How I Photographed a Luxury Hotel Campaign in Tokyo | Behind the Scenes

The Challenge of High-End Hotel Photography

📍 Location: Tokyo, Japan
🏨 Client: Intercontinental Hotels
📅 Project Length: 2 Weeks
🎥 Type of Shoot: Hotel interiors, lifestyle, food & beverage, and architectural photography

When Intercontinental Hotels Tokyo contacted me for a full-image library refresh, I knew this was going to be a massive production. This wasn’t just a quick shoot—this was a 14-day commercial photography project requiring months of planning and a team of professionals to pull off.

The goal? Create a stunning new visual identity that matched their multi-million dollar renovation, featuring everything from guest rooms, restaurants, bars, meeting spaces, and luxury suites to lifestyle moments with models that would bring the brand’s vision to life.

I want to take you behind the scenes of how I tackled this major commercial project, including:

✔️ My full gear setup & why I used Sony over Leica
✔️ Pre-production planning & the importance of location scouting
✔️ Shooting techniques for hotels & dealing with limited time
✔️ Lighting strategies for interiors & lifestyle shots
✔️ Post-production workflow & final image delivery

Let’s dive in.

Planning & Pre-Production: The Backbone of a Commercial Shoot

A shoot of this scale doesn’t happen overnight. Pre-production took several months and involved coordination between multiple teams—including hotel executives, marketing teams, stylists, and my own production crew.

1. Understanding the Client’s Needs

Before I even picked up my camera, I spent time meeting with the hotel’s marketing team to understand their brand identity and visual goals.

They wanted:
Crisp, modern interiors showcasing the renovation
Lifestyle shots with a young couple & child (their target demographic)
Architectural compositions emphasizing the hotel’s luxury aesthetic
Food & beverage photography highlighting their world-class restaurants

2. Casting & Styling

Since we handled casting, wardrobe, and props, we traveled from Hanoi with suitcases full of clothing for different seasons and occasions. From dining outfits to poolside casual wear, every detail mattered.

💡 Pro Tip: In commercial photography, wardrobe and styling should always align with the brand’s messaging. Luxury hotels want aspirational imagery, meaning clothing should be high-end but relatable to their audience.

3. Location Scouting & Logistics

With hotel photography, scouting is crucial. You’re often working in active businesses with guests, staff, and unpredictable lighting conditions.

🔍 Key things we checked during scouting:
✔️ Which rooms had the best natural light
✔️ How sunlight affected different areas throughout the day
✔️ Backup locations in case of last-minute changes

Gear Breakdown: Why I Used Sony for This Shoot

Although I’m a Leica photographer for personal work, I needed a fast, adaptable setup for this large-scale job. Sony was the best choice for this project because:

✔️ Fast Autofocus & High Megapixel Count – I used the Sony A7R5 for its 61MP sensor, perfect for large prints & detailed interior shots.
✔️ Versatile Lens Selection – I brought a mix of Sony, Sigma, and Zeiss lenses for everything from ultra-wide interiors to tight lifestyle portraits.
✔️ Hybrid Capabilities – This shoot involved both stills and video, and Sony’s mirrorless system is built for that workflow.

My Full Kit:

📸 Camera Bodies:

• Sony A7R4 (upgraded mid-shoot to the A7R5)

🔍 Lenses Used:

• Sony 14mm – For wide interiors (with some distortion)

• Sony 20mm & 24mm – My go-to room shot lenses

• Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 – Versatile zoom lens for quick changes

• Sigma 70-200mm – Great for compressing large spaces

• Sony Zeiss 50mm 1.4 – My favorite for lifestyle shots

• Sigma 85mm 1.4 – Excellent for portraits and intimate scenes

💡 Lesson: Luxury hotel photography requires flexibility. You need primes for sharpness, but zooms for quick adjustments.

Shooting Challenges: How to Adapt on the Fly

1. Working in a Fully Operational Hotel

Unlike a studio, I couldn’t control every aspect of the environment. Guests were present, meaning we had to work around check-in times, housekeeping schedules, and fully booked suites.

💡 Solution: We pre-planned every shot with the hotel team and had backup times scheduled in case a room wasn’t available.

2. Maximizing Natural & Artificial Light

Hotels are notoriously tricky for lighting—some areas are dark, and others have harsh artificial light.

💡 My Strategy:
✔️ Used window light whenever possible for a soft, natural look
✔️ Brought a 500W Nanlite to simulate sunlight when needed
✔️ Used composite lighting for interior shots (blending multiple exposures in post)

Post-Production & Final Image Delivery

Once the shoot wrapped, the real work began: selecting, editing, and retouching over 500+ images.

1. Image Selection & Initial Processing

📌 First Round: We delivered a rough batch for the client to select from.
📌 Final Round: We edited and retouched the selected images, removing distractions (like smoke detectors) and fine-tuning color balance.

2. Compositing for the Perfect Shot

For room shots, we often merged multiple exposures to create the best possible image. For example:
✅ One exposure for the interior
✅ One exposure for the view outside the window
✅ Blended together for a clean final image

3. Lifestyle Shot Editing

For model images, I focused on:
✔️ Subtle color grading for warmth and elegance
✔️ Skin retouching (natural, not overdone)
✔️ Fine detail enhancements for a polished look

Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways

🎯 Hotel photography is about storytelling. You’re not just taking pictures—you’re capturing the experience.

📌 Tips for Photographers Looking to Break Into Commercial Work:
✔️ Understand the client’s brand & goals before shooting
✔️ Plan every detail but leave room for spontaneity
✔️ Use a mix of natural & artificial light to enhance spaces
✔️ Have a post-production workflow that includes compositing
✔️ Always deliver more than expected—it can lead to future work!

🚀 Want to improve your commercial photography?
📍 Check out my 1:1 coaching & workshops at AskMott.com
📍 See my full commercial portfolio at Mott Visuals

Hope you found this behind-the-scenes look at hotel photography helpful! If you have any questions, drop them in the comments.

Here is a gallery of the final images along with some BTS. If you enjoyed this be sure to subscribe to my Newsletter.

Watch my full video breakdown here.