How can I photograph a bed so its width is obvious?
Asked 7/19/2022
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I want to photograph an unusually wide bed with a Samsung S22 Ultra, but my shots don’t clearly show how wide it is. I tried using a cat for scale, and a tighter crop helped a little, but it still doesn’t communicate the size well. What shooting angle, lens choice, or composition would best show the bed’s width? I don’t have exact measurements, but it may be Eastern King size or larger.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
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Using a wide lens is going to make the far end appear farther way, the lines to a vanishing point are at a sharp angle. The downside of this is it might make some people think the entirety of the apparent width is due to the very short lens itself, which could be counter-productive.
Looking at the lens options on that phone, the 23mm is a bit short, the 70mm is going to have you standing in the next room, so you might be stuck, unless there's a convenient door behind you. It still might look more 'compressed' than you'd like. A 35mm or 50mm would look more 'real'. Otherwise all you can do is use the 23mm & step back as far as you can, crop later.
You could just lay a human across the bed instead, maybe even corner to corner, so you can easily see where their feet are - of course, no-one's going to be able to tell at a glance whether they're 5'2" or 6'2" but it might give a hint. People are generally very good at determining the 'reality' of perspective from photos of humans.
Originally by user57929. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user57929
4y ago
0
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To make the width read clearly, include a scale reference people instantly understand. A person lying across the bed, or a yardstick/measuring tape placed on it, will communicate size better than a cat.
For viewpoint, shoot from the foot of the bed so the width is the main dimension in the frame. If your phone has panorama mode, that can help capture the full width from that position.
Lens choice matters: very wide lenses exaggerate perspective, which can make the size look distorted rather than believable. A more “normal” view usually looks more natural, but on a phone you may be limited. If so, use the main lens, step back as far as you can, and crop later if needed.
In short: shoot from the foot end, add a familiar size reference, and avoid relying solely on an ultra-wide look if you want the width to seem convincing.
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