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Motel Room Shoots
A meeting at a seedy hotel room with a stranger - sounds like prologue in a book... Apr 13 05 11:05 am Link Motel rooms suck! Instead, do a bed and breakfast.. most of them are in older homes, or ones that have character to them that makes for good location shoots...let alone,....they are much more classy.. Just my thoughts.. :-) JP Apr 13 05 12:19 pm Link I did a shoot at a hotel once. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. He spent like 10 mins tops setting up. Just had a regular medium end digital cam, and spent like $30 on the pieces of material for the backdrops that he taped to the wall. lol. Apr 13 05 12:46 pm Link Posted by John Paul: I concur with John Paul. Rooms in places like this are generally nicer. There are some large enough to set up a portable adjustable frame for seamless backdrop + two medium sized softboxes, and two of my off camera flashes, which is what I bring with me to the field. There are some hotels with nice rooms also, but a lot of them tend to have that cheesy motel 6 feel, which would be okay, if cheesy was the aim. The two shots of Julie on my profile were taken at a Holiday Inn express. One has studio lighting and the other is obviously natural lighting from the window. Apr 13 05 03:04 pm Link Posted by Bigler: Posted by Rx: ... but you need to know that MOTEL FETISH (and the same... dot com) oh im aware of that. i was just saying its a kewl reference regards with ideas for motel rooms. Apr 13 05 03:15 pm Link Posted by John Paul: In my experience, B&B shoots are much nicer than hotel shoots, but it's on an individual basis. I live in the Western MA area, where it seems every third house is a historic B&B. Plus, I've got a friend who hooks me up with deep discounts on NE Bed & Breakfast rooms. But one of my favorite shoots was done a few years back in the Black Orchid Inn in Boston, a very cool hotel circa 1800, with a very nice vibe to it. Apr 13 05 11:05 pm Link When I travel I try to shoot in the hotel room. Often I stay in very upscale locations but it doesn't matter. I look for unique locations so hotels work well for me. Apr 14 05 09:45 am Link Posted by emacklin: Apr 14 05 05:05 pm Link [b] lol... i love doing stuff like that Apr 14 05 05:10 pm Link I'm currently waiting for a whole slew of pics from a shoot I did in a sleazy motel room. The photographer scouted for the trashiest place he could find just to get that look. On the other hand, I don't think I would meet a new photographer in a motel for a shoot. Apr 14 05 05:30 pm Link I've heard several anecdotes of motels and hotels (especially lower-end ones) refusing to allow photography if they are histed toward ANY indication that photography is taking place. I ASSUME it's because of the porn industry........ Apr 14 05 05:39 pm Link Sorry, but I think of "sleezy" as located in an unsafe neighborhood, with roaches, strange creepy nosey neighbors, and featuring cum, piss, s***, and blood stained sheets.. Sorry... (yuck) JP Apr 14 05 07:07 pm Link Posted by Dayvid LeMmon: Yeah..been past there for my shoot Apr 14 05 07:10 pm Link Best bet is to use B&B's because they are clean and way better looking Apr 14 05 07:11 pm Link GHETTO Uh, uh, no way, I saw that Dateline about what kind of stuff you can find living on a motel bedspread. Madicide everything and wait 10 minutes. Apr 14 05 08:14 pm Link I think that as creative people, photographers and models should accept the challenge of shooting in any location. I've seen some great pics taken in junk yards. I think that it would be bad to shoot all your sessions at a motel room... but as variety, it's OK. Apr 14 05 11:57 pm Link Once I see it was done in a motel, which takes all of 5 seconds I loose respect for the whole thing. Yeah, if it's cool or intentional, blah, blah, that's one thing, but that's a RARE thing. It's mostly, "s*** we need a place so I can shoot you in your bra Apr 16 05 02:21 am Link I have done hotel room shoot, because I wanted to do some lingerie shots and didn't have a studio. It must have looked pretty funny as I brought up all my lights through the back door. I would probably never do it again though. Apr 16 05 06:45 pm Link I have done motel room shoots mostly for models out of the area that have no transportation to me and I have found that if you allow an escort and show them your work it isnt that bad except for the lugging of all the equipment and not just once from the studio to the car from the car to the motel and all that back again.....my back hurts just thinking about it but on occasion I would do it again Just my .02 Apr 