User Generated Content Archives

Behind the Scenes: How The Trilogy Hotel Photo Shoot Became a Wedding Venue UGC Story

Get to No University, Hotel Photography, Living The Dream, User Generated Content

A Marriage of Wedding & Hotel Photography Expertise

It’s not every day that the past, present, and future align to create an extraordinary narrative. This is the story of our journey at the Trilogy Hotel, Montgomery, AL, a story that allowed us to blend our unique experiences and skills to offer something special. Wedding Venue UGC (User generated content) is an excellent way for hotels to showcase their event space.

From Wedding Photographer to Hotel Photography Guru: Greg’s Unique Perspective

My husband Greg, the talented photographer behind our images, was once a successful wedding photographer. His years of capturing couples’ most magical moments have equipped him with a unique understanding of how to photograph spaces that evoke emotions, tell a story, and create lasting impressions.

These skills and his sharp eye for detail made a seamless transition into hotel photography. After photographing more than 1000 hotels and numerous wedding venues, we’ve honed our expertise in showcasing the heart and soul of each property we photograph.

Before we met, Greg made the decision that he didn’t want to photograph brides and babies and instead wanted to photograph bricks and mortar. Our photography is 100% focused on photographing buildings such as commercial businesses, hotels and hospitality and residential real estate.

But his unique perspective as a former wedding photographer, allows him to see the spaces we photograph through multiple lenses. Our hotel photography can be complemented with Wedding Venue UGC to show the event space in a different light tha our traditional hotel photography.

The Intersection of Hotel Photography and User Generated Content (UGC)

In today’s digital age, User Generated Content (UGC) has gained significant importance.

As hotel photographers, we’ve expanded our services to include a package of Hotel UGC short form videos, adding a dynamic layer to our content creation.

We understand the power of UGC in shaping customer perceptions and decisions, and we harness this potential to amplify the charm of the hotels we photograph.

We apply an equal measure of superior quality and service to both our traditional hotel photography and hotel User Generated Content (UGC). Our approach is distinct, as we curate our UGC photos and videos after each area of the hotel has been meticulously prepared for traditional hotel photography. This way, our UGC not only captures the authentic, raw moments that audiences connect with, but also maintains a level of sophistication and refinement that can only come from years of experience in the industry.

Our process of generating wedding venue UGC in the wake of traditional hotel photography ensures a sense of polished authenticity. The ambiance, aesthetics, and personality of the hotel are brought to life organically, yet with a sophisticated touch. The resulting content provides a richness and depth that is not easily achieved by beginners. It’s the little details, the artful composition, and the nuanced understanding of light and perspective that set our work apart, creating a perfect blend of professional quality and user-inspired content.

Our Tryst with Trilogy Hotel: An Upscale Gem in Montgomery

Recently, we had the opportunity to photograph the Trilogy Hotel, a distinctive property in Montgomery, Alabama. The hotel’s unique character, its connection with the city’s rich history, and its luxurious ambience struck a chord with us. We were inspired to combine Greg’s unique perspective as a former wedding photographer with our hotel content creation experience to create a package of Hotel UGC and Wedding Venue UGC videos and a detailed blog post about the Trilogy Hotel as a wedding destination.

Professional Hotel Photography for Trilogy Hotel – Autograph Collection by Marriott | Montgomery, AL

The Hotel and Wedding Venue UGC Experience at Trilogy Hotel

Photographing the Trilogy Hotel was more than just a job; it was a journey that led us to explore the property’s multifaceted personality. Our Hotel UGC package aimed to bring out the hotel’s potential primarily as a wedding destination through a series of short-form videos.

These videos were not just about showcasing the beauty of the hotel but capturing the essence of what it means to have a wedding at Trilogy – the personal touches, the extraordinary service, and the wonderful stories that unfold in its spaces.

Telling the Venue’s Story, Not Ours: The Essence of Wedding Venue UGC

The hotel ownership explained that their biggest marketing focus was on weddings and events so we created content designed for the to use for THEIR marketing – not just ours.

