Last week saw me on location in the beautiful 5 star Hayfield Manor hotel in Cork city to shoot a series of new interior shots and an ambitious shot of lots of staff with lots of babies….more about that in another post! I am lucky enough to have been commissioned to shoot images for Hayfield now for many years and it’s always a joy to shoot here.
Shooting 5 star is always challenging and exciting as there is no room for compromise and every detail must be perfect..something the staff at Hayfield take great pride in and always comes through in the soul of the image.
In this post I have included the bar, The Vine private dining, and the newly decorated spa pool.
The spa pool being the most challenging from a lighting perspective as a total balance of outside dusk light, pool lighting and interior lighting had to be timed to the minute with no room for error. I love these big epic shots, and although challenging, really give a great sense of satisfaction when everything comes together. I shot the bar at 6.30 am, the only time this busy and beautifully stylish bar seems to have no people in!
For anyone who hasn’t visited Hayfield Manor…what are you waiting for?..Go on spoil yourselves! http://www.hayfieldmanor.ie
Thanks, Andrew.
Hayfield Bar
Hayfield Spa
The Vine Private Dining
The Vine Wine Cellar
Preview shots of new images for the Carlton Hotel Kinsale Spa are posted below. Ireland has 2 things in plenty, peat bogs and water!…and now these are being used in new treatments by Carlton hotels as part of a ” total health ” approach to well-being.
Luckily the weather agreed to be kind and the girls agreed to undress in a somewhat “chillier than it looks” brave way that is required during an Irish summer…..and yes they were photographed at the hotel….. and yes…in Kinsale!…and yes….it rained later.
For more info check out Carlton Hotels.
Cheers for now, Andrew.
Waterfall 01
Waterfall 2
I shot the latest design from Joseph Walsh in the Enignum series for shows in London, Milan and Paris yesterday in what was a very challenging but immensely enjoyable shoot. It is a rare privilege to photograph new work which I think will become design classics in future years.
The bed I photographed for Joseph last year was featured in The Wall Street Journal as one of the most desirable gifts to give the newly married royal couple!
Message to all clients…Good photography always gets published!
Below are the first preview shots in the world of the new chair and a reminder of the bed… in case you wish to buy one for the happy couple!
Andrew.
Enignum Chair 03
Enignum Chair 03
Joseph Walsh bed
The next on the shoot list for O’Callaghan hotels and situated directly opposite the Davenport was the Mont Clare Hotel.
This 3 star hotel has a beautifully crafted interior that exudes the feeling of times gone by, when attention to detail was the standard, and material choice was not governed by cost alone. Hardwood panelling with accented high ceilings give this hotel a feel from Paris in the twenties and was a joy to shoot.
Careful propping and subtlety of lighting was the order of the day to keep the images natural and warm….even though I still used 8 lights in most of the shots…!
More info, click on The Mont Clare.
Thanks for looking, Andrew
Mont Clare Dining
Mont Clare Bedroom
Mont Clare Reception
Mont Clare Bar
Over the past two weeks I have been creating a new suite of photography for O’Callaghan Hotels in Dublin.
I shot all four of their Dublin Hotels over the two weeks and so involved a few late nights and lots of hard work from what was a very good team. O’Callaghans are very hands on with a great ” can do” attitude which made for a really up beat and enjoyable shoot. We had great help on the props front from Emer Kelly, a fantastic interior designer based in Dublin, who had no problem with anything asked of her…including getting out the leatherman to remove the odd door or two!
The first hotel to feature in the blog is the Davenport. This boutique hotel, housed in stunning building is a recognised landmark off Merrion Square and with a little gentle propping, provided some beautiful interiors.
My style of shooting using many hidden lights to pick out and enhance features of rooms really came into play, especially with the reception and foyer which has beautiful relief plaster work. I hope you like the shots below and for any more information on the O’Callaghan Davenport hotel please click the link. http://www.ocallaghanhotels.com/dublinmain/davenport.aspx
Thanks, Andrew.
