Photo shoots of riads and hotels have to be some of my most favorite. Being a rather introverted and highly sensitive person, I find so much peace and joy in photographing the interiors and capturing the ambience of the most amazing boutique riads and hotels in Marrakech (or elsewhere in Morocco). That special light, curtains fluttering in the wind, the sounds of birds and rippling water from a fountain or pool. Not to mention the often subtle smells of orange blossom, jasmine or the famous Arabic oud. I think it’s pure bliss being able to do what I love most (photography) within these enchanting environments.

Rooftop with view of the Straight of Gibraltar (Tanger) at Villa Augustine by Willem Smit

One of the four bedrooms in Villa Augustine by Willem Smit

Describing it like this you’d almost forget it still is actual work at the end of the day. Let me not go overboard with romanticizing it only, because at the end of these shoots I do feel physically exhausted and get sweaty from walking up and down countless staircases, dragging around heavy equipment and often putting myself in the most awkward and uncomfortable positions in order to get the right shots. Waking up with sore muscles the next day is a real thing! Hands up if you’re a photographer who recognizes this. But still, it won’t bother me as I absolutely love working my way through these serene oases and notice something new every time I scan my eyes through the spaces.

I guess it’s a win-win situation. I truly enjoy the process of creating this type of content and at the same time the results of these photo shoots are great for riad and hotel owners as well. If you happen to be one, keep reading to learn more about how this type of photo shoot works and what benefits it could bring you.

Sunny morning with a rooftop breakfast set up at Riad Keltoum.

How does this type of photo shoot work?

Before the actual photo shoot I always make sure to do a pre-shoot location visit. This way the client and I can get to know each other in person, they can show me around their riad, share interesting details about the riad that they’d like to highlight in the photos and ask me questions they still might have. For me it is also great to learn more about the riads background story, check the spaces and light and already start imagining certain angles and sceneries that would be great to capture.

On the day of the photo shoot the most important is that the riad looks the exact way you love it most and like it to be represented. Prepare all of the spaces, rooms and details as if guests would arrive. If you’d like to have some photos taken of the breakfast you’ll serve (something I highly recommend), then it’s great to prepare a cosy breakfast set up in the courtyard or at the rooftop. We always try to place ourselves in the guests experience and imagine what they would absolutely love about the riad. It is that feeling that creates the basis for me to capture through my eyes and lens.

Indoor swimming pool corner at the first floor of Riad La Lumière d’Étoile.

Lounge corner with a very inviting hammock on a warm summer afternoon at Riad La Lumière d’Étoile

Depending on the structure of the guesthouse and the season, I usually start with photographing the rooftop and courtyard while the sun is not yet at its brightest. This way I can (as much as possible) prevent from super harsh contrasts, light and shades. Afterwards, I continue with the rooms which often need that extra sun light coming through or reflecting. At the end I’ll pass through all of the spaces once more to see if any interesting new light or shadow play happened to capture some variety in light and ambience. This is also the point where I focus on smaller details and close up shots.

May it be requested, I can additionally take some photos of the street where the riad is located and / or the staff that will welcome and take care of the guests. This can also be done in a more discrete way in case staff member might not be comfortable with appearing in photos. You can think of close up or profile shots of someone poring a glass of tea, serving breakfast, etc. It brings a bit of extra life to the images (which the audience loves a lot) without invading someone’s privacy. If you’re in need of any other specifics such as a banner shot for your website, then that is also possible.

What happens after the photo shoot is done?

On an average I need about 2 weeks to finalize the post processing work. This includes going through all of the files, culling out anything that is not usable (because not each click makes a good photo) and selecting of all the images that I consider to be good and great. These will be uploaded into an online gallery from which you can pick a selected number of your favorites. These favorites will be professionally edited and send to you in both high and lower resolution; high resolution for social media usage and lower resolution for website usage. This way you won’t have to worry about long upload time or file size issues. It’s already been taken care of! Within the first days I will send a few little previews for you to see what I’m working on and to provide me from any feedback you might have.

Once everything is ready and send out, you can enjoy sharing the images on your social media, your website and / or booking websites. I will always make sure to share some photos and information about the riad in stories on my Instagram account as well. As I often receive many questions about accommodations in Marrakech, I’ll be happy to share your riad with my followers.

One of the many tastefully designed bedrooms in Riad 72

Share the beauty of your unique piece of paradise!

I truly belief that professional interior and ambience photos have a huge positive impact on visibility, ranking and bookings. In a society that is ever hungry for content and constantly exposed to imagery, people tend to make their choices based on first impressions. High quality and aesthetically pleasing images attract and stand out. These are the images that get the first and most clicks by potential guests looking for a more high end place to stay. Of course, people will still read customer reviews and scores. They want to know about actual experiences of other guests as well. But thinking that it is the only thing people take into consideration is an out dated point of view. Visualization matters.

I’ve seen Instagram accounts from my clients growing after they started posting the photos and created a structured, coherent feed. The attention has helped their accounts stand out on booking websites and pop up earlier which lead to more reservations. Do not underestimate the energy behind proudly sharing the hospitality project which you worked so hard on. It is an investment will pay you back.

In case you’re not very familiar with how Instagram works or if you simply don’t have the time for it, there is the option to discuss a combination of both photography and Instagram services: smaller photo shoots on (for example) a monthly basis together with me taking care of posting the images for you on your Instagram.

If you’ve become enthusiastic about the idea of having your guesthouse or hotel captured by me, then feel free to reach out to me through the contact page. I will be more than happy to send you all the details and answer any questions you might have.

To see more of my photography work, just check out the portfolio here on my website.

Love,

Leonie