Luxury glamping interior photography: Homoki Lodge
Taking interior images of tiny bungalows
Have you ever heard of Glamping? The word means luxury camping, which means the synergy of freedom provided by a tent and the comfort of a five-star hotel. Homoki Lodge is such a place where we can stay in luxury bungalows. Some weeks before I had been inquired by the owners, an Austrian couple speaking Hungarian, to take some photos of the yurts.
Before my arrival, 4 other photographers had got some shots of the accommodation, however, the owners hadn’t been satisfied with the resulting images. This had not been unconditionally the failure of the previous photographer, as I also experienced how challenging it was to capture the tiny, round interiors in such a way that also represents the atmosphere of the place.
We arrive earlier for the hotel photography because of this
This place needed a photographer who specialized in interior photos and architectural photography. I’d arrived at the full-day shooting the previous night so that I didn’t have to leave Budapest at dawn and I could wake up well-rested on the site. As I arrived, parked my car, and opened the door, a border collie jumped literally on me. He was Bangi, who was close to me during all the shooting, I would say he assisted me.
The next day, after an early breakfast, we started the photo session. Apart from the yurts, the accommodation has a Lodge part, which is a brick building with a thatched roof. Here I could snap photos of three different types of rooms, as the fourth was being renovated at that time. Here I had fairly little natural light, as not too much light was coming through the windows, yet, due to the morning timing, it was still enough.
The difficulties of photographing accommodation
In the afternoon I turned to the bungalows. I was expected to show all the parts and floors of the interior. Depending on the type of yurt, a sofa, a jacuzzi, a bathroom, and a shower could be found on the ground floor, and a flight of stairs led us upstairs to the bed. Additionally, there was a round window over all of the beds, which could be opened by pushing a button. So, I had to show all of these in one photo.
Photographing narrow indoor spaces
The available space was tight, without a special objective it would have been almost a mission impossible. I always work during the shootings in a way that my camera is connected to my tablet, thus, my client can see the final composition on the spot. Indeed, I can only show an unprocessed photo, yet, at least this way there is no surprise when I hand over the photos that something is missing from the photos that shouldn’t. For me, the preciseness of my customers was a relief, as this spouse could pay attention to all the details.
They exactly knew that I would be on camera all day if they wished to see the best results from the photos. It was not necessary to explain anything since they were aware that shooting photos is time-consuming. They provided me with everything I needed, and not only during the photo session. I was their guest for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; I also got a yurt where I could sleep, and where I could experience personally the atmosphere of Homoki Lodge.
Though we had planned that the shooting would take a day, as the twilight faded, we couldn’t finalize it. A person who doesn’t love their job would surely be annoyed that they should stay for one more day. Yet, for me it didn’t cause any trouble, I stayed until the next afternoon with pleasure so that we could continue our photo session.
By 2 pm the next day, we successfully finalized the project. This session was flawless including the venue, my customers, and, certainly, my assistant, Bangi. Even though I have already handed over all the material, I am going to return in May to capture some exterior and aerial photos, just I have to wait until nature turns green. Then you can read about that shooting, too. Take care till then.
