Focusing on the gear for a hotel shoot

I once heard that the photographer's best assistant is the tape. Then I heard it was the tripod. I guess for now, it is in the bags and carrying cases. I have all of my photography equipment in carrying cases with wheels. That is definitely my best assistant. And not only for me, but for my assistant's health too! Rolling cases are what I think every photographer should have. All the weight goes on the wheels, not on your back. Not only your back will thank but also your assistant. I single handed took these two cases on a trip to Cancun and The Bahamas for various hotel and real estate shoots. The wheels made it so much easier to move around! Since I was traveling alone and could not carry any more bags, I had all of my clothes in the Pelican hard case along with 2 monolights. Some photographers make excellent use of photographic vests witch actually can carry many more photo equipment. And, since it is a wearable item, it is not consider as luggage by the airlines (nice tip).

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My two only carry ons: a Think Tank bag for my cameras and lenses and my Pelican hard case for the light, stands, tripod, extension, etc. The Think Tank is a airplane regulated size so it goes with me on the plane (in cabin), the hard case goes down below.

Real Estate celebra a la grande en Santo Domingo con Campagna Ricart & Asociados

Recibí de Dino Campagna Ricart y Asociados una invitación para celebrar sus 20 años de arduo y continuo trabajo. Como colaborador en materia de fotografías de alto nivel para la compañia, tuve la grata sorpresa de recibir de ellos la invitación con un libro con muchas de mis fotos. 

Estoy más que contento, honrado en poder participar en tan exquisito libro  y, como podrán ver, compartir en la actividad la cual estuvo llena de clientes, amigos y colaboradores. Gracias Dino y Alexandra por tenerme en cuenta.

Favor comentar abajo o dirigirse a mi página www.thiagodacunhaphotography.com para ver más de la fotografía arquitectónica, real estate y luxury homes en la República Dominicana.

Cheers,

Thiago

Hospitality Mag by hotel photographer Thiago da Cunha

Every week I take time to gather all new and relevant news about the hospitality industry at large. I try to divide the articles in hotel trends, new hotels, resorts, luxury hotels, travel, cruising industry, restaurants, etc., etc.

Because I'm a hotel and hospitality photographer, I take great care of the imagery in the magazine. Always when possible, the images have to create certain impact and help the text come to live.

Great photography sells in all industries. Its part of the brand, the company.

Please take a look at the "Hospitality Mag" by hotel photographer Thiago da Cunha here

https://flipboard.com/section/hospitality-mag-by-www.thiagodacunhaphotography.com-bygTd4

Interior photographer and hospitality photographer, what is the difference?

I sometimes get so confused about given names to photographers. I started out to call my hospitality work as "hotel photography" or "hotel photographer". Witch I still don't know if it is right or not. I mean, some people might think that a hotel photographer is the guy on the beach taking photos of the tourists for souvenirs (a great business in resorts around the world). And that I'm not. At least not any more but I did started that way.

  On a call with friend Selina Maitreya (from http://www.selinamaitreya.com/) back when I had the live radio show about photography here in the Dominican Republic, she asked me what was the one thing that I most loved doing in photography. I replied "hotel photography". She than corrected me.  "Hospitality" is the word she used in order for people to understand what is it I photography. So now I say I photography the hospitality industry.

But, to photography the hospitality industry, hotels or resorts, I also have to know many other kinds of photography. Yes. Think about it. I have to know aerial photography because it is a must to photography the hotel's premises (buildings, golf courses, pools, beaches, etc.) from above.

I also have to know  "interior photography". In the hospitality industry, I have to photograph the rooms, restaurants, spas, convention centers, gyms, etc. These are all know as interior photography work. Witch, by the way, is where I get confused with "architectural photography" and "interior photography". Both are basically the same except the interior I suppose is just for interiors. But, "architectural photography" to me can too be "interior photography".

Next comes food photography. I often have to photography food for not only the hotels, but also for the resorts and restaurants.  

