Fstoppers.com has teamed up with Mike Kelley to produce the third installment of Where Art Meets Architecture: How to Photograph Hotels, Resorts, and the Business of Commercial Architectural Photography. With 18 brand new lessons and 13 hours of video content, Mike will take you on location and show you everything he knows about creating photographs for hospitality clients as well as how he puts together his bids and estimates for these clients.
Throughout this in-depth photography tutorial, Mike teaches some of the most complex photography and photoshop techniques he uses to produce the flawless images required for his commercial and advertising clients. With the beautiful Hawaiian resort Mauna Lani Bay as the background for these lessons, Mike dives into how to shoot every aspect of a common hotel such as photographing small hotel rooms, luxury suites, outdoor amenities, lobbies, conference rooms, on site restaurants, and even aerial images from a helicopter.
Also included is over 2 hours of business techniques Mike uses to separate himself from his competition. These chapters cover everything from website design, using social media, designing successful marketing material, shooting personal projects, selling fine art, and how to draft proposals and licensing contracts. To wrap everything up, Mike then takes you on a real world commercial architectural job in Mexico and puts everything together for a real paying client.
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How to Photograph Resorts and Hotels
Photographing hospitality whether it be hotels, resorts, airbnbs, or other properties marketed towards vacation and short term rentals can be a very exciting and lucrative field of photography. Unlike other genres within the architectural and real estate fields, hospitality photography often requires working with much larger clients who own massive properties that usually need updated marketing material on a yearly basis. Because these clients need so many unique images throughout their properties, it can be a daunting task trying to capture everything in a timely manner.
Unlike all of our other tutorials which start off gradually and build in complexity, Mike is faced right off the bat with the most difficult shooting lesson he has ever tackled on camera. As Mike moves from room to room throughout the resort, he candidly explains the unique challenges you will be faced with when shooting similar properties and how you can easily solve many of the problems that photographers are faced with in these situations. Below are a few examples of the types of rooms Mike photographs in this tutorial.
Learn Mike's Best Tips For Shooting Hotel Rooms
Throughout the course of 16 unique locations, Mike will teach you every trick he uses to produce his signature look. Whether it is flagging outside light, light painting with hot lights, balancing extreme exposure differences with flash, rearranging furniture, fixing less than perfect bedding and housekeeping, working around busy lobbies, or "simply" turning overcast days into bright and relaxing sunsets, Mike explains every minute detail of his process so that you too can reproduce his techniques in your own photography.
Learn how to remove and add light effectively
Follow Along and Edit Mike's Images In Photoshop
Once all of the images are captured on location, Mike then transitions into the post production studio where he shows you every step he takes in making his final image. To help you get the most out of this tutorial, we have included all of Mike's high res images so that you can follow along every step of the way. Not only are you going to be able to practice each and every technique Mike has to share, but you will also be able to tweak each layer in Photoshop to produce the same final image Mike delivers to his client. These post processing techniques are a crucial skill every photographer will have to master if they want to break into this field of photography, and Mike walks you through each step so that you can not only save hours of time editing but also produce the most perfect images possible.
Learn the Business of Photography
If you want to make a full time career out of photography, producing amazing photographs is only part of the equation. Knowing how to property market yourself, gain paying clients, and run a successful business in many ways is even more important than the actual images you create. For the first time ever, Mike is sharing everything he knows about building a successful architectural business as he outlines every step he took throughout his own career. From shooting for small local realtors to being hired for massive campaigns in other countries, Mike uncovers each of the steps he took to advance his career to the next level.
In these business chapters, Mike explains what marketing techniques have worked well for him and which ones have produced less than ideal results. Some of the topics Mike covers are how to meet potential clients in person, making effective cold calls, designing mail fliers, soliciting advertising and marketing companies, building a successful website, the power of mailing books and portfolios, using social media to your advantage, and even how personal projects can open doors to clients you never would have imagined.
Learn Mike's most effective marketing tools
Perhaps the most valuable section of this entire tutorial covers understanding bids, making proposals, and how to effectively add licensing fees to your invoicing. In these final business chapters, Mike sits down at his computer and reads several mock emails he receives on a weekly basis. From there he shows you how he would price out each job, draft up an initial proposal to the prospective client, negotiate the terms of a final contract, and package both the photography and licensing fees into a professional looking final invoice. Mike meticulously goes through every line item from creative fee to post production costs to licensing to overall production costs like flights, accommodations, assistants fees, gear rental, and other common costs associated with architectural photography. If you are unsure of how to price your work or what to include in your own bids and proposals, this section will be extremely helpful to you no matter market you are trying to pursue.
Watch as Mike designs multiple bids and proposals
No matter if you are just looking to get started in the real estate market or if you are already an established architectural photographer hoping to make the next big jump, Mike's business insights are sure to help you raise your business to the next level.