A vital aspect of Hotel User Generated Content (UGC) is its potential to weave the narrative of the venue, rather than focusing on the creator’s personal journey. This is especially critical when creating content for hotels or wedding venues. The spotlight needs to be on the space, its unique features, and the experiences it can offer its guests, rather than on the photographer or content creator.

To add real value to the hotel or venue, it’s essential to fully grasp their marketing needs and their unique selling proposition. These factors form the foundation for creating compelling content that encapsulates their story, rather than your own. Our approach is to delve into what makes each venue distinctive – its ambiance, service, design, or perhaps its history – and bring that to the forefront through our content.

Our recently created videos for the Trilogy Hotel illustrate this principle perfectly. We focused our lenses on the spaces – the grand ballroom, intimate lounges, luxurious suites, and beautiful courtyard – capturing the essence of what makes Trilogy an ideal wedding destination. By prioritizing the venue’s narrative over our personal story, we ensured that potential clients can visualize their dream wedding at Trilogy, rather than focusing on the creators behind the camera.

Elevating the Hotel’s Story: The Trilogy Hotel Blog Post

To complement our Hotel UGC package, we’ve also created a sponsored blog post dedicated to the Trilogy Hotel as a wedding destination. This long-form narrative dives deep into what makes Trilogy an ideal choice for couples planning their big day.

This blog post is not just about the hotel’s physical features, but the experience and emotions tied to hosting a wedding at the Trilogy. From the exquisite dining experience at Kinsmith and Waterworks to the historical charm of the Murphy House, we explore the many facets of the Trilogy Hotel that make it an extraordinary venue for a wedding.

The Bottom Line: Blending Experiences, Building Narratives

Our experience photographing the Trilogy Hotel was a harmonious blend of Greg’s background in upscale wedding photography and our extensive experience in hotel photography and Hotel UGC. This unique combination allowed us to not only capture the essence of the Trilogy Hotel but also to present it as a story that resonates with potential guests.

Look forward to our detailed blog post on the Trilogy Hotel as a wedding destination. We believe it will inspire you to consider this upscale gem for your special day or recommend it to someone planning theirs.

Our journey at the Trilogy Hotel reaffirmed our belief in the power of photography and storytelling to bring a space to life.

But more importantly, it confirmed our belief that combining traditional hotel photography with hotel UGC is the perfect blend our our skills and experiences.

We look forward to continuing our exploration into the world of hotel photography and UGC, uncovering unique stories

Virtual Groupie of the Rich & Famous-Amongst-Nerds

Artificial Intelligence, Ask Auntie Paige, Get to No University, Grown Up Ganja, Living The Dream, User Generated Content, Vision Quest Media

How My Journey Led Me to My First Million and the Voices That Resonate

As you can imagine, our business photographing hotels and residential healthcare was hit hard during the COVID era. We have traveled the country primarily photographing hotels since we got married. So staying home was a new experience.

AND WE LOVED IT!

We remodeled our house after two floods and because we weren’t traveling, we did the work ourselves. Yep, we learned how to do plumbing and drywall and electric. While we got the job done, we learned quickly that we don’t want to work with our hands.

So I did a thing last week.

I reached out about an opportunity that is literally made for me and I got a response. And now my mind is in a whirl…because this “thing” really could work out. But even if it doesn’t, it ignited a passion in me to test my own framework – Get to No University

What would it look like if after half a century of pursuing my dream, I finally have a chance to achieve it?

Pursuit of a New Chapter?

In the pursuit of a new chapter in life, I found myself diving into countless rabbit holes, exploring what I truly wanted beyond our current success as a niche hotel photographer. My husband and I have built a comfortable business that allows us to live our dream, but as circumstances evolved, so did our aspirations.

It’s a challenge to chase a new vision when you’re already living in a dream. When we tell people what we do, they often say “wow that’s a dream come true”. And it is. We have an amazing lifestyle. We are really good at what we do.

