How to write an opening brief for hotel photography?
Catching a hotel’s essence goes beyond presenting its design along with amenities—it’s about conveying the atmosphere for guests to experience. A well-prepared photography brief truly saves some time, ensures visual consistency, and actively prevents most misunderstandings. When making a brief, what should be your main focus? This guide acts as a reference checklist for everyone in charge of preparing a brief for hotel photography.
1. Essential Hotel Information
- What brand and type of hotel do you represent? Is it a luxury resort, boutique hotel, serviced apartments, business hotel, or another accommodation type?
- Where is the hotel located, and what is its setting? (e.g., historic city center, beachfront, mountain retreat, urban hub)
- What stage is the hotel in? Are you launching a brand new property and need your first set of professional images? Have various areas been renovated? Or is it just simply an update to already existing visuals?
2. Deliverables & Scope
- How many photos do you need? Having a clear idea helps estimate the required shoot time. If you are unsure, I can suggest a number based on industry standards and specific hotel needs.
- What type of shots are essential to you? What specific elements and areas do you want me to capture? Are you looking for interior, exterior, or both?
Exterior: the exterior facade of the hotel and its contextual setting, gardens, pools, beaches, or also destination photography (important landmarks, remarkable places in the area, etc.)?
Interior: restaurants, bars, rooms, bathrooms (Does each room have its own bathroom design or just universal shots?), spa, pool, gym lobby, hallways, conference rooms (how many setups?), and other public rooms.
Details: Design features, artwork, room amenities, hotel-branded accessories, and signature elements.
Lifestyle: staff at work and guests experiencing the hotel environment.
- What style and atmosphere are you aiming for? Minimalist, dramatic, conceptual, storytelling, or authentic lifestyle feel? Would you like photos taken only during the day or also at night, dusk, dawn, and golden hour? If you have a mood board or previous reference projects, include them. Also, do not forget to include brand guidelines if available.
3. Licensing & Image Usage
- Basic License: suitable for smaller hotels. Covers website use, internal materials, emails, social media, print materials up to A1 size, competitions, and online booking platforms.
- Annual Extended License: ideal for larger hotels. Includes PR articles, paid advertising (online & offline), and out-of-home (OOH) campaigns for one year. Specific image leasing annual term.
- Buyout: unlimited and permanent usage, best for international hotel chains.
4. Production Details
- Deadline: do you have a specific date by which the images must be shot or delivered? Share the project timeline.
- Models & Extras: will the images include staff members or hired models? Would you like clearly identifiable people, or do you prefer blurred silhouettes to subtly enhance the scene? Will the hotel provide should I arrange them? If so, an insight into your target group would be helpful.
- Set Design & Styling: will a professional stylist/set designer be required? This is especially relevant while working with professional models as well as for creating specific atmospheres (e.g., a wedding setup) or complex scenes needing additional decor and floral arrangements.
5. Technical Considerations
- Do you require images in specific formats? This is particularly relevant for smaller hotels without in-house graphic designers. I typically provide images optimized for both online and print use (in multiple formats and color profiles).