

It can be difficult to photograph in unless you are specifically aiming for a creative effect.

Soft light has a more gentle effect, with the distinction between the light and the shadows being less obvious, and is my preferred option, especially for shooting portraits.

You should account for all lighting when shooting indoor photography, including overhead lights, as these can create unflattering shadows on your subjects, so I always turn off my overhead lights when shooting indoors.

This allows you to stick to one light source and have more control over what you are shooting.

If your shadows are too dark, consider using a reflector to bounce light back towards your subject to fill in these shadows. If you don’t have one, try using a piece of white cardboard instead!

Another option is to move your subject closer to the window!

Artificial Light

Artificial light can be used very effectively to capture indoor pictures, and you are only limited by your imagination!

Think candles, lamps, fairy lights, flashlights, continuous lighting, and, of course, flash, which I will cover below.

Often, the illumination from candles and lamps is much less than if you were using natural light, so moving your subject closer to the light source is necessary.

Another addition to consider when capturing indoor photos is a softbox or umbrella (a modifier).

Continuous lighting looks great, but you can create beautiful images with the soft light obtained when using a modifier, which spreads the light more evenly onto your subject.

Artificial lighting can give a warmer or more yellow light, so consider selecting your camera’s white balance in your camera settings (daylight of around 5600K is a great starting point).

If you choose to use auto white balance, photo editing software can make corrections to the images.

Using Flash Indoors

Using a flash indoors can be a great alternative to or addition to natural light.

Although your camera has a built-in flash, utilizing it limits your options as you can only point it in one direction, and it often results in harsh shadows.

I prefer using an external flash that connects to your camera’s hot shoe, such as a Speedlight with a larger range of motion, allowing you to be more selective of how much light you add and from which direction.

Bouncing the flash from the direction of the natural light provides the most natural-looking and flattering light for your subject.

When determining what to use as a bounce surface, remember that colored surfaces can create color casts in your images, so try to bounce off neutral surfaces.

If there is no suitable surface to bounce off (particularly if you are shooting outdoors), direct flash is your next option. In this instance, the light can be softened with a diffuser.

Flash lighting can also be used to fill in the shadows on the side of your subject furthest from the window.

Be careful to leave some shadows on your subject to maintain the depth and dimension that shadows add to your images.

Indoor Photography Equipment

When shooting indoors, you will most likely be restricted by the size of the room, often shooting in tight spaces. To ensure you capture the whole scene, it is best to use a focal length between 24 and 85mm.

If using a crop sensor, this should be between 35 and 50mm. Be careful of facial distortion at focal lengths below 35mm.

Prime lenses are great for low-light shooting as they often go down to f 1.8.

Another useful piece of equipment for shooting inside is your tripod, especially for shooting static subjects. This will keep your camera steady when shooting at low shutter speeds, but be sure to use a timer or remote shutter to prevent camera shake.

As discussed above, you can also use flash or reflectors to help place the light where you need it. Using a diffuser or modifier can also help provide the best light.

This can be on your flash or as simple as placing a sheer curtain over the window if the light is too harsh to get a lovely soft glow that comes with softer light.

Indoor Photography Locations

Home Settings

Check how light comes into your home at different times of the day. You will find that during the middle of the day, you often have great light to use to shoot indoors.

This is because the sun is overhead, rather than streaming directly through any windows, giving enough beautiful soft light to help illuminate your subjects.

Golden hour light can also provide some perfect light if you aim to get a bit more creative, but less light is coming in, so you will have to push your settings.

One great aspect of indoor photography is that you can use the surroundings to help tell the story.

Be sure to clear any clutter or shoot selectively to avoid unwanted objects in your images, and on the other hand, include details that help to tell the story or capture your subject’s personality.

Alternatively, you can use a plain wall or background if that is the look you are trying to achieve.

If you don’t have a well-lit room with a decent light source to practice in, one of my top indoor photography tips is to try opening your front door and photograph in the doorway! This can be a great source of beautiful soft light.

Commercial Spaces

Don’t feel like you need to be restricted to your own home. Capture your adventures, whether it be to the coffee shop or a local indoor attraction with your family.

Be sure to check in with public places if you are allowed to photograph, particularly if you are allowed to use flash.

As long as other people in the image are not recognizable, you generally don’t need a model release.

Historic or Architectural Sites

Shooting in locations with distinct architectural features or historical value can also be fun, such as old buildings or museums. This can help add a layer to the storytelling component of your images, especially if they are well-known.

Post-Processing Tips for Indoor Photos

Editing your photos can really enhance the image you have captured, and the sky is the limit, but I will only discuss basic edits here.

Firstly, you have to get your exposure right before moving on to any further edits.

When raising your exposure during editing, remember that drastic changes can increase the amount of noise in your photos – more so than if you had pushed your iso in the first place to achieve the correct exposure in-camera.

If you find that your images have too much noise, there are editing tips for noise reduction.

Increasing the luminance and sharpening the image can reduce the noise, but be careful not to push it too far, as your subjects can develop a plastic look.

Some editing software may title this simply noise reduction—in Lightroom, these adjustments can be made in the details tab.

If you did not change your white balance settings in the camera, you may find your images coming out yellow or blue. Alter the temperature and tint sliders to color-correct your images to achieve your desired white balance.

One of my top indoor photography tips is to shoot with a grey card! This way, you can use the eyedropper tool over the grey card to automatically select the correct white balance in editing software such as Lightroom.

FAQs about indoor photography