How to photograph a bathroom without making it look worse
Short answer
Shoot from the doorway, angled about 15 to 20 degrees off the mirror so your reflection falls outside the frame. Clear every product, put the lid down, hang fresh towels square, and wipe the mirror and glass. Then check the reflection in the photo before you move on.
Bathrooms combine every hard photography problem at once: no room to back up, a giant mirror pointed at you, and light that is usually warm bulbs fighting a small cool window. Most listing sets have at least one bathroom photo with the photographer in it.
Prep, in order
- Every product off the counter and out of the shower — shampoo bottles especially
- Toilet lid down, every time, no exceptions
- Fresh towels, folded or hung square; mismatched towels read as lived-in
- Bath mat straight or removed entirely
- Bin, scale, plunger, and toilet brush out of the room
- Mirror and glass wiped — every streak shows
- Toothbrushes, razors, and anything personal out of frame
The angle
Stand in the doorway and shoot in. It is almost always the only position with enough distance, and the door frame gives the photo depth. Angle slightly so you are not shooting straight into the mirror — a 15 or 20 degree offset usually keeps you out of the reflection while still showing the vanity.
If the mirror is unavoidable, shoot from low and to the side, or hold the phone at arm’s length so your body is behind the frame edge. Then actually check the reflection in the photo before you move on. Mirrors also catch the room behind you, so a hallway full of your gear will show up.
Lighting
Turn on the vanity lights and the overhead. If there is a window, open it up. Bathroom light is usually the worst colour mix in the house, which is why bathroom photos come out yellow or green so often — the fix is easier after the shoot than during it.
How many
One frame for a secondary or guest bath. Three or four for a primary ensuite: the wide, the vanity, the shower or tub, and a detail if the tile or fixtures are a selling point. Buyers do look for every bathroom in the gallery, so skipping the small one reads as hiding it.
Common questions
How many photos should each bathroom get?
One frame for a guest or secondary bath. Three or four for a primary ensuite: the wide, the vanity, the shower or tub, and a detail if the tile or fixtures are a selling point.
Should the toilet be in the photo at all?
It is fine and usually unavoidable in a small bathroom — just make sure the lid is down. Composing to hide the toilet entirely tends to produce a stranger, tighter crop than simply including it neatly.
Why do bathroom photos come out yellow or green?
Bathroom lighting is often the worst colour mix in the house: warm vanity bulbs, a cool overhead, and a small window. The cast is corrected afterwards more easily than it is avoided at the shoot.
Yellow bulbs, blue window, dim corners — bathroom colour is the most fixable problem in a listing set. PropWalk evens it out without touching the tile. Free for your first 7 days.
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