People often think that photography is simply point and click, but even today’s influencers will tell you it’s never that simple. Getting the details right takes time and consideration.
Many people like a peek behind the scenes, so in this blog I’ll post a series of ‘before and after’ images to demonstrate the work that goes into each and every photo.
Hotel pool- exterior photography
First up is an exterior image of the pool at Dusit D2 Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. Although there were some beautiful details – such as the vivid red of the pool tiles, the wooden decking and the red leafy tree behind the pool bar, there were also challenges – the water filtration system and the position of the sunbeds, as well as the lighting.
Fortunately, as an architectural photographer, I have a process to get the best results for exterior photography.
The process of photo composition
Every image I create is composed through a meticulous process, which involves the following steps:
Hotel Photography Pre-Shoot
- I study the area in question (in this case, the hotel pool) to establish the best composition to tell the story.
- I speak with the client to get their approval for the composition.
- I decide when the light will be ideal to capture the image, which determines the time of day I’ll shoot.
- I carefully stage the photo. I’ll do everything possible to capture the best image, with the intention of reducing time in post-production.
Hotel photography – the shoot! - I capture the raw images, taking multiple exposures if necessary.
- In post-production I merge the images/exposures and do the necessary re-touching.
Finally, it’s time to deliver the proof image to the client, who will then provide feedback. We discuss if more re-touching is needed and when that’s completed, they receive a hi-resolution image they are delighted with.
