Making the right choice: The Key Considerations for Hiring a Professional Hotel Photographer.

Whether you are a hotel owner, an architect, or interior designer, the presentation of your work will always be the most important aspect of your marketing efforts.

I’ve created this guide to help you choose the best photographer for your budget based on both technical and creative criteria.

Here are some key considerations that you should carefully evaluate before making your final decision:

Style

Look for someone whose style will be a good fit for your brand. Good architectural photography is not heavily stylized, but there are professionals who stand out for their creative decisions. For instance, the use of slightly faded colors can be an excellent choice for a minimal and modern hotel, while a more vivid color palette might be appropriate for a pop-art or funky boutique hotel.

Eye for detail

If you have invested in custom furniture and expensive props, consider hiring a photographer who excels at capturing details. There is an art in properly presenting the elements of a property in conjunction with the space. Patterns and textures can make or break an image, and the proper use of artificial light is crucial for a pleasing result.

Portfolio

Consistently photographing for the big brands (like Marriott, Tui and Hyatt) is not a matter of luck or proper connections. While some photographers might occasionally shoot for a big brand, the official photoshoots and the hero shots that sell the property and the experience will always be the work of an artist.

Communication skills

A photographer who has strong communication skills will be able to understand your vision, ask the right questions, provide solutions to problems that may arise and ensure that you're on the same page throughout the creative process. Keep in mind that great architectural photographers are diligent in adhering to the strict rules of architecture and won’t readily take advice from hotel owners on technical subjects like framing and lighting. It’s akin to asking an architect to design a home that will eventually collapse—they simply won’t.

Professional gear

While conventional camera equipment suffices for architectural photography, specialized lenses, like tilt-shift lenses, offer distinct advantages. Tilt-shift lenses enable correcting perspective distortion and maintaining parallel lines, crucial for capturing architecture with accuracy. Emphasizing the use of the latest cutting-edge gear enhances the precision and quality of architectural photography. We exclusively use the latest and greatest tilt-shift lenses for our architectural photography projects.

Pricing

Think of architectural photography as an investment. It’s the final and most important step before sharing your work, product or service with the world. Hire the best hotel photographer you can afford and you won’t regret it.

Read this article on why expensive is actually cheap.