Davenport Reception
Davenport Lobby
Davenport Bedroom
Davenport Bar
On the last post I looked at period rooms with a view to lighting and styling. Now I am looking at four examples of more modern style rooms and the approach I take when shooting.
Of course no two rooms are the same and you have to be able to adapt to any situation/ client request etc to extract a shot that comes up to portfloio standards and more importantly from my perspective, exceeds client expectations.
With a more modern room I am often more structured in my composition, using the architecture of the room to create symmetry and more interesting compositions.
I would still use props to reflect the level of service expected which is a fundemental part of all my hotel images. The props can be subtle, the lighting can be more dramatic, people can be used to soften the scene, the compositions can be bolder, but all the time the awareness is on the few seconds the image has on screen or brochure to capture the imagination of the viewer.
Andrew.
Maryborough Spa Suite
The Gibson
The Morrison
The Icehouse
Welcome to day 2 of my hotel bedrooms and suites photography week. Today I am showing images of period bedrooms and how we prop and style accordingly.
In certain circumstances, you can mix quite successfully period furniture and contemporary accessories in an almost seamless harmonious way to great effect and this style is becoming more and more seen as many people have a love of both.
Likewise some uber-modern rooms can be enhanced immensely with the addition of say an over sized guilt framed decorative mirror. I try always to capture the ” soul” and essence of the room through both lighting and styling, to still create through my lighting, an atmosphere and sense of service that is the difference between architectural photography and hospitality photography…. after all, you are not selling the building…you are selling the room with the service you provide!
Thanks for looking..Andrew.
Princess Grace suite
Moy Suite
Randles Court
Parknasilla
All this week I will be featuring the photography of bedrooms and suites we have photographed for various hotels over the last while.
This is the key money shot for any hotel…get this one wrong and you may as well not have a website and it will do you more harm than good. Shooting a bedroom, suite or penthouse is usually one of the longest shots for us during a full hotel shot as every little detail needs to be addressed and teased out until perfect.
The bed is the kingpin in every room shot and this needs to be starched, pressed, made full and welcoming even before a light is brought into the the room….after all your guest is going to be spending at least 8 hours in it..it has to look good!
During this week I will be presenting a selection of bedroom, suite and penthouse photography to demonstrate the diverse selection of hotel bedrooms, different lighting scenarios and styling techniques.
Thanks, Andrew.
Seafield Penthouse
Carlton Suite
Westport Plaza Suite
Clarion Penthouse
The most important photographs in any hotel portfolio are the shots of the rooms and suites. The market is now so competitive that every image on your website counts and one bad one can lose you the booking.
If someone is potentially looking to book the hotel and stumbles upon a bad or mediocre room shot- it’s game over.
Next week will be a feature everyday on various rooms and suites photographed by me to show the variety of style and lighting effects that can transform and ordinary room into a world class image to get the absolute best from your advertising whether print or online.
Below are two images – the first I shot on the shoot recce showing the room and how it was presented to me. The second is the shot we took for the hotel with lighting and propping in place. 8 hidden flash heads around the room were used to create the ambiance and subtle propping and moving of furniture completed the picture…Yes it takes time but which one would you book?
Andrew.
Suite before lighting and props
Suite after lighting and props
First Phuket, Maldives, Sri Lanka and then to Killarney in Ireland. A small bit of Thailand arrives in Ireland.
This is a great Spa! Soft, gentle, warm and with it’s own unique personality that makes it a must visit during your holiday to the South West of Ireland. The Angsana signature treatments whisk you off to a world where time doesn’t matter and you can almost imagine yourself in a remote cabin high on a mountain in Thailand with the fresh scent of frangipani drifting through the room.
The ladies were great to shoot with lovely gentle personalities and amazing massage skills honed over years in Thailand. I know. During the shoot my back had gone into spasm from a previous injury so the ladies insisted on working their magic with the best back massage I have ever had any where in the world! …I know, I know…life is tough on the road!
Anyway, a selection of images are below and click on Angsana Spa at the Brehon Hotel for the rest of the images and to book your little piece of the east.
Andrew.
Angsana Pool
Angsana Massage
Angsana Treatment Room
Angsana Preparation
Angsana Reception
