Design media tends to focus on the coasts, says Ryan Hainey, who’s been photographing interiors and architecture in the Midwest since 2013. “The Midwest is underrepresented.” Hoping to fill that void, Hainey turned to his own portfolio to put together his recently released book, “Midwest Home.” “Over the past seven years, I photographed a wide range of projects through client commissions,” he says. “From that archive, I selected 20 homes based on diversity—architectural style, material use, geography, lifestyle. The goal wasn’t to showcase a single aesthetic but to reflect the range and depth of design happening across the Midwest.”  

What makes an effective architecture and design photo? Hainey weighs in: 

• It goes beyond documentation. The image communicates the intent of the project and what it feels like to experience the space.
• Its creator examines the environment to decide what to emphasize. “Composition, light, and timing all support that,” he says.
• It feels graphic and structured but also has moments of tension and irregularity, “what you might describe as a wabi-sabi sensibility,” Hainey explains. “Not perfection, but balance. Not staging for effect but allowing the space to retain a sense of life.”
• It reflects the underlying idea of the project, and, he adds, “captures the essence of the design rather than just its appearance.”