Nobody books a room because the listing says “quiet and comfortable”. People book because they have pictured themselves, for a few seconds, on that terrace at sunset, drink in hand. In luxury hospitality and fine dining, images do the work of desire, long before the price.
One day, four promises
Think of your shoot as a guest’s day, from waking up to dinner. At each moment, a promise to show:
| Moment | What we show | Footage to plan |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Waking up, light in the room, breakfast | Room photos, atmosphere video |
| Daytime | The spaces, the spa, the pool, the view | Wide photos, drone to place the venue |
| Evening | The table, the bar, the lights coming on | Soft-light shots, the chef’s gestures |
| All year round | The seasons, the events, the teams | Sequences planned across the months |
The golden hour is the window after sunrise and before sunset: the light is warm, low-angled and flattering for façades, stonework and faces. It is short, so save it for your finest shots, such as the exterior, the pool or the terrace.
What to film, and what gets forgotten
- The atmosphere video: 60 to 90 seconds, no chatter, that sets the rhