This photographer can make any place in the world look interesting

When we look at photos of architecture or interior design, we often associate the image’s beauty with the beauty of the location. This seems obvious, but it gives many a false idea that you can’t get interesting shots of places we consider boring, like one’s office or home. Xiao Tan isn’t a photographer who surrenders to such an idea and somehow manages to make all the places he visits look equally impressive.

DIYP: While I’m looking at your interior design photography, I often find myself impressed by how you manage to make even the most normal locations, such as offices, look clean and cool. How do you achieve that? How do you make something we are all used to seeing as boring look cool?

I like simple composition. When shooting, I first adjust the shooting space after the camera position is determined. This would mean adjusting the position and angle of some furniture and the position and angle of small items on display. Once I have achieved the simple and clean effect I want, I will adjust the camera angle again. By that point, the shot should look clean and organized.

DIYP: How do you plan your photoshoot days? Do you know ahead of time what you want to capture?

I don’t know how I’ll shoot in advance. Before shooting, I go back to the project to find the necessary angles. I imagine the scenes, the relationships between the furniture, the materials, and the spatial structure, and I think about how to show it all in the image. But, regarding when I’ll shoot, as opposed to how I prefer to shoot on sunny days so that the sunlight can create a sense of atmosphere in the space and allow me to discover special compositions at any time.

Light is very important for shooting. When shooting in indoor spaces, I will try to choose positions with light coming in from the side or back. This gives the image a pretty good look. The layering of the space will be obvious, and the photos will look very bright and three-dimensional.

Sunrise light and sunset light are particularly good at creating a sense of spatial atmosphere. Orange-yellow tones and darker photos will make the photos look warm and comfortable. The stronger light at noon is suitable for when you need some diffused light. For example, when shooting offices with reflective areas, using the diffused light gives a softer look, as the color of the light will be reflected throughout the room space and affect the furniture inside.

DIYP: What gear do you use?

In terms of equipment, I have always used a Fujifilm GFX100, except recently, I replaced it with a GFX100 II. The lenses I use are Canon tilt-shift lenses (24mm, 50mm, 90mm, 135mm). These are EF lenses adapted to GFX.

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