Ashley Morrison's Blog

August 15, 2016

Only Bedrooms.

Filed under: Photography — Ashley Morrison @ 4:57 pm
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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…
Recce image of one of the bedrooms in Dunboyne Castle Hotel.
.. so if it was just some pictures that they needed to be taken, then there you go, job done Wink

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 Wink

Unloading the Land Rover outside Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Unloading the Land Rover outside Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

First up was the Deluxe Room…
One of the first pictures taken in one of the bedrooms at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

One of the first pictures taken in one of the bedrooms at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

.. and the final result…
Deluxe Room bedroom at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. to show their Deluxe Room.

Next was the Deluxe Room with a balcony…
One of the first pictures taken in one of the bedrooms at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

One of the first pictures taken in one of the bedrooms at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. and the final result…
Deluxe Balcony bedroom at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. to show their Deluxe Room with a balcony.

Next was the Twin Room…
One of the first pictures taken in one of the bedrooms at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

One of the first pictures taken in one of the bedrooms at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. and the final result…
Twin Room bedroom at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. to show their Twin Room.

Next was the Family bedroom…
One of the first pictures taken in one of the bedrooms at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.

Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. and the final result…
The family bedroom at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. 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…
Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. few pints of Guinness…
Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. doing one make-up…
Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. straightening the curtains…
Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. fluffing the cushions…
Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. positioning the models…
Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. and trying to get the camera to work…
Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. before gathering around the laptop to have one final look…
Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. at images like this…
The Presidential suite at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. 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…
Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath.
.. 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…
Behind the scenes at Dunboyne Castle Hotel in County Meath..
.. 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 smile..

August 4, 2016

Happy ending

Is the title of our latest published work in the September 2016 issue of 25 Beautiful Homes magazine…
Pages 78 to 79 in the September 2016 issue of 25 Beautiful Homes magazine featuring Amy and Pierre-Emmanuel de Leusse's stone-bulit 18th-century cottage called 'La Petite Maison' on the edge of the charming village called Saint-Orens-Pouy-Petit near Condom.
.. on pages 78 to 79 – featuring Amy and Pierre-Emmanuel de Leusse’s stone-bulit 18th-century cottage called ‘La Petite Maison’ on the edge of the charming village called Saint-Orens-Pouy-Petit near Condom.

“Realising a long-held dream, Amy and Pierre-Emmanuel de Leusse discovered the beauty of rural life.”

Which I talked about shooting here: “Day 10” – 6 years ago.

So just want to say Congratulations to you both here…
Amy de Leusse and Pierre Emmanuel outside their house called 'La Petite Maison' which is nestled in the heart of the Gers countryside on the edge of the charming village called Saint-Orens-Pouy-Petit near Condom.
.. for this very happy ending – as it did take us quite a while too, for our dream to come true Wink.

However, a Tall order – which is the title of our other one in this issue…
Pages 111 to 113 in the September 2016 issue of 25 Beautiful Homes magazine featuring Karen Dyer's 19th-century farmhouse near the village of Greyabbey in County Down.
.. on pages 111 to 113, featuring Karen Dyer’s 19th-century farmhouse near the village of Greyabbey in County Down – was one we had to wait even longer for.

“Karen Dyer had a grand vision for her family farmhouse, but she had a mountain to climb to make it a reality.”

So I also want to say a big Congratulations to Karen and her daughter Beth here…
Karen Dyer with her daughter Beth in the sitting room of their farmhouse near Greyabbey in County Down.
.. for this very tall order – as after all these years I had almost given up on this becoming a reality too Wink.

In other words: Way to go to you all, for this very happy ending to a very tall order – from Marie, Mandi & me – who didn’t give up on our dreams neither smile

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