How to properly plan a hotel photo shoot

Planning a photoshoot can seem like an overwhelming task. What kind of images do I need? Where do I find the right photographer? What else do I need to consider? Many questions come to mind when preparing for a shoot. With this article, I would like to help you bring structure to this planning process, ensuring that nothing is forgotten. Follow me on this journey and don't hesitate to answer the following questions right away, so that by the end of this article, you will not only have learned something new, but also planned your shoot.

Question 1: Why do I want to photograph the hotel?

Every photoshoot has a trigger, a reason why you need new photos. Have you renovated your hotel, introduced a new branding, or is a re-opening coming up? Or are you currently refreshing your marketing channels with a new website and print products and want to fill them with contemporary images? Define the reason for the photoshoot and use it as a guideline for all further questions.

Question 2: Which motifs do I need?

The range of a hotel shoot is very diverse. Create a list of motifs that you want to have at the end of the shoot. Depending on whether you only want to photograph a new room category or need pictures of the entire hotel, the length of the list can vary greatly. Take your time for this task and describe as precisely as possible what you imagine. It is particularly useful here to create a table with the following column headings in Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers:

Motif – List all the motifs you need. Add descriptive details if required.

Priority – Ranking from 1-3 (see further down in the article)

Usage – In which media will the image be used, what are the style specifications (see further down in the article)

Photo category – (see further down in the article)

Organization – What must be available for this shot (see further down in the article)

Examples for the motif description in this "shot list" could be:

• Hotel front view at sunrise with new logo

• Hotel lobby with guests checking in

• Renovated double room with south orientation and mountain view

You may want to have the same motif in different variations, e.g. during the day and at night or with and without models. All these notes ensure that you have exactly the pictures you need at the end of the photo shoot.

Once you have created your list, assign a ranking to each motif:

1 – Essential

2 – Important

3 – Nice to have

This allows you to react more purposefully to new situations during the shooting process and not lose sight of your most important motifs.

Question 3: Where will the hotel images be used?

This is a question that many of my clients describe in one word: “Everywhere!” Try to plan the usage of your images more proactively. Do you need a wide panoramic shot of your hotel for the title image of your new website? Would you like to place an ad showing a portrait-format image of a room? Does the image need space for text overlays? If you know these details before the images are taken, you have the option of creating a tailor-made image with your photographer instead of having to work with off-the-shelf material afterwards. So, pen in hand and take notes:

For which media do you need images:

• Website

• Brochure

• Hotel magazine

• Notice

• Advertisements

• Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest

Which style specifications must be observed here:

• Specifications by the corporate identity regarding colors, logos, third-party brands in images (e.g. bottle logos), etc.

• Format (e.g. website: landscape format, magazine: portrait format, Instagram: square)

• Composition (free space for texts/graphics, symmetries)

Are there motifs that you use again and again in your marketing material? The handing over of the room card, the set breakfast table or the special view from the hotel are images to which you may have assigned a low relevance in the ranking in question 2. Reconsider your priorities after the variety of uses.

Question 4: Into which photo category do my pictures fall?

Just as there are different types of hotels, there are also photographers with different special skills. When choosing the right service provider, it is therefore important that you consider where the focus of your images lies.

Hotel photography combines images from many categories:

• Architectural photography/ Interior photography

• Destination/ Travel photography

• Lifestyle photography

• Food photography

• Portrait photography

• Aerial/ Drone photography

• Conceptual/ Advertising photography

Most likely, the images on your shot list will fall under several categories. This does not mean that you have to book 5 photographers. If you only need photographs for your menu and the restaurant, then a food photographer is the best choice. If you want the entire hotel to be photographed, an architectural photographer is a better choice. For example, the majority of my assignments are in the field of architectural photography. Nevertheless, I also photograph lifestyle shots for my clients for advertising campaigns or aerial shots as art prints.

Question 5: What else do I need to organize for the photo shoot?

The planning of a photo shoot usually doesn't end with booking the photographer. Do you need models for the shoot who need to be booked? (I support my clients here by providing contacts to high-quality agencies.) What props do you need, such as flower arrangements, fruit baskets, or luggage? Are there construction sites, barriers, or events in the immediate vicinity of the hotel that could affect the shoot? Do additional locations need to be booked? Coordinate with your photographer here and create a plan for the photo shoot together.

Question 6: What does my hotel marketing plan look like for the next 12 months?

Now is THE moment to equip yourself with all the necessary image assets for your upcoming campaigns. If you are booking a photographer and preparing the hotel for shooting, then consider what other marketing activities you need images for. The next annual financial statement, tourism fairs, competitions, seasonal promotions, and material for social media all require different but high-quality images that can be created now. Also, ask other departments in your company (e.g., Human Resources or Public Relations) if your colleagues need pictures. This way, you can pool budgets and drive a consistent visual language for strong visual branding. Get the most out of your photo shoot!

Question 7: What other marketing assets do I need?

Have you long had the idea of a video series about the hotel location or a concept for an unusual campaign in mind? Really good hotel photo shoots can satisfy many needs at once. Talk to your photographer about what additional services they can offer you. For example, I not only take pictures of the hotel for my clients. In addition to a wide variety of video materials, I also produce photographic art series that are directly tailored to the hotel's interior and bring a regional reference into the hotel.

Do you sometimes find it difficult to create new content for your social channels? How about a look behind the scenes of the photo shoot? A video about the preparations of a room for the photo shoot or a short interview with the hotel manager, chef, or concierge gives your brand more life and authenticity. Your followers will love such impressions!

Conclusion

I know that was a lot of information. It is quite a day's work to create such a shot list, and it requires coordination with various departments to plan a highly effective photo shoot for your hotel. However, the result is worth it. At the end of this process, you will be rewarded with a set of images that seamlessly integrates into your marketing material. This will greatly facilitate your content production for the next few years!