Which just happen to be the most important images of them all, especially for many hotels these days – as that is the image that their guests will be looking at, when they go to click on that ‘Book Now’ button on their website.
And since that one image may represent one of many similar types of rooms that are available, then multiple it’s value to them by the number of rooms, times the number of days in the year, times the number of years that they will want to use that image – and you will start to see why that image is a very important to them to get right.
So that is what I try to keep in mind when talking to them beforehand, about what the fee would be for providing them with an image to meet their usage requirements.
Because I know taking a picture of a bedroom is easy – for example, when we would first go to see them, to recce their place, I would often shoot their entire hotel in less than 30 minutes – and produce images like this…
.. so if it was just some pictures that they needed to be taken, then there you go, job done
Anyway, 30 years of experience – many of which I worked alongside some of the top advertising companies in the country – means that I know that it’s often more than just a picture of the room they need, it’s an image to help them tell a story or even sell a dream that they need, and it’s often an image that they will want to use not only in various media but also for years to come too, so needs to be just right.
Because there may be a lot of money riding on the back on this image or set of images as is often the case, so to undervalue how important these images are to them, could be a very costly mistake for everyone if they aren’t just right.
So the question is: what does one have to do to ensure that these images (which are in fact very important to them), are ‘good enough’ to meet their needs over the years to come?
Anyway, below you can see what we recently did – which I will let the pictures speak for themselves – because as they say: “a picture is worth a 1000 words” – so enjoy the story they tell
First up was the Deluxe Room…
.. and the final result…
.. to show their Deluxe Room.
Next was the Deluxe Room with a balcony…
.. and the final result…
.. to show their Deluxe Room with a balcony.
Next was the Twin Room…
.. and the final result…
.. to show their Twin Room.
Next was the Family bedroom…
.. and the final result…
.. to show their Family Room.
And so it when over the next few days, as we worked our way through their different rooms and suites – between a bite to eat…
.. few pints of Guinness…
.. doing one make-up…
.. straightening the curtains…
.. fluffing the cushions…
.. positioning the models…
.. and trying to get the camera to work…
.. before gathering around the laptop to have one final look…
.. at images like this…
.. to show the bedroom area in their large Presidential suite.
So it may have been only bedrooms that we had been asked to shoot here, but these 2 trolleys…
.. should tell you how important we felt that these images were to them.
And as we posed afterward for a group shot in the rain…
.
.. we were “Happy, happy, happy” as I would say – because we knew that we had given it our all.
And their comments after seeing the final results:
“Ashley,
I think they are just fantastic. I am so pleased with them. Thank-you. “
Gráinne Ross, Managing Director.
“Hi Ashley,
Thank you so much, they look great! I’m really happy with them.
Thanks again. “
Rosalie Delany, Director of sales & marketing.
Which at the end of the day, is really what counts – as praise is bread to an artist .