We just completed a "southern swing" through Virginia and North Carolina, to shoot primarily for clients we've shot for before. It could not have been a more beautiful time to travel through that area, as a long-awaited spring was just beginning. It was a blast to see what  our old friends were up to--lots of new construction, renovation and redecoration. We have always believed that these types of changes, while disruptive and costly at times, are key to keeping your inn fresh and alive. Past guests are re-energized and excited to return to see the improvements. These changes often create buzz, garner press, and get more new guests to come and stay. We think it's really worth it, and the numbers almost always bear this out. First on our trip was Middleton Inn in Washington , VA. We shot this inn about 6 years ago and this was a follow up. View / Edit Comments

Recently we had the opportunity to photograph the new cabins at Iris Inn in Virginia, a 12-acre retreat overlooking the Shenandoah Valley between Staunton and Charlottesville. We had heard these new accommodations were modern, well-appointed and perfectly sited. They are all that and more...much, much more! Each cabin (somehow that word just does not do these gorgeous accommodations justice) is practically all glass, with floor to ceiling views of either the forest, the valley, or both. They have full kitchens, fireplaces, hot tubs, heated floors, and fantastic screened in porches cantilevered over the hillside. The bathrooms are super-sleek and are outfitted with a tiled shower which is adjacent to a sliding glass door with direct access to the porch--essentially an outdoor shower. And nothing seems more luxurious than showering while looking out over the treetops. Owners Dan and Heidi are calling them "adult tree houses", which is a pretty apt 1 Comment »

Having shot SO many beds during the last 9 years (literally thousands) we've found that beds and bedding styles are as individual as the property and the innkeeper. Don't discount their importance--the bed is often the first thing a guest sees when walking into a guest room and a potential guest sees while looking at guest room photos online. Both the bed style and the bedding immediately make a powerful impression and connection--and that can be good or bad. We thought we'd review the many beds and bedrooms we have styled and photographed and show you our favorites. In this post we highlight style, structure, and "architecture". In an upcoming post, we'll cover mood, color and texture. The goal is to inspire you by sharing some of the best beds we have seen. Here's hoping you see something interesting and may even want to incorporate some of these ideas into View / Edit Comments

Be sure to check out the remarkable new website for L'Auberge Provencale in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, recently  launched by our friends at White Stone Marketing. We collaborated in the art direction and concept with Innkeeper Celeste Borel and the team at White Stone, so this project is near and dear to our hearts. L'Auberge is a long-time client and friend and it's such an unqualified pleasure to shoot and to work with them, on so many levels. For years we have been impressed by the way the Provencale theme is executed so beautifully and so consistently at this gracious inn, from the gardens to the decor to their renowned dining experience. It's worthwhile spending a few minutes to look through the site, to learn and to be inspired. Here are a few items of note: Pictures first. We love that the pictures are HUGE and the site looks great on everything from View / Edit Comments

We have been busy (when not out shooting!) the last couple weeks preparing for our presentation on Tuesday January 29th at 2:15 pm at the Innkeeping Show in Las Vegas. Here is a description of our presentation: Learn from the Experts: Do-it-Yourself Guide to Shooting Exteriors and Gardens Every savvy innkeeper knows the power of photography to the bottom line. Learn secrets from the experts on how to get terrific shots—the kind that make people say, “I want to be THERE!” This workshop will provide specific techniques—using ANY camera—for composing, styling and lighting your own photographs to make your property stand out on your home page, internet directories and booking engines. This is a sort-of-follow-up to the presentation we did a few years ago on Do-It-Yourself Food Photography at the conference in Charleston. Just last week we were shooting at The Garden Gables Inn in Lenox, MA (a really beautiful inn) and while 1 Comment »

2012 was a great year for us, with lots of new places, new faces and visits to some of our favorite locations. Thanks to all of our clients and friends for being a part of our lives. Here's a look back...Happy New Year to all!

  At this time of year, we hear the word peace quite a bit. It's a great word--short, but loaded with so much emotion and power. In these times, peace is remarkable, in that it is one of the few universally-positive, non-confrontational, apolitical, non-religious concepts. Who can argue with peace?  As photographers, we are often tasked with portraying this elusive, yet compelling idea within the context of an inn. Because when you distill the yearning that people feel nowadays to a single desire, it is really a desire for peace. That's what inn guests are often looking for--an escape to a place of peace.   We looked through  photos from 2012 and chose a few that we thought represented this visually. Most of these are from inns; some are from other places where we have found peace our our travels. We hope these images provide a peaceful moment for you.                        

  Long-time innkeepers Mary Jo Brink and Michael Salmon of The Hartstone Inn in Camden, Maine began a new venture (and adventure!) in 2010: Hartstone Inn European Culinary Adventures. We'd heard rave reviews from seasoned travelers who had been on the tours, so when Mary Jo and Michael asked us to document the adventure, we were delighted to help. They currently offer trips to the The Loire Valley in France as well as the Tuscany region in Italy; we photographed the Tuscan tour. As part of the adventure, Mary Jo and Michael rent a stunning villa in the Tuscan countryside and provide daily food-themed excursions for the small group, complete with local guides. Everyone returns in the evening for cooking classes with Chef Salmon. Participants actually prepare that evening's meal. The quality of the the food products that Michael gathered was top-notch every day and the food was "off the charts". 3 Comments »

Farm-to-Table is a wildly popular trend, found in fine dining rooms around the country. Owner, founding innkeeper and farmer Al Granger at Glasbern Inn in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley (about an hour from Philadelphia) was doing farm to table long before there was a buzzword for it. Since 1985, the inn has grown from a six-room bed and breakfast to a luxurious country inn with 34 rooms in 7 historic buildings. How often can you enjoy an heirloom tomato at a restaurant that is so fresh it is still warm from the afternoon sun?! The cattle and sheep you see grazing in the pastures on the farm will also be on the menu. Breakfast is also a special treat with super fresh eggs and homemade pork sausage from Glasbern's pigs. You can dine in either their soaring elegant 1800's bank barn or the cozy tavern. The cuisine ranges from elegant composed View / Edit Comments

We were recently invited back to re-shoot a few rooms which were remodeled at Fairthorne Inn in Cape May, NJ. Boy were we surprised...Rarely do we see such a dramatic change of direction in terms of decor--and so totally positive! Like the vast majority of guest rooms in Cape May, the rooms were Victorian. But not any more. Ed and Diane Hutchinson, long-time innkeepers at Fairthorne (20+ years!) previously owned two separate, adjacent Victorian buildings; they've sold one and now are easing into retirement, operating just one of the buildings as a 4-room B&B. The seem very relaxed, happy and enjoying the dramatic changes at the Inn. The before and after images are interesting and really kind of inspiring. Check them out out...   BEFORE, Julia's Room AFTER, Julia's Room     BEFORE, Ashley's Room AFTER, Ashley's Room