7 Ways to Elevate Your Interior Photography and Get Published

Getting published in a design magazine doesn't happen by accident. After shooting for Architectural Digest, Forbes, ELLE Decor, and Dwell — and watching hundreds of projects get submitted and either accepted or passed over — I've noticed a clear pattern. The projects that land are rarely the most expensive ones. They're the most prepared ones.

If you're an interior designer or architect in Puerto Rico, Florida, or the Caribbean trying to get your work in front of editors, here's what I've learned actually moves the needle. You can see the kind of work that gets accepted in my interiors and furnishings portfolio and my full press and publications record.

1. Hire a Photographer Who Knows Editorial Work

There's a real difference between a photographer who makes your space look appealing on Instagram and one who understands what a photo editor at a national magazine needs. Editorial photography requires specific image ratios, bleed-ready compositions, and a feel for how a story will flow across multiple pages. Ask your photographer directly: have they been published? In what titles? How recently? You can review my own editorial history on the press page — it's one of the clearest ways to assess whether a photographer's work actually lands in print.

2. Stage the Space Like It's Going on a Cover

The week before a shoot, I walk through every space I'm going to photograph. Furniture gets repositioned, styling gets reconsidered, and anything that doesn't support the story gets removed. Some of the most important decisions happen in that walkthrough — not on shoot day. You can see how this thinking applies in architectural work as well: preparation is what separates images that make the cut from images that almost do.

3. Work With Natural Light

Magazines love natural light that tells you something about the climate, the orientation of the building, and the time of day. In the Caribbean, that often means shooting interiors in the early morning. In Florida, the golden hour before sunset can transform a standard room. Plan your shoot around the light, not the other way around.

4. Build a Complete, Submission-Ready Edit

A typical editorial submission needs a minimum of 15–20 strong images: wide establishing shots of every major room, medium shots showing furniture relationships, and detail close-ups of materials and fixtures. You'll also need both horizontal and vertical crops. Delivering a thin edit is one of the fastest ways to get passed over, even when the design itself is exceptional.

5. Write the Story Before You Submit

Photo editors are looking for a narrative, not just beautiful images. What makes this project different? Was it a challenging site condition, an unexpected client brief, a commitment to local materials? Spend as much time crafting the written pitch as you do selecting the images. The story gets the editor to open the email. The images get the project accepted.

6. Know the Publication's Submission Requirements

Every magazine handles submissions differently. Some require exclusivity — you can't submit the same project to a competing publication simultaneously. Others have strict lead times. Regional publications like The Laurel Magazine operate on different cycles than national titles. Research the editorial calendar for every title you're targeting before you pitch.

7. Build the Relationship Before You Have Something to Pitch

The easiest publication to land is the one where you already know someone. Follow the editors and contributing writers at your target titles. Comment thoughtfully on their work. Attend industry events. When you have a genuinely strong project, reaching out won't feel like a cold call — it'll feel like a natural next step.

If you're working on a project in Puerto Rico, Florida, or anywhere in the Caribbean and want photography that's built for editorial submission, let's talk. I know how to put together images that editors respond to — and I have the publication record to back that up.