Everything You Need to Know to Get Your First Hotel Photography Assignment

One of the questions I get asked the most is how to earn a living from working with hotels. How can you turn a collaboration into a paid gig? How can you stay at your dream hotel and get paid in the process? Below I share an introduction into how to make money whilst working with hotels, and how you can provide the most value when reaching out for your first paid commission. Of course this also relates to many other creative fields and types of photography job, so I hope you find it useful!

Why Hotels?

When I left my London design job in 2019 and decided to move to Japan, I knew I wanted to evolve my creative career and take my photography – a hobby at the time – to the next level. I quickly realised that the ideal mix of my two interests of travel and architecture combined when it came to hotels. I then spent the next 4 years working my way up and down the country, seeking out the most unique design hotels and turning this passion into what now forms the majority of my income.

Since those early days, I have built a client portfolio photographing hotels and resorts for the likes of Aman, Hoshinoya, The Ritz-Carlton and Design Hotels, as well as magazines and tourism boards including Condé Nast Traveller, Japan National Tourism Agency and Wallpaper Magazine.

What is Hotel Photography?

1. The Personal Trip

This is the best place to get started, and something I highly recommend when wanting to build a hotel photography portfolio. Take your camera with you on your next holiday and try to get some shots along the way, maybe even ask for a room upgrade or to see some different room types while you are there.

2. The Comp Stay

The next best thing when it comes to working with hotels is the comp (or complimentary) stay – also commonly referred to as a collaboration or barter stay. This is where you will essentially trade your images for nights at a hotel, and it allows you to get more access than you would as a regular guest, and you are able to provide value to the hotel in return. Most barters are for between 1-3 nights at a time, depending on the hotel’s needs.

Pro tip: When offering your images in return for a hotel stay, be sure to keep strict rules on how your images are used. For example, I only allow brands to use the images on social media, and if they require additional usage there is a fee involved.

3. The Commission

We all want to be paid for our work (and rightly so!). Working on commissioned projects for hotels comes with its own set of constraints and more of a brief to work to. There will often be a lot of time and money spent in the background, making sure there are certain experiences or services set up perfectly, and you will likely have a brand representative with you throughout your stay. That being said, these paid projects get you complete access, and this is always when I create my best work.

As time goes on, you will hopefully be able to work from personal trips into comp stays and finally to commissioned work. Of course, at the moment I still do all three of these, but my ratio is probably around 85% commissioned, 10% comp stay and 5% personal.

How to Get Your First Hotel Photography Client?

Now you know the nuts and bolts of different types of photoshoots when it comes to hotels, here are some of my tried and tested ways to get that first paid project:

1. Provide Value

Ask yourself why you want to work with a particular brand and also why they should work with you. Finding hotels within your niche (e.g. eco-resorts, city, remote, modern, traditional) will make sure you have the best chances.

2. Build Your Portfolio

You don’t need commissioned work or lots of Instagram followers for this. Take your camera on your next personal trip, pay for some local hotel stays and ask for a cheeky upgrade here and there. Investing in yourself goes a long way!

3. Have a Media Kit

When pitching, nothing beats a well-thought-out, personalised PDF that you can email to potential new clients. These can be created easily using completely free tools like Canva or Keynote on Mac. A general media kit would include a short introduction to yourself and your work (ideally customised for the recipient), 10-15 pages of your absolute best work, followed by any other references of published work, written articles, clients you have worked with etc. Think of it as a creative CV, but make sure to keep it relevant and only include your very best work.

4. Beware Working for Free

Everyone wants to stay in nice hotels and collab stays are a great way to get your foot in the door but beware when these free stays turn into demanding shot lists and deliverables. As I mentioned above, communication in advance is key and making sure you and your client know how and where the images can be used.

5. Be Professional

A thoughtful and personal introduction to a specific person is always better than sending a generic DM. And a personal contact can be worth its weight in gold further down the line. I use websites like LinkedIn or findthatlead.com to search for specific names and job titles – you are usually looking for someone from a marketing or PR department to have the best chances.

6. Be Knowledgable

When reaching out to any potential client, be sure to show your passion for the brand, design or location. Pay them a compliment, show work that relates to their brand or show your expertise in a particular destination.

7. Pitch Yourself

The biggest mistake for new creators is they think clients will come directly to them. At the start, you have to get your name out there and go direct! Sure, you will get some rejections, or no replies at all (it happens to the best of us!), but keep at it and when it works out it will be so rewarding.

8. Negotiate

Remember that your work as a photographer or content creator has incredible value. Don’t be afraid to ask for the full package when it comes to hotels and resorts, whether that be additional fees, licencing, off-site experiences, meals, spa treatments etc! A key thing to remember is that you are a guest, not an employee, and you should be treated accordingly.

I hope you found this useful! As with any of these resource guides, I am writing from my own personal experience, and every situation tends to be slightly different. I will be writing more blogs soon about topics like this so please let me know if you find it helpful and let me know if you put any of these points into action!

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