Inside a Professional Hotel Photography Shoot

Advertising photography isn’t just about taking nice pictures. Every shot needs to sell an experience, blending technical skill with storytelling. That’s why planning and execution are crucial.

Coming to you from Justin Mott, this insightful video takes you behind the scenes of an advertising shoot for InterContinental Hotels in Tokyo. Mott walks through the entire process, from pre-production to final delivery. A shoot like this involves more than just pressing the shutter. It requires months of planning, handling everything from model casting to wardrobe selection. Mott and his team scouted the location, analyzed lighting conditions, and worked with the hotel’s marketing team to ensure the images aligned with their vision. His discussion on the logistics of large-scale commercial shoots offers valuable insight for anyone looking to move into professional photography.

The gear choices for a job like this are just as important as the planning. Mott explains why he used a full Sony kit, despite primarily shooting with Leica for personal work. Sony’s flexibility, affordability, and range of lenses made it the right choice for a commercial job requiring both stills and video. He covers the different focal lengths he used, balancing distortion and perspective to meet client demands. While ultra-wide lenses can make spaces look larger, they can also introduce unwanted distortion. Mott prefers a 24mm or 20mm lens for room shots but keeps a 14mm handy when necessary. His discussion on lens selection and lighting, including how he simulates natural light with artificial sources, is practical knowledge that applies to all kinds of commercial photography.

Managing logistics in a busy hotel presents challenges. This shoot took place in a nearly full-capacity property, meaning Mott’s team had to work around guests and staff. Hotel photography often involves composite shots, where different elements are captured at optimal times and blended together later in post-production. Mott explains how he and his assistant captured ideal views of Tokyo by shooting reference images throughout the project, ensuring they could swap in the best backgrounds during editing. He also shares why shooting more than the client asks for often leads to additional sales, a key strategy for maximizing revenue in commercial photography. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Mott.