Hotel Photography
Over my photography career, I was very lucky to have found what drives me, I love solving problems, I love travelling and I love challenges. Hotel photography is the perfect combination for me.
(for example this image shot in Four Seasons Prague was just a simple extension to showcase its majestic celings with a chandelier and dynamic range)
You need to master architecture and interior photography but think commercially, and critically and put yourself in the shoes of guests and marketing directors. Each hotel is different. I would like to take the opportunity to educate my fellow colleagues and clients alike with my process of solving problems, and there are quite a few. If you are interested read on...
I recently had an assignment in Carlsbad where quite a few challenges arose that we had to tackle on site. Typically I ask my clients to work out a shotlist so that we are all familiar with the scope of the project and can estimate the lenght of the production and the challenges we have to overcome. Also it provides us with a checklist to check when we are done with an image and can move on to the next.
Rooms
When it comes to the rooms, in this example the most glaring issue to solve was dynamic range (simply put our eyes do not see the rooms as cameras do) We as hotel photographers need to communicate the ambience and layout of the room accurately and highlight its features and avoid distractions.
Let’s take this room as an example of multiple problems we needed to solve.
The lack of natural light (in camera)
Color casts (green on the bedsheet)
White balance - multiple light sources in the scene
Composition
Dynamic range
The lack of natural light
Although looking dark in the camera the room had enough natural light coming from the windows and nice view into the hillside with spring blossoming trees. Nothing was visible in the photo.
Color casts
Simply put that is what pollutes the scene’s colors and gives them unnatural look. (Green on the bedsheet)
White Balance
Everything in the world has different white balance values depending on what the light source is what we would like to make neutral color - for example bed sheets. My personal style is using natural light (from the windows) to be the correct white balance and using the lamps as an accent practical lighting. Some Hotel brands have looser guidelines and some do not.
Composition
This one is subjective. I personally despise using wide angle lenses to showcase the whole room. My motto always is “less is more”. To me wide angle lenses are a lazy way of doing things and it makes the subject look proportionally wrong and not appealing. By using tighter lenses I have to stage the room more (move furniture, style the bed, curtains atc.)
Dynamic Range
Now this is what is usually the most seen in the image. When trying to showcase the room - the view is completely lost. When trying to show the view - the room is too dark. Typically nowadays photographers are using flashes to fill this gap. I am not saying it is wrong but sometimes less is more. As mentioned before natural light for me is far superior and gives shape to the objects in the scene - remember, photograph is a 2D representation of a 3D object. What I do when possible to use flash to give me a “blank slate” where I can use natural light to bring the realism back. The last thing that you want is a flat looking room with no shadows.
With all that said - how did I do it in this particular room? The whole photograph took us about an Hour and a half from start to finish. We styled the room, moved furniture, adjusted white balance and changed the light bulbs to my own for more control. You are reading right, we did not leave any stone unturned. This image was quite an extreme when it comes to attention.
Bathrooms
As with the rooms bathrooms also come in different shapes and sizes but most of them follow similar pattern. Smaller, no windows and GLASS. The problems?
Composition
Managing white balance with artifical lighting (no windows)
REFLECTIONS
Composition
Bathrooms are smaller and therefore more complicated to manuever. Again, my philosophy here is less is more. But showing less I can draw more attention to the materials used in the room and avoiding distracting elements like the toilet for example.
Managing white balance with artifical lighting
Nowadays there are multiple light sources in the room - overhead lights and behind the mirror. The main thing is to determine which ones are the primary.
Reflections
Oh yes, reflections… despite public belief that we can “fix it in post” this one is a tough one to manage right. Lots of glass and lots of chrome means that you have to think twice before commiting to an angle and certain light.
Restaurant
I could go on and on about different types of scenarios but to keep this article from being long and boring lets adress the last topic of this post. Restaurants, what are the common problems here?
Composition
Dynamic Range
Timing
Composition
There is a fine line between spacious and crowded. One that should not be crossed, my goal here is to showcase the lighting, style of the room and a layout. We ended up shooting 3 images in the space rather than shooting 1 ultra wide photo.
Dynamic Range
Cabinets are too dark, windows are completely lost. Yes the view is not the greatest as we are at the ground floor but I still wanted to keep the detail and blend all the sources together.
Timing
As with all the public places, we want to make it perfect while not disctracting paying customers. In this example I had the hotel for myself as it was being finished at the time, while it being beneficial it also meant that the electricity was going on and off and we had constant fire alarms going. What I do when there are guests coming we are scheduling the photoshoot before the quests arrive and the kitchen can prepare the food a bit more early.
If you are interested in more topics about Hotel Photography do reach out and let me know.