LumiBlend Lighting is our name for the approach and techniques we developed for photographing real estate listings and other architectural interiors. It’s a combination of shooting techniques and extensive post processing that enable us to deal with interior scenes that include bright light from windows and lamps, and the pools of darkness in between. LumiBlend is a premium process which produces finished images that look totally natural and evenly lit.
When photographing a property, we shoot multiple exposures of each scene, using different camera settings, and adding flash to some of them. Then we blend those exposures together in post processing to produce a single finished image. The details are far too complicated to explain briefly. All most clients want to know is that it works.
However, for those who are interested, here are a few of the highlights:
- We start by pre-visualizing the scene, and then shoot a series of individual exposures tailored to the needs of our post processing workflow.
- HDR (High Dynamic Range) techniques are part of our process, but with our own custom settings and refinements to control the garish colors and hyper-contrast that are the often unwanted hallmarks of the HDR look.
- We use flash to add light to the room and help with color fidelity, but we don’t rely on flash as the primary lighting because it’s too harsh and unnatural.
- We employ a technique similar to “Flambient” (flash plus ambient), but again, with our own custom-developed refinements. In fact, we turn Flambient upside down, so maybe we should call our version “Ambilash”.
- The post processing edits include luminosity masking, layer blending, local adjustments, and more. We’ve perfected a set of presets, actions, and procedures that automate enough of the steps to enable us to deliver quality images relatively quickly.