But what if there’s something even better out there? What if this is just one step on the journey rather than the final destination? These questions haunted me, pushing me to explore new ideas with the sole goal of getting paid for what I know instead of what I do.

Living in the Moment – Dreaming of the Future

After I turned 50, I came to a realization that time is both abundant and finite. While it may seem paradoxical, understanding that time exists solely in the present moment empowered me to evaluate my current circumstances.

I delved into the concept of mindfulness, grasping the essence of what is and what if, which I call “pragmatic positivity.” This mindset allowed me to learn from the past and dream about the future, but most importantly, it taught me the value of taking action in the present moment.

My journey down the rabbit holes helped me recognize that I have always had one dream. My deepest desire is to write a book called Get to No University: Revolutionize the Status Quo by Asking Why and Saying No.

Taking My Creativity Digital

I am tired of trading my time for money. I am tired of transactional work. I want create something sustainable where I can eventually become irrelevant and my body of work becomes a legacy. I redefined my job description on my social media as a Digital Creator. As a professional photography company, we create digital assets for our clients so we are indeed Digital Creators. But our creation requires us to travel and it requires us to get paid for our time.

The quest for understanding what this entailed led me down various paths—listening to podcasts, reading books, and exploring social media platforms. Among the multitude of voices, two figures stood out as my virtual mentors: Shaan Puri and Sam Parr.

Why Shaan Puri and Sam Parr?

These two hosts of the My First Million podcast resonated with me on a profound level. Rather than try to explain why I chose them as my virtual mentors, I asked ChatGPT to write an article about the 5 top takeaways from their experiences doing what I want to do.

Read the article here – The Titans of Entrepreneurial Wisdom: Sam Parr and Shaan Puri’s Journey to Success

They echoed my thoughts, answered questions in ways I would, and ignited memories that illustrated their points. Their authenticity, relatability, and willingness to share insights and personal stories made them the guiding voices I needed on my journey.

The biggest reason they resonate with me is that these two are focused on lifestyle more than accumulating more commas on a spreadsheet.

My First Million episode 457 “Can you get rich with a blue collar hustle?”

In an episode titled “Can you get rich with a blue collar hustle?” Sam Parr and Shaan Puri discussed various approaches to wealth creation. Sam emphasized that while it’s possible to achieve financial success with a blue-collar hustle, building wealth through digital startups is often easier due to lower capital requirements, location flexibility, and higher earning potential. Shaan, on the other hand, emphasized the importance of choosing a lifestyle aligned with personal values over accolades.

Ready to Stop Renting Out My Time

These conversations resonated with me, surrounded as I am by individuals who rent their time, such as hardworking farmers who by nature of their profession start from scratch every year.

Every year they must choose a crop for the year – soybeans or corn. Then they choose which company’s seeds to plant. And then they do everything they can to prepare and cultivate that field for maximum yield. But in all honesty, their ULTIMATE success or failure is largely based on factors out of their control.

I am reminded that our hotel photography business is no different than the farmers whose fields create the patchwork of our landscape. If we do a good job for our clients, we put ourselves out of business for a few years until they update their property. And on rare days like today when one of us is sick, our income stops coming in the minute we stop going out to take pictures.

Change My Monetization Method – Not My Life

My current conundrum is that I love the lifestyle we live. Our rule is we are not willing to give up the life we have created, simply to make a little more money so we can buy a little nicer jet ski or boat.

Because if you see my life, you’d realize that making an extra million dollars isn’t going to change it. Just upgrade the tools I use to live it.

I don’t want to change my life…I simply want to monetize it differently and be a part of something bigger than myself. Ultimately, I want Get to No University to be my main source of income because I am passionate in my belief that we can teach people empathy by storytelling. But the problem is, I don’t know how to create a newsletter. Or a YouTube following.

I have long known that if I could do anything, it would be create a weekly podcast and newsletter about Get to No University:Revolutionizing the Status Quo by Asking Why and Saying No.