A Real Client in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
After Mike wraps up the chapters on business, we thought it would only be fitting to put everything to practice by taking you out on location to a real paying client's photoshoot. Mike explains all of the challenges that comes with working internationally before inviting you to travel with him to the most expensive house ever to sell on Mexico's beautiful Mayan Riviera coast. In this section, Mike walks you through 4 specific images he was hired to photograph as well as outlines many of the dozens of final images delivered to the client. This amazing property directly across from Cozumel offers some unique challenges while also tying together all the business practices together in one international job.
Digital Download Delivery
Just like every tutorial produced by Fstoppers, Where Art Meets Architecture 3 is a digital download. This means as soon as you purchase this tutorial you can instantly start downloading it straight to your computer. Once each file is download, you can immediately begin watching the content and following along with the included post production files. Each of these video files are unlocked which means you can sync them to any of your devices including your desktop, laptop, tablet, phone, or smart tv. This allows you the most flexibility on how you watch this content. If for any reason you have trouble downloading your files or if you have misplaced them years down the road, simply contact us and we will resend you new download links within 48 hours.
What is Included In Your Purchase
- 13 Hours of Content in 37 files (23.1GB total, 1080p 23.98fps h.264 mp4 files)
- Complete overview of Mike's gear, lighting, and grip equipment
- 16 photography lessons with all the images needed for post processing
- 7 unique chapters on the business of photography
- A Bonus intro to photoshop lesson
- Access to Mike's secret facebook group for further learning
- 8 Brand new behind the scenes episodes of the Making Of
- Unlimited digital download renewals
Bonus: 8 Brand New Behind the Scenes Episodes
If you have enjoyed the previous behind the scenes series with Mike Kelley, we are excited to announce that this tutorial includes 8 brand new episodes. Throughout the entire production of this series the cameras never stopped rolling, and all of that footage has been edited down into a hilarious new behind the scenes series. Watch as the Fstoppers team uses a bidet for the first time, Mike attempts to learn to kiteboard, and Lee breaks a leg before heading to Mexico.
Mike attempts to learn to kiteboard in the BTS series
Additional Tutorials from Mike Kelley
This tutorial is part 3 of a 4 part series Fstoppers has made with Mike Kelley. This tutorial is MUCH more advanced than our introductory course Where Art Meets Architecture 1. If you are just getting started with real estate photography, lighting, and post production, we highly recommend watching WAMA 1 first, but we have also bundled all of the tutorials in this series at a discount if you want to learn everything Mike has to teach.
Haven't even watched the teaser yet and I just bought it :) I bought 1&2 on a special this past year and I have been completely blown away with the granularity of this content. There is SO MUCH information in these it's incredible. Can't wait to get into these! And THANK YOU for the behind the scenes! They're so fun to watch!
EDIT:
Behind the Scenes: are awesome! I decided to continue in previous fashion and watch those before the main content.
Business section: WOW. This portion alone is worth the cost. Not even done. Just got past the quote building for large commercial advertising. Fantastic!
Will you have a flash drive version available? Internet is crap here.
Maybe, we are lining that up now.
Just finished up this tutorial, and this is without a doubt worth the investment. I've purchased and watched all 3 of the WAMA's at this point, and it has really taken my photography process to another level. If you want to make outstanding images, you need to see how the pros do it, and Mike does an excellent job of explaining his process. The business section alone makes this worth the buy, don't hesitate on this one, it is the best of the 3. Thanks so much for making these!
Brendan, I have WAMA 1 and 3 but I don't have #2. Does the second one provide any major info that 1 and 3 don't? Thanks.
Hey Mike,
#2 is good in it's own right as it gets away from "real estatey" images and get's you more into shooting professional interior images. If you've already purchased and watched WAMA3, going to #2 might seen trivial honestly. The first lesson in #3 is pretty intense and if you can keep up with that one then nothing in #2 is going to be ground breaking for you.
It is good if you want to see how a hotlight works on interiors, and I've actually purchased a GL-1 after watching #2 specifically for that reason
Thank you very much for your response, Brendan! I'm sorry for only replying now. I haven't been on the Fstoppers site since September. I wish you a prosperous 2018!
just wanted to say this is fun to see a tutorial for what exactly I used to do full time !
I am from Maui and if you traveled there about ten+ years ago chances are you saw my work for Kapalua or Kaanapali area !
the other good thing about this niche (which I am now out of) is that resorts want to keep fresh !!! so they tend to update quite often !
Are the BTS videos only available to people who purchase this?
We slowly release them on youtube. The first season is online now and I think the first episode will go live this week or next.
They should be up on Youtube soon!
