What defines best Architectural Photographers

Hotels worldwide have only one way of marketing themselves – through their photography. Hotel photography is the only way to attract potential consumers and tell them what your hotel stands for. While smaller hotels would like to project the basic amenities larger brands would like to present the essence that they would want their consumers to experience through their pictures.

Hotel photography involves, rooms, restaurants, the amenities in the room and the hotel, the services, the façade and often the staff to showcase their hospitality. Visuals are one of the primary instruments for a hotel to build their brand in a consumers mind. Professional hotel photographers spend a lot of time on minute details as they plan their photography.

A room that may look simple and perfect requires a lot of thought - the view from the room, the size of the bed, the accessories, flower arrangements, fruits, angle to show the right size, time of the day when it looks the best etc. Ever noticed a crease on the bed linen or a crumpled curtain in a hotel room shot? One of the best Hotel photographers in India Sudhir Ramchandran who has been shooting for ITC and Taj group in India and the Banyan Tree resorts worldwide is one of the best to work with. His images are still used by the hotels years after he shot them. Not just for their aesthetics but also for their technical superiority in clarity and detailing. Once shot with large format cameras today he uses digital cameras with upgraded sensors to his benefit.

A few basic things to remember when shooting a hotel:

a)>No body likes to live in a skewed room, so correct your perspective.

b)>You might save time on location by ignoring creases and cushion placements, but avoid using too much post production time for things that can be sorted on location

c)>Understand light. Know how to balance the ambient light and the studio/flash to get a perfectly exposed image – especially if you are working towards mood lighting of an early morning or a late evening.

d)>It helps to add a human touch to the campaign. It could just be a gesture that you can include as the hotel may be reluctant to use an employee in case they leave.

e)>Helps to know if it’s a business or luxury category hotel. Is it for families primarily or business travelers of mid or senior manager levels. Hence spend a little time with the marketing head or the brand manager.

I love to write about photography tips.