And finally comes the "real estate photography" or my personal one, "luxury homes photography". This too is such a big part of my photography in the hospitality industry. Many hotels and resorts offer or sell part off their rooms, houses or villas. All of witch have to be photographed in a very particular and professional way in order to "sell". Using the images of a professional real estate photographer makes the work of the seller much more easier.

So, I only understand that in order to do the hospitality industry photography  well, I also have to do the interior photography well. And the food. And the aerial. And the real estate. And the luxury homes.

I would love to know from other points of view on this matter. Please leave a comment if you think  it can contribute to the subject matter.

Thiago

Santo Domingo hotel photographer Thiago da Cunha

I have done some amazing hotel photography in Punta Cana, Cap Cana, Santo  Domingo, Playa del Carmen in Mexico and The Bahamas (Abaco and Great Exuma).  

Being involved in all things photography around the hospitality industry is really my goal as far as my photography work is consern.  Some of the hotels I have had the pleasure to photography in Santo Domingo are The Hilton Hotel (http://www.hiltonsantodomingohotel.com/?WT.srch=1), The Barceló Santo Domingo (http://www.barcelo.com/BarceloHotels/es_ES/hoteles/Republica-Dominicana/Santo-Domingo/hoteles-santo-domingo.aspx?ext=DO_SEM_GOB_D25), and The Dominican Fiesta Hotel Santo Domingo (http://www.dominicanfiestahotelcasino.com/).

With this kind of work also comes the interior photography for real estate in Santo Domingo, Bávaro, Cap Cana and Punta Cana. Photographing villas for rent and real estate is another specialty that took me to The Bahamas. Photography breathtaking views of transparent sea blue water might seem glamorous and easy but it actually is a difficult task to achieve in photography. First you have to consider the right time of the day to do this, quiet a challenge specially if you have more than one villa to photography on the same day. Then comes the decision of what technique  is going to be used to photography each villa. Later, of course, in post, comes all the work your client doesn't see you do but should be notified accordingly as part of an interior hotel photographer in Santo Domingo.

SPANISH

Fotógrafo de hoteles y villas en Santo Domingo Thiago da Cunha

Lo bueno de saber 4 idiomas y trabajar en la hotelería como fotógrafo al mismo tiempo es una ventaja que tengo. 

Como fotógrafo de hoteles en Santo Domingo, Bávaro, Cap Cana y Punta Cana, he tenido la oportunidad de fotografiar una buena cantidad de hoteles no sólo aqui en Santo Domingo sino también en Playa del Carmen en México y en Las Bahamas, particularmente en las islas de Abaco y Gran Exuma. 

Fotografiar hoteles me llevó a que me pidieran también fotografiar espacios de interiores para real estate. La fotografía de interiores en Santo Domingo es muy interesante ya que hay diseñadores emergentes y nuevos con ideas impecables.  

Para ser un fotógrafo de villas en Punta Cana, Cap Cana y Santo Domingo lleva muchos años de conocer no solo el mercado, sino también de técnicas fotográficas y de post- producción.  Es aqui, en la post-producción, donde el cliente paga pero no "ve" lo que el fotógrafo esta haciendo. Pero, sin lugar a dudas, tiene que ser conocido por el cliente que aveces es esta hasta más de un 50% del trabajo a realizar.

El fotógrafo Thiago da Cunha conversa con Hilda Pellerano sobre la fotografía de música.

Real Estate Photography in The Bahamas

Since I specialize in hotel photography and in high end luxury vacation homes, my work took me to The Bahamas this time around. I live in the Caribbean, The Bahamas is just a jump away. 

I used to live in Freeport for about a year in 1993 so Bahamas wasn't a new place for me. This time my photography in real estate took me to Abaco and Great Exuma, two beautiful islands of The Bahamas. In Abaco, I had to photography 4 luxury homes and 1 in Great Exuma.

Even though I live in the Caribbean and photography many villas and homes in Punta Cana (as well as weddings in Punta Cana), I am still amazed of how clear Caribbean water can be!

Here are some images I made of those days in The Bahamas.   I will also talk of the "blue holes" The Bahamas has witch are quiet impressive to see on a later blog post. Please comment and take a look a my interviews in youtube.com .