Unveiling the Market’s Response

Shaan’s quote in this podcast episode, “If you fail at the internet, it’s because the market didn’t want what you had to offer,” struck a chord within me. I believe that I have something valuable to share with the world. But right now, the Get to No University Framework only exists in my mind. To determine if the market wants what I have to offer, I must immerse myself in testing and deconstructing my own framework, listen to those who have excelled in my desired field of newsletter/podcasting/writing, and learn from their experiences.

Virtual Groupie of the Rich & Famous-Amongst-Nerds

The My First Million podcast provides a safe space for me to learn because my mentors have no idea that they are mentoring me. I am basically one of many anonymous virtual groupies at this point.

After I make my first million digitally, I want to be on their show but for now, I’ll just walk the fine line between my role as Queen Groupie of the Virtual Groupies while trying not to look like Kathy Bates in Misery.

I know what I want to be when I grow up but I couldn’t explain why until I heard this quote from Shaan –

I think that having a big podcast is actually the best job in the world. And I’m obviously biased here, but I’ve also tried a bunch of things and this is the best.

If you have a big podcast, that means you’re famous, but you’re only famous amongst nerds, which is kind of the not annoying way to be famous. It’s like all the good parts of being famous without the bad. You also get rich, but you didn’t have to chase money.

You get to create content, but you’re not like the annoying 24 seven vlogger who’s got their phone out and ruins like their actual life, trying to create content for some audience.
Shaan Puri, Can You Get Rich with A Blue Collar Hustle? | My First Million Q&A (#457)

The Bottom Line: Create a Business or Curate a Story

My idea is not only to create a successful business but more importantly my goal is to curate a story. So if and when it eventually scales up, I don’t just have a thriving business, but an inspiring tale to tell, right from Day One. And if this rabbit hole is not the right one for me, then the lessons I learn finding that will end up being the real story.

Hopefully even a story that might be captivating enough to tell the audiences of the “My First Million” podcast and inspire someone to go curate their own story.

Elevating the Experience: A Fusion of Traditional Hotel Photography and UGC at Drury Plaza Hotel, Richmond, VA

Drury Approved Photography, Get to No University, Hotel Photography, Hotel UGC, Living The Dream, User Generated Content, Vision Quest Hospitality Photography, Vision Quest Media

Recently, we had the pleasure of photographing the beautiful Drury Plaza Hotel in Richmond, VA. Inspired by the evolving landscape of visual marketing, I decided to invite an aspiring travel content creator to join me on the shoot, capturing UGC-style videos that complemented our traditional hotel photography.

In this blog post, I will share my experience and highlight the harmonious relationship between traditional hotel photography and user-generated content (UGC). This fusion of two distinct approaches demonstrates the power of storytelling and offers a comprehensive visual marketing solution, inspiring the birth of our agency, Vision Quest Media.

The Synergy of Traditional Hotel Photography and UGC:

Traditional hotel photography focuses on capturing the overall ambiance, design, and logistical elements of a property. It showcases the rooms, amenities, and facilities, providing potential guests with a comprehensive overview. On the other hand, UGC offers a more authentic and experiential perspective, telling the story of the guest’s journey and the emotions they experienced during their stay. While these two approaches may seem distinct, they complement each other to create a powerful visual narrative.

The Benefits of Fusion: Overview and Experience

By integrating traditional hotel photography with UGC-style content, we create a harmonious blend that covers both the overview and the experience. The traditional photography highlights the hotel’s features, allowing potential guests to envision themselves in the space. Meanwhile, UGC-style videos capture the moments, interactions, and emotions that make the guest experience truly memorable. Together, they provide a comprehensive representation of the property, enticing travelers with a visually rich and authentic portrayal.

Introducing Vision Quest Media: Curated Content Safaris

Recognizing the value and impact of this fusion, we founded Vision Quest Media—an agency designed to meet the visual marketing needs of hotels and resorts. Our curated content safaris bring together professional photographers and content creators, seamlessly integrating traditional hotel photography with UGC-style storytelling. This collaborative approach ensures that every aspect of the property is beautifully captured, captivating potential guests and inspiring them to embark on their own extraordinary experiences.