Hi Mike
I was just at Canon Center is Costa Mesa. Your presentation was fast,focused and exceptionally informative. I asked you to discuss with Mr. Lee Morris and Fstoppers Company some sort of a payment plan. A vast percentage of your potential customers, in my opinion are aspiring photographer who are new to architectural photography discipline. And most like me have other priorities like getting appropriate gear which is very expensive. A payment plan secured by a credit card number will dramatically increase your sales. Everyone can afford $50 a month or 10 payments of $69.95. Please consider that your incremental cost for each additional copy is zero. I will appreciate your comments.
Thanks
Respectfully
Jamal Bin Mubarik
Jmubarik@gmail.com
714-726-8664
Hey Jamal, people ask us about this all the time but the best option is to just do the Paypal credit option. You can buy anything we sell with it and then just pay your own payment plan each month.
Thanks for a quick reply. I, for example don't have a Pay Pal Credit Card but I do have a Capital One Card. An option would be to require 30‰ down payment. I am pretty sure it will augment your sales efforts very successfully. I see your hesitantancy. In this connected world it will be hard to go after delinquents. My recommendation will only work in US and Canada anyway. I believe in an election I will have the support of authors.I met Mike Kelly today. He is a no nonsense, sincere and exponentially talented individual. I had his support. I better immediately start saving.
Thanks
Respectfully
Jamal Bin Mubarik
Finally done with all of WAMA3, once again thank you Mike Kelley for the knowledge you are sharing with everyone and raising the standard in this field. Big huge thanks to Patrick Hall, Lee Morris and the rest of the fstoppers crew who have made all these tutorials, i've had the pleasure to meet Patrick and Lee in person out here in Vegas while they were shooting Elia Locardi next tutorial. I couldn't be happier for their success with fstoppers, you guys are all great people and I wish you the best in your future endeavors. To anyone who hasn't bought WAMA3 you are definitely missing out, Mike doesn't hold back and answer all those questions that many have wanted answers for, not just the photography but the all important business side of it. Grab your credit card now and buy it, you'll regret not getting it sooner! :)
I can honestly say I wouldn't be putting out the quality of images that I am without the WAMA series. After shooting real estate for over a decade I am starting to break into more commercial work, and I wouldn't have been able to get there without these videos. Tons of gear, lighting, and post-processing information, and now with the addition of the business side the WAMA series is everything you need to get very good very fast. Thanks Mike, Patrick, and Lee!
Best,
Scott Basile
www.basilephoto.com
I watched all of it (including the BTS... I felt pretty bad for Lee!) As with the others, they are awesome! I accredit Mike for a lot of how I shoot and edit Architectural work. The ONE thing I wished he touched on was, in the quoting section, how he handles cost sharing with other entities involved with a project. Other than that, I honestly can't think of a better way to spend money on than these tutorials. Thank you F Stoppers and Mike!
Just really quickly, I usually do 30% of the creative fee for each additional party that wants to be involved. So for example if the shoot fee is $1000, for two parties I'd charge $1300 and they can then split the fee. So you get more and everyone who wants images ends up paying $650 instead of $1000. Hope that makes sense. Scale up or down depending on how many people need pics.
Just purchased WAMA 2 & 3 - looking forward to it.
Just bought WAMA3. Great shame that almost all the room shots are in a hotel with windows that are blacked out with sliding doors for part of the shooting process. I'm in Europe & have never encountered such a situation. Feeling a bit let down!
If you're unsatisfied well happily offer you a full refund. But if you'd like to know what mike would do without the shutters he would simply use a cloth to black out the windows.
Great course unfortunately download link only lasted 5 days and still waiting for reply 4 days later.
Hey Cassie, we respond to emails every day. Please send another message to contactfstoppers@gmail.com and include me too at lee@fstoppers.com. We'll get you fresh links today.
Let us know if this doesn't get resolved. My guess is you emailed us right before the weekend and everyone was out of the state for 3 days.
Great looking tutorial but I am holding out for the third installment of photographing the world with Elia Locardi. Its like waiting for Return of the Jedi.
haha, it feels like producing Empire Strikes Back :) Elia heads here soon to film the post processing...hope it's out in the Fall
Looking forward. Now I just have to buy a new camera seeing as my current one committed suicide :-( or alternatively you could just give me the Sony... Just saying! :-)
I there any plan where we can pay monthly for these WAMA tutorials?
We don't have a plan but you can set up a payment plan through PayPal when you check out.
I am a interiors and architecture photographer and doing it for past 3 years so my basics are mostly clear, my question is do I need to but WAMA 1 or can I skip buying WAMA 1 and BUY WAMA 3 straight away.
I'd def skip WAMA 1. It is def catered towards beginners who have never used flash or composited in photoshop before. It's still a great tutorial and essential for learning Mike's technique but if you are already doing it professionally I would start with WAMA2 and get 3 if you want to specifically focus on resorts and hospitality and/or want Mike's business tips.
