How should I photograph a house exterior or garden?
Updated August 19, 2026
Short answer
Photograph exteriors and gardens in daylight, standing far enough back to include the roofline or the full boundary of the space, with the camera roughly level and the sun behind you. Avoid photographing a facade at a steep angle, and keep cars, bins and people out of the frame where possible.
Facades
- Stand across the street if you can, so the whole building fits without tilting the camera up
- Shoot on an overcast day or in the morning — midday sun creates hard shadows across the facade
- Take one straight-on shot and one three-quarter shot; the three-quarter usually looks better as a render
Gardens and yards
- Shoot from the house looking out, and again from the far end looking back
- Include some of the boundary — fence, hedge or wall — so the AI knows the size of the plot
- Include the ground surface across the whole frame; that is what the AI redesigns first
Full reference
- AI Exterior DesignFacade redesign: building types, architectural styles and the elements you can change.
- AI Garden DesignOutdoor redesign: space types, garden styles and optional landscape elements.
- Photo guide: getting a good inputHow to photograph interiors, exteriors and gardens so the AI keeps your space recognisable. The input photo is the single biggest factor in output quality.
Related questions
Design toolsWhat does AI Exterior Design do?AI Exterior Design redesigns the outside of a building from one photo. DecorAI supports ten building types and ten architectural styles and can change siding, roofing, windows, doors, landscaping, exterior lighting, garage doors, porches, shutters and trim while keeping the building’s real shape.Design toolsWhat does AI Garden Design do?AI Garden Design redesigns outdoor space from a photo — a backyard, front yard, patio, balcony, rooftop, courtyard, terrace, side yard, vegetable garden or flower garden. You can choose a garden style and add elements such as planting, water features, pathways, outdoor lighting, seating, a pergola, a fire pit or an outdoor kitchen.
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