Conclusion: Inspiring Visual Narratives for Hospitality

The experience of photographing the Drury Plaza Hotel in Richmond, VA, alongside an aspiring travel content creator, showcased the symbiotic relationship between traditional hotel photography and UGC-style content. Together, they present a comprehensive visual narrative that entices and engages potential guests. This realization led to the creation of Vision Quest Media—an agency dedicated to curating extraordinary visual experiences for hotels and resorts. By embracing the fusion of traditional and UGC-style content, we empower properties to captivate and inspire their target audience, ultimately elevating their brand and driving success in the competitive world of hospitality marketing.

Experienced Hotel Photographer plus Experienced General Manager = Seamless Hotel Photo Shoot

Holiday Inn Express Approved Photography, Hotel Photography, IHG Approved Photography, User Generated Content, Vision Quest Hospitality Photography, Vision Quest Media

We recently conducted a hotel photo shoot at theHoliday Inn Express Kenner – New Orleans Airport, and were thoroughly impressed with their exceptional preparation. The property was impeccably presented, with every detail carefully attended to. The experienced General Manager played a pivotal role in guiding the process, showcasing their deep understanding of the hospitality industry and ensuring a seamless experience. From the welcoming lobby to the well-appointed guest rooms, the attention to detail was evident, creating a visually appealing backdrop for our images. We highly recommend the Holiday Inn Express Kenner as a remarkable location for a photoshoot or a comfortable stay in the vibrant city of Kenner, LA.

Thanks to the team at the hotel for making this an incredible hotel photo shoot!

IHG Approved Hotel Photography for Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Kenner, LA

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How to Build Your Hotel UGC Portfolio from Scratch: Show, Don’t Tell

Ask Auntie Paige, Get to No University, Grown Up Ganja, Hilton Approved Photography, Hotel Photography, Hotel UGC, Living The Dream, User Generated Content, Vision Quest Hospitality Photography, Vision Quest Media

As an aspiring hotel content creator, building a portfolio from scratch can be challenging. However, it’s important to take a slow and steady approach, rather than relying on unrealistic expectations set by mood boards.

The Perfect Hotel UGC Pitch?
Don’t Set Unrealistic Expectations: Sharing Mood Boards vs. Showing Actual Work
Showing “What Is?” Vs. Asking “What If?’ Ensures Authenticity
- Offering Your Hotel UGC: Using Pixieset or Dropbox to Offer Licensing or Purchase Options
- Moving on from a potential customer – Get to “No” quickly and don’t take it personally
Why It Matters: Relationships are easier to maintain than to build
Hilton Approved Hotel Photography for tru by Hilton – Raleigh Garner

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes

The Perfect Hotel UGC Pitch?

The perfect pitch is one that gets opened and begins a dialogue. One of my coaching clients recently used this process to approach a hotel where she will be staying as a guest. Instead of sending a long outreach email, we edited her initial contact down to a short and sweet message that shared the key details:

She’s coming to visit the hotel as a guest.
She’s a professional photographer and content creator.
She’s going to take photos for her portfolio and would like to offer them to the hotel for licensing or purchase.

By focusing on her status as a guest, she automatically received a warm welcome but they didn’t pick up on her offer for a collaboration…yet.

The hotel didn’t know her or her work yet, so showing them her portfolio, samples or a “mood board” wasn’t the best option to get their attention. She is going to be a guest at the hotel with or without a collaboration. Instead of being disappointed that they didn’t offer a collaboration, she will go to the hotel and create amazing content and then send it to them watermarked with an option to license.

A mood board is a visual tool that is commonly used by designers, artists, and content creators to convey the look and feel of a concept or project. It typically consists of a collage of images, color palettes, and textures that represent the intended mood or aesthetic. Mood boards can be helpful for communicating ideas and inspiration, but they can also create unrealistic expectations if the final product doesn’t match the images on the board.

