hotel photographer

Netherstowe House, Netherstowe Lane, Lichfield, Staffs.

This shoot was so different from my usual shoots, meticulous planning in the smallest detail before I had even arrived on site. I knew it was going to be dressed but there was a whole team on hand from handymen, cleaners, manager of the site and the owner of the site. Fantastic each shot I took an average of around 25mins to set up so many options I had to choose from.

There were multiple artworks to choose from to hang on the wall with various colours and patterns. A whole bunch of pillows to choose from, all sorts of props. The idea was to make sure we didn’t over clutter the room and made it feel like you were already there or somebody was staying there.

From the hospitality i received as the photography was anything to go on, the guest will be very happy and it was a very comfortable and relaxing environment. There is a long driveway into the estate which really gives it a prestige luxury country feel. A really special place to pull up to and the service they provide supersedes the awe the driveway will give you.

I’ve included a few photos from the shoot so you can see what I mean about the spaces available.

Shooting for Hotels in London.

I've been fortunate enough to work with two very well known hotel in London being the o2 intercontinental and the Taj hotel in St James. Working with them showed me another level of photography and how much difference it is compared to everyday real estate stuff I usually do. It even trumped the highest end property I've shot in the heart of London in Mayfair. I showed me another level of perfection and attention to detail. On my first shoot, I may have taken the job without full and proper preparation. I did some research and ask my other photographer friends for tips on hospitality photography, but it wasn't even still as each hotel is different and working with 5-star hotels photographing their penthouses and restaurants it really threw me off.

Luckily the photography techniques I use to shoot are usually used on the high-end property so it is very easy to transfer those skills over to hotels. my starting point was strong and I didn't have to worry about my ability to photograph these immaculate places. The greatest thing I struggled with is I could use a longer lens it didn't matter about showing off how much space the places had and more on composition and the interior design and the layout is far more important in showing off a premium brand. It really took me back to the days I used to shoot with a 50mm at weddings to take away an option and gave me one less thing to think about and made me more creative as a photographer.

I always thought that photography was photography, that because I shot real estate that it would be possible to shoot a hotel room. it turns out while some of the basic principles were the same most of the time it was preparing the room for photography adding small detail like candles, having the right flowers in the room, the right height the right colour were all far more important than just having flowers in the room. Making sure that the room was prepared as best as the hotel could offer all having optional welcome packs in the room.

Hotels aren’t a joke to shoot, it requires more equipment and even an assistant in my case to help out moving things and moving lights around. All in all i love shooting hotels as they look stunning they lighting is great and just needs to be emphasized. You really get to stretch you photography legs and you really learn what you are good at and what you aren’t good at. It forces you to perfect your images as they expect nothing less because they are paying a lot of money and they want the same end product as you.

Please take a moment to look at my work on my site.

https://www.garyaskewphotography.com/hotel/

Shooting for the o2 Intercontinental Hotel...

I remember the first house I ever photographed, it was a new build 4 bedroom detached house worth £340,000. I never thought that i'll be in a luxury hotel penthouse 2 years later, it was such an amazing experience, so it was really cool to be in the penthouse seeing how the rich live! 

Honestly, it was such an eye-opener, there were rooms that had rooms in, hidden showers, 3 exit and entrance doors. the attention to detail and hospitality was out of this world. From the chandeliers to the fridge with specific things the customers staying asked to be available even the magazine based on the customer's preference. 

Take a moment to look through the photos below;