17 05 02:19 am Link Motel rooms can be a wonderful setting, but the phtographer must set the 'mood' or 'tone' with the model's coorperation fully involved. I would not recommend working with her for the fist time in such a setting, unless this is agreed to by both parties. An llama herder is almost manditory under these circumstances. BTW, the better the room quality, the better the quality of photos. Spas inroom are wonderful, but again, pre-aprove with your model first. Apr 17 05 02:51 am Link Yeah, I guess the only thing I suggest is make sure the motel as maid service that regularly launders their bedding. The hotel where I was at was a suite. Posted by John Paul: Apr 17 05 12:12 pm Link I do shoots in motel rooms mostly because when a model comes in from out of town, I can use the room as a studio (I bring in my lights, backdrops, props, etc.) I prefer using a suite hotel, but any hotel room can be set up into a studio if need be.  Apr 23 05 09:28 pm Link I did a hotel room shoot once. The photographer was in from out of town, and it was dark so location stuff was sort of out of the question. I brought a chaperone, of course. With the lights and backdrop, the pictures honestly don't look much different to me than most of my standard studio stuff- difference being that we couldn't shoot anything full length. Still though, I got several very "useable" photographs out of the shoot and feel it was worth it; I wouldn't have likely had the chance to work with that person otherwise. Apr 24 05 12:25 am Link I've shot in hotel rooms a couple of times. While traveling, I have contacted models for photoshoots, and my room is the only studio I have. I stay in nice rooms, and I don't think any of the models have been creeped out by it. Apr 24 05 12:30 am Link Please check out the two hotel room pics I have on my site..Im quite proud of them. Apr 24 05 01:54 am Link Most B&B's are not that great. They are almost ALWAYS in Victorian style (bleah). I have shot at the Icon Hotel in Houston and the Havana Inn in San Antonio. You can always shoot in "Boutique Hotels" and get nice results. There are very few B&B's that will exude a style that you might want other than Victorian style if you can find them. However, if you are going for a certain look like the one for Motel Fetish then it is best suited for it. Done well, too. Apr 24 05 02:09 am Link I think it's perfectly fine if it's a nice one.it's convient for photogs who travel. I'll be shooting in a really really nice hotel as well as outside in d.c. in may. but cheap trashy hotels are bad unless your going for that kind of scene for your shoot. one photog last yr booked Me and another model at motel 6.I'm like are you kidding Me?it was so ghetto and crackwhore that for one shoot(not all) we were going for the whole trashy thing(because she was playing a whore) but the photog was too afraid to step outside the room and snap 3 shots of the model at the door!!!he's like there's gangbangers.so of course My crazy ass steps outside I'm like bullshit there's noone out here right now.snap the images.he refused to do it.ugh!his excuse was for booking us at motel 6 was it's all he could afford.well then wait till you have more money.*lol*motel 6 is so dirty and small and just disgusting. so now I always make sure that when a photog is booking a hotel room shoot that it's a nice classy hotel!! xxx MP Apr 25 05 12:16 pm Link I have done quite a few hotel-not motel shoots. There are several reasons. One is travel. I always book a very nice, large room specifically in case I have a shoot. If you are traveling...there really is no where else to shoot, except outside, and that depends on the weather. You can rent a studio, but then you must be compensated accordingly to cover the cost. I have even rented hotel rooms in my area as opposed to shooting in my studio...Why? Because the studio gets BORING! How many times can you shoot a model using backdrops? Or using my same beige leather couch and prop fashion chairs? I have used my entire house..I have even shot in the closet and I am freshout of ideas. The hotel has different furniture, and just looks different then the same old BORING studio pix. Apr 25 05 12:28 pm Link I often do road trips, and choose my accomodation based on how it will photograph. I scout ahead, and make certain that my usage will not bother the management, and that the room/suite lives up to my expectation. At home in Edmonton, I have several stylised Bed and Breakfasts that I use for out of town models, which I also use as shooting sets. Advance preparation is the key, for me. The image in my avatar was shot in a motel kitchenette at an Econo Lodge in Calgary. Apr 25 05 12:57 pm Link i love the new rage of boutique hotels - the last one i shot one was amazing! every time i turned around, there was another place to shoot - myself and another photog rented out the king suite at the hotel helix in DC - shot 7 models in 30 hours: http://teamronin.com/gallery/index.php? … lang=en_us and surfinbird does most of his images in a hotel and they are amazing. screw backdrops - give me locations! Apr 25 05 01:34 pm Link Yourself and another photographer? Damn you know it's f*cked up when a brother can't even get his name mentioned. What is this world coming too? Apr 25 05 01:47 pm Link haha that's where I'll be shooting in may is the hotel helix in d.c. xxx MP Posted by steve prue: Apr 25 05 01:48 pm Link Posted by EMG STUDIOS: you know right after i hit submit, i realized that i didn't mention Derrick from EMG as the other photog...this man pretty much made me the photographer i am today and if i bought him dinner for a week and cleaned all the sensors in his cameras, i may be able to repay part of the debt that i owe him for showing me stuff when i got started. Apr 25 05 02:35 pm Link I have yet to do a motel room shoot, I just have never had the need to rent one for a shoot. My take on motel room shoots would be, if it's part of the story, GREAT. if it's disguised or not really obvious in the shot, good. If it's just yet another bland "portrait" of someone on the bed in a motel 6 room, well this shows a real lack of imagination in my opinion. Some of my best shots have been done in my living room with a backdrop and some lights, it's indistinguishable from a studio in the pictures...Imagination and resourcefullness are key essestials. Apr 25 05 03:27 pm Link RFA, I beg to differ, you may feel the way you do because you're looking at Motel6 type rooms. The image labeled my K SWISS, HEEL BILLY BATHROOM, and RED RAIDER were all shot in hotels, two fo them in the same. This not a dig directly at you, but the lack of imagination is what limits photographers abilities. There is nothing special about my images besides the fact that they splash your senses with things like color, composition, and surroundings. So whether it be a hotel room, a subway car, an old staircase, or a basement heater, if your imagination is working you can create anything! Apr 25 05 06:32 pm Link Well personally I would never shoot in a motel. I live in NYC so there are several classy hotels here that I can choose from for a lingerie shoot. And i do agree that suites are the best because they provide the space you need, and most suites come with special amenities. I'm actually planning a lingerie shoot in the Time Hotel in NYC in late May, if anyone is interested in participating..please fell free to drop me a note, or e-mail me! Apr 25 05 07:28 pm Link Posted by EMG STUDIOS: Actually those are nice shots, I looked at your profile and those are definately NOT what I was talking about. the K swiss one is really nice with the angle and the lighting! The ones I'm referring to are unimaginative shots of some girl laying on what is obviously a "Motel 6" bed, shot from a low angle so fully half the picture is a motel room. I guess what bothers me the most is the lack of Imagination and creativity in those shots, I don't think you have a lack of either from what I saw in your folio, Hell I'd like a chance to work with you just to see if I could pick up a few new ideas or ways to look at things! Apr 25 05 11:36 pm Link I appreciate the comments, thank you very much!!! I also think you hit the nail right on the head. When your imagination is absent, you might as well not even being shooting. I am pretty proud to say that I was never a GWC = Guy With Camera. I was always out to create something special. I have images in my portfolio from my first shoot ever, images that were taken with a Fuji S602z . I didn't know any better, the model asked; "What kind of camera is that?" I was so proud, I told her and she said; "I've never heard or seen anything like it." Well it was a tiny point and shoot, but it got me the job done. I only upgraded because I wanted more respect from those who don't really know what it truely takes to get a spectacular image. Apr 26 05 03:28 pm Link Motel room and hotel room shoots only seem to work when the photographer is trying to make use of the location, rather than hide it. Apr 26 05 03:42 pm Link Posted by theda: I'm not really sure what that means; as a photographer you have the option of hiding or revealing what is seen outside of the field of view. Location should never make or break a shot. Only my opinion. Apr 26 05 05:06 pm Link |