My client is a very talented photographer and can send the hotel a mood board of her actual work that she creates while she’s a guest. This way they get an accurate representation of the type of work that she can create for them.

Showing “What Is?” Vs. Asking “What If?’ Ensures Authenticity

Mood boards tend to set unrealistic expectations for the quality of work the hotel will receive. If your work isn’t equivalent or better than what you show on a mood board, you risk disappointing the hotel and even risking a charge back if what you deliver isn’t up to par. Instead of relying on mood boards, it’s better to show hotels what you can do for them by presenting them with YOUR actual photos.

Yes, we can all search Pinterest and find breathtaking shots of exotic destinations, but what you don’t realize is how long it takes to capture a picture of an actual unicorn.

It’s easier to sell a picture of a unicorn than the idea of one.

It’s much easier to sell something you’ve already created, rather than selling an idea of what you might be able to deliver. She’s already going to be a guest for an event and if she sees a unicorn, she can take a photo of it.

My coaching client is an excellent photographer and a fantastic UGC creator. The content she will create will be fantastic. It’s just a question of whether the hotel is interested in paying to license or use what she creates.

Offering Your Hotel UGC: Using Pixieset or Dropbox to Offer Licensing or Purchase Options

Once she has a collection of photos and videos that she is proud of, she can send the hotel a Pixieset or watermarked Dropbox link of her images. This gives them the opportunity to see your work and license the photos if they don’t want to pay upfront for a sponsored shoot or hotel collaboration. It’s a win-win situation for both parties, as the hotel gets high-quality images to use for their marketing, and you get to add more work to your portfolio.

One caveat – The only way I would consider using a mood board in outreach to a hotel or resort is if you have work that is similar in aesthetic but that isn’t necessarily hospitality-related. For example, if my coaching client has UGC product photography samples that have a similar vibe to the hotel, she could show her sample next to a photo from the hotel’s website or social media.

Moving on from a potential customer – Get to “No” quickly and don’t take it personally

Remember, the goal is to get to “no” in sales as quickly as possible, so you can move on to an actual potential customer. Don’t take it personally if a hotel says no; it’s just not the right fit. Keep in mind that just because they say no now doesn’t mean they won’t be interested in the future. Make sure to follow up and stay in touch.

The slow and steady authentic building process is key. Focus on building relationships with hotels by underpromising and over-delivering. Start small with your ask, even if the only ask is for a direct email to send the photos or content to after the visit. Be sure to watermark your images and make it clear that you’re offering to license rather than just sharing for exposure.

The Bottom Line:

Remember to start small with your ask and watermark your images, and don’t be discouraged if a hotel is not interested in your offer. Keep building your portfolio and stay in touch for future opportunities.

The great thing about this approach is that your worst case scenario is that you create content for your hospitality UGC portfolio and make amazing memories with your friends and family. The best case scenario is that you create licensing-worthy content that the hotel is excited to purchase and utilize and you create a relationship for ongoing collaboration opportunities. This works especially well for businesses in your area where you can create retainer or ongoing collaborations.

By focusing on being their guest first, you have the opportunity to build relationships and showcase your work in a respectful and professional manner.

Why It Matters: Relationships are easier to maintain than to build

We have long established relationship with our clients and they trust us with all of their hotel photography needs. Not because we are the greatest hotel photographers (we aren’t) but because we deliver quality, value, and consistency.

One such company is Crown Hotel and Travel Management in Wilmington, NC. We have photographed 17 hotels for them and continue our partnership as their sole hotel photographer.

Here’s a recent shoot we did for them…

Hilton Approved Hotel Photography for tru by Hilton – Raleigh Garner

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The Art of Choosing Hotels with Bad Photos: A Hotel Photographer’s Perspective

Hotel Photography, Hotel UGC, IHG Approved Photography, User Generated Content, Vision Quest Hospitality Photography, Vision Quest Media

When it comes to choosing a hotel room for our travels, many of us turn to the hotel’s website for guidance. We scroll through the photos of the various room types and amenities, hoping to get a sense of what our stay will be like.

