“Architectural Photography showcases the design of a space.  Interior Design Photography showcases the design possibilities within a space.” 

 

My name is David Besnette, and I am an architectural and interiors / interior design photographer based in the Boulder, Colorado area.  My portfolio is multi-faceted, but a large part of what I do is photography for interior design clients, stagers, and luxury realtors.    

 

My Basic Story

I have been doing photography in some capacity for about 25 years.    I started as a product photographer in Boulder in the early 2000’s and then transitioned into doing ‘spaces’ later on. 

My transition was somewhat accidental.  I was doing a lot of photography (and video) for Senior Living homes up and down the Front Range of Colorado, including the Boulder area. 

Lights-off is a popular style for interior photos

This was my classroom in many ways, and I learned a lot about composition, overcoming heavy color casts, equipment, lighting and working with demanding clients.   

It takes a team!  Working with a talented stylist is incredibly rewarding.   

 

Interior photography is more about creating an emotion over showing a space.

 

Never rush an interiors photo-shoot, and give your artistic talent the space to make magic!

 

Interior-ish. A beautifully staged porch in Longmont.

 

Charcuterie with a strategically placed candle in the back to draw the eye through the scene

 

It wasn’t until I needed to move about a dozen years ago that I looked at some of the existing homes on the MLS and thought “I could do a better job than that.”   I decided to photograph my own home, and shared my results with some local agents. 

Using a 50mm lens to get a tighter composition

 

Details and textures make a photo feel almost “tactile”

 

Simple props and decor transform even small spaces

 

Several of them called, and I started photographing homes immediately.  It was actually a very quick transition. 

I make sure nothing is blown out or grainy

 

At first, my stuff wasn’t great (compared to today’s standards).    But, with an attitude of growth, and being ok with making mistakes along the way, and after shooting 1000’s of homes, I now work with some of the top luxury agents in Boulder, Denver and beyond.

Creating drama by shaping light

 

This was completely natural light

Careful lighting and composition draw the eye through the photo

 

 
Sometimes we get artistic with our light and depth-of-field

 

Moody evening photo. Wood interiors challenging to get correct colors!

 

This quickly translated into shooting interiors for interior designers, stagers, and home builders, as well as private homeowners.   I am busy full-time and absolutely love trying to learn new things and up the bar on every project.

Beautiful Bathroom

 

Capturing the entire space. Color accuracy is of utmost importance to me.  

 

Staging and props and a talented interior designer can make a boring scene cozy and inviting

 

Detail shot

 

I live just outside of Boulder with my 2 sons, and my wonderful wife. I love running, outdoor activities, healthy living and always trying to stay positive, grateful, and cultivate a growth mindset.  

How I Work / My Process

I am not a volume photographer.  Most of my shoots now require most or all of a day, sometimes more.   Being deliberate and thoughtful with each shot is important with every consideration taken into account:  Composition, lighting, colors, lens choice, time-of-day, staging, furniture placement, what to keep in a shot, or what to remove.

A Behind-the-Scenes ‘tour’ of a typical interior photography shoot:

 

I do use lighting on many, but not all shots.  The lighting I use is meant to make colors accurate, bring out detail, or highlight certain features.   However, ambient-only light is also heavily incorporated, as a natural-looking photo is the ultimate goal.   

I often use a CamRanger connected to an Ipad to operate the camera and to be able to collaborate with clients on a bigger screeen, as opposed to the small 3-inch screen on the back of my camera.

Speaking of cameras, I use a Canon 5DSR, which is a darling piece of gear in the interior design photography community.   It boasts over 50 megapixels, so the details are incredible, and cropping loses very little quality. 

I have a half-dozen lenses, including Tilt-Shift lenses, primes, wide and zoom.  Each lens can create stunning photos under the right conditions.   

The clients I work with, some of whom I’ve worked with for years choose (as I have been told) because of my artistry, and artistic eye, and the absolute passion I have around producing the absolute best work I possibly can.

 

Why I Love Being a Photographer in Boulder

Boulder is amazing and there are so many talented, forward-looking people here with artistic visions.  Coupled with talented folks creating amazing interior spaces, buildings and homes, it’s a dream location to work in if you love interiors and photography. 

Some Press and Publications

I’ve been fortunate to have appeared in a number of great places.  To see some of my press and acknowledgements, go here.

A Few Personal Photos

You can learn more about me here.