I can say without a doubt that Mike Kelly's tutorials have made the most impact on improving the quality of my non-human photographs (Elia Locardi being a close second). If you've already watched WAMA 1 and WAMA 2, then you're already familiar with 95% of what Mike does and you should have the gist of his technique down pact. That doesn't mean there isn't a hell of a lot more to learn, far from it. You're going to expand the utility of these techniques and learn new ways to light and shoot some high stakes places. There's on house in particular that was a nightmare lighting scenario, and now I am well prepared to take on similar challenges.
WAMA 3 just takes everything up to a larger scale and to me is worth the cost simply because it shows you how to plan, quote, and execute the type of jobs many of us dream of when shooting spaces. I am assuming anyone who is looking at this tutorial wants to go beyond just a volume-based business model of real estate photography and would like to cultivate better paying clients with higher stakes and more creatively fulfilling projects. While there is no magic formula for getting that dream client, the business section is a goldmine for learning how to manage all the variables for such projects.
To me the best part of buying this tutorial is the community. Access to a private Facebook group is often hit or miss with these Fstoppers tutorials. Some of them are like ghost-towns with very few engaging conversations and just not a lot of action going on. THIS one though is probably the best community of photographers I've ever had the pleasure of engaging with online. And Mike himself is a very active participant and graciously gives a lot of his time to answer questions and give his input on certain topics. The rest of the community is filled with some seriously talented folks who provide honest, useful feedback for images and whose work often pushes to me get better every day. I honestly love the discussions that sporadically pop up in this group.
Another benefit to these tutorials is that many of the techniques you learn can be applied to other mediums of photography such as landscapes and product photography.
If you're a beginner, start with WAMA 1, if you have some experience under your belt, go with 2 and 3. Either way, it's money well spent.
Just finished WAMA 1, 2, and 3 and all I have to say is if you are on the fence about this I can definitely recommend it. I am not a professional photographer, just an architectural designer looking to get professional quality results for my own projects. I have watched hundreds of YouTube tutorials on various shooting, LR, and PS techniques over the past couple years and these tutorials took me so far beyond that I was shocked. From composition, to lighting, to post processing Mike goes into all of his methods in detail in a very easy to follow manner. If you are trying to become a professional architectural photographer then this course is a 100% no brainer. If you are a non-professional photographer like myself whose time is valuable these courses will allow you to quickly understand the best techniques a top pro like Mike uses so you don't waste tons of time and money trying to figure it out for yourself. I have searched and there is simply nothing else like this available on the web. There are workshops but they cost in the $1,000s and will not take you through the range of situations this tutorial is able to.
Hi, I am most interested in the content about running the business. Are the business/carrer tips from WAMA 1 included in this course? Should I buy WAMA 1 too (just for the business tips) or WAMA 3 is fine?
Hey Mike!
What's the name of that portfolio album you're using?
C.
Hi, I am most interested in the business content of this course. Are the business tips from WAMA 1 included in this course + more? Should I buy WAMA 1 too (just for the business tips)? Thanks!
WAMA 3 has the most details about pricing your work and business.
Hey as internet speed in my area is not so great and keeps on breaking at times so If i buy WAMA 3 and somehow i am not able to download it completely so how should I go about it.. can i download it in parts? or is it possible to watch it online? what is the size of WAMA3 tutorial? would be really great if i can download them in parts.. do let me know so i can purchase it
You can download small parts at a time but you have to do it within 3 days or the links expire. If they expire just email us at contactfstoppers@gmail.com and we will renew them for you.
Great.. last question sorry for bothering you.. are there separate folders sequence wise in the links to download once we but it ?
Hey, I bought 1-3 and want to start watching the first one. The Zip Files are not named in the correct order in the Bundle. Can I find the table of content for all 3 Tutorials somewhere, so that i can create the correct order of the folders? thank you so much!
A question about arranging the room:
If you call the maintenance guys to remove doors, why didn't you call room maids to iron the sheets???
hello I'm french photographer and i m really interested by mike's tutorials. I would like to know if there is subtitles in french included.
Hi Mike, you talk about the personal projects as really helping you with getting business with the clients you wanted to work with. So my question is, you flew out to Iceland with some homes/buildings/structures in mind that you wanted to photograph ahead of time, but how did you get permission to shoot these? I see they have light painting done to them and also were done at twilight hour, so I assume you had to have some permission by the owner or agency to do this? I wanted to understand how that worked as I am interested in doing something similar myself (well not Iceland, but you get the idea).
Hi, I was asked to shot a hotel here where I live in Germany and I wanted to know, if it is okay to start with the 3rd WAMA?
I am planing to buy 1 and 2 as well, but I can't afford all three at ones.
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hi, I was wondering if you're going over the topic of what should be in a contract in that tutorial, seeing there are 7 chapters on business of photography?
Hello, do you have subtitles in Spanish (WAMA 3), is there a way to watch it with subtitles?