But what if I told you that my criteria for choosing a hotel is actually based on the hotel with the worst photos or even stock photos?

The Art of Choosing Hotels with Bad Photos

Why We Choose Hotels with the Worst Photos: The Logic Behind It
- Reading Between the Lines: How Hotel Brand Standards can Reveal the Truth
- The Bottom Line: Warm Welcome beats Cold Call
When Our Warm Cold Calls Turn into Referrals: The Story of a Successful Hotel Photo Shoot

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

Why We Choose Hotels with the Worst Photos: The Logic Behind It

As professional hotel photographers, we know that bad photos can actually be a good thing for us. They often mean that the hotel is coming due for a renovation, or that they are losing money due to photos that don’t represent the actual location. On the flip side, stock photos usually mean that a hotel is either new or recently renovated. Either way , if reviews are good, I always choose the one with the worst photos!

Hotel brand standards require uniformity across all of their properties. Old photos mean that even if the rooms haven’t been updated, the linens must be. If I see a hotel that has old linens that are more than two or three iterations old, then I know that they will have been required to update the rooms, even if the rest of the hotel hasn’t been updated.

When that happens, they’re out of compliance with the hotel’s marketing standards, and that’s usually a hint to me that they’ll be required, within not too long, to update their photos, even if they’re not having a new renovation. It can also mean the hotel is or was in in distress and might have new ownership.

As hotel photographers for more than a decade, it’s our job to understand these nuances and use them to our advantage in getting more business.

Reading Between the Lines: How Hotel Brand Standards can Reveal the Truth

As guests vs. vendors, we are treated with a level of respect and attention that we might not receive as a cold call walking into a hotel. This gives us the perfect opportunity to experience the hotel and its amenities while also getting a sense of how it feels to stay there. We can take note of the small details that may not be captured in website photos, such as the staff’s level of service and the cleanliness of the rooms.

‘A picture tells a thousand words’ is especially true for us after photographing more than a thousand hotels for more than 50 brands. We are familiar with most brand standards and even wrote the hotel photography standards for several hotel brands! That’s to say we know when an owner is cutting corners!

When staying in a hotel as a guest, we not only get to experience the accommodations firsthand but also get a glimpse into what it would be like to work with the hotel ownership. If we notice that the hotel has a lot of deferred maintenance and unhappy staff, we have learned that it probably means the experience working with them as a hotel content creator or UGC creator would mirror that.

On the other hand, if we see that the hotel is well-maintained, and the staff is friendly and accommodating, it’s an excellent indication that they prioritize guest satisfaction and would likely be open to collaborations and partnerships.

The Bottom Line: Warm Welcome beats Cold Call

In addition to taking photos, creating a blog or social media account specifically for hotel content can be a great way to showcase your work and build a following. By consistently sharing high-quality photos and honest reviews, you can establish yourself as a trusted source for hotel recommendations and insights. Remember evergreen content such as YouTube videos and blog posts can generate traffic indefinitely.

Overall, visiting hotels as a guest or for a quick photo shoot can be a great way to build your portfolio and potentially open up new opportunities in the hospitality industry. Just remember to be respectful, follow the hotel’s policies, and give AND get credit where credit is due.

When Our Warm Cold Calls Turn into Referrals: The Story of a Successful Hotel Photo Shoot

This unconventional approach led us to one hotel in Roanoke, VA in the middle of the night, which took us a little bit out of our way but turned out to be a fantastic new hotel. Despite the unimpressive stock photos on their website, we were not surprised to find that the hotel was brand new and in pristine condition…and almost ready for photos!

During our quick stay, we introduced ourselves and left our card. On the way out of the parking lot, I emailed a thank you to the manager who forwarded it to the owner. Not only did we photograph that hotel, the owner has referred me to her peers and we recently photographed a sister property.

Sometimes, the worst photos can lead to the best experiences. This was certainly the case with both of these hotels. Thanks to the team at Holiday Inn Express and Suites Largo, MD for a great hotel photo shoot!