We made a BIG announcement this week. Our speaker panel for the Spring 2023 Haven Workshop has officially been released and enrollment is open! Our lineup of influential women in the design industry is better than ever and we’re celebrating with a full week of interviews and home tours with our panel experts. Want more? Join us May 17–19th for your opportunity to learn from creatives you admire, in-person, face-to-face, real success, and failure stories shared. We’re pulling back the curtain on how we took our businesses and brands to the next level—and how you can, too. Click here to learn more and enroll.

Meet Raquel Langworthy

Interior photography has the ability to tell the story a designer has spent months, even years, weaving into the space they’re creating. Photographer, Raquel Langworthy, knows the importance of telling that story and has the skill to make it resonate with your audience. In our interview with Raquel, she shares a few of her own tips on photography and being a strong woman and confident business owner. Want to take your portfolio to the next level? Come learn from her at the upcoming spring Haven Workshop!

See more of Raquel’s work here on Haven.

This will be your second time speaking at the Haven Workshop, and we’re thrilled to have you back! Our attendees want to know… Where can an experienced photographer make the biggest impact on a designer’s portfolio?

An experienced interiors photographer knows how to problem solve in all scenarios. Interiors photography requires a lot of in-camera technical knowledge, paired with a highly developed understanding of post processing. I have had photo shoots on days that feel like nightfall in the home all day long due to rain or overcast conditions. I know how to work with available natural light and artificial light to get the desired affect.

An experienced interiors photographer also knows how to frame and capture the beauty shots that press outlets are looking for. We are often drawn to intimate vignettes, but a magazine wants a well framed full room view.

The other important aspect is continuity. Growing a brand is always about delivering consistency across your portfolio. That by no means implies “sameness”. It means there is a unified feel to the way your work is represented.

Who gave you a piece of advice that changed your career trajectory, and what was it?

Five years into being a photographer, I finally invested in attending a conference for photographers. I told myself that I didn’t make enough money to warrant that kind of time and money away from my family. Waiting was a huge mistake. Not only did a learn valuable knowledge, I got creative advice that changed my career. Two photographers that I respected told me that I should focus on Interiors. At the time I was doing lots of different types of photography. I wanted to focus on interiors, but I needed someone I respected to cut through my mental fog.

Styling a space can change the entire vibe of a shoot. Give us your top tip for getting a perfectly styled photo.

Start with empty and add back gradually. Often we are tripped up by what is already set down. Start with surfaces empty and then really think about the story you want to tell. Then think about the person you are implying lives in these photos. What are they doing? How do they live? What are their hobbies and interests? Styling is very much manifesting your dream client. Style the project to attract them.

Have you taken a huge leap of faith in your career and did it pay off?

Yes, I have taken lots of leaps. Often the biggest leap we take is saying to ourselves, “Yes, I can do that!”, even when we don’t necessarily have proof. Early on in my career I was asked to photograph the portfolio of a large firm before I really knew what I was doing. It was terrifying and thrilling. I just told myself I could do it even though I felt too inexperienced. I leaned into it with all I had and it paid off.

How do you measure your success?

I think many of our ideas of success come from a male-built world. I have often in the past felt that success was providing for my family with my camera. I no longer feel that way. Success is forging confidence in myself to boldly pursue my dreams, even when those dreams are a deviation from my past dreams. Success is having a healthy body and mind. Success is building my daughters to be bolder women than me. Success is being comfortable with reinvention and always learning and growing.

Join us at the Spring 2023 Haven Workshop to learn more from Raquel and the rest of our incredible lineup. Click here to learn more and enroll.

Like what you see? Take a peek at the talent behind the story… Photography: Raquel Langworthy · Interior Design for Feature Image: Swell Design