This full day shoot at the Fairmont Windsor Park in March was my second one at the hotel, and it was such a blast. For this shoot, I had three distinct briefs, four different environments, a packed shot list, and an adorable dog called Theo.
Here's how the day broke down:
Morning: The Glow Up
The morning was dedicated to the hotel's forthcoming Glow Up Getaway - a grown-ups sleepover package aimed at girls' getaways - such a fun shoot! The goal was to capture that specific feeling: champagne on arrival, snacks, rom-coms on the TV, getting-ready energy, robes, spa facilities, the works. It needed to feel genuinely indulgent; like something you'd screenshot and immediately send to your friends.
We shot in-suite first: in-room breakfast and dinner setups, snack trays, champagne, the sort of details that tell the full story of an overnight stay. Then into the spa for some treatment shots inclucluding two specific offerings that hadn't been photographed before.
Direction was really important in this section. I worked closely with the models throughout - adjusting poses, guiding eyelines, keeping body language relaxed and natural. We moved through the shot list but kept the energy light, which comes through in the final photos.
We wrapped the spa shots with some photos around the lobby and main hallway - this is another beautiful and light-filled area in the hotel that deserved some photos of it’s own.
Midday: Windsor Brasserie
The Windsor Brasserie is opening soon, and this was the first proper shoot for the restaurant - so the pressure was on to get it right. The brief was to capture the initial menu and start building anticipation before the restaurant opens. That meant various solo plate shots from overhead, flatlay table setups, cocktail pours, kitchen pass shots, action dining content (plates being passed, wine being poured) and chef team headshots.
Table styling is really important for this kind of photography, and needs to look effortless. I worked with the team to compose each setup -things like the angle of cutlery, how a sauce sits, whether a garnish reads naturally or looks placed.
The kitchen pass shots and action content had a very different energy - faster, more documentary and reactive. And finishing off the brasserie section, the chef headshots needed to feel warm and credible, which is why I took them away from the kitchen area and in soft, natural light near some of the hotel’s large windows.
Afternoon: Treehouses and Theo
The treehouses at Fairmont Windsor Park are serioisuly spectacular, and this session had a great brief: showcase three new partnerships - Baker & Bray dog beds, Faber Books, and Gesture Gallery artwork.
And then there was Theo - the adorable puppy. Shooting an animal adds a layer of unpredictability to any session, and the best frames came from watching and waiting rather than directing (let’s face it, it’s pretty impossible to direct a puppy!).
What a day like this actually takes
A full brand photography day at a property like Fairmont Windsor Park is fun, but full on - emotionally, creatively, logistically. You move from the stillness of a spa treatment shot to the controlled detail work of overhead food photography to the warmth of a chef portrait to the chaos of a very photogenic dog. Each section needs its own visual language and its own approach to direction and light.
It's exactly the kind of work I love though. And if you're a hotel, hospitality brand, or venue looking for photography that covers that kind of range - lifestyle, food, interiors, portraits - I'd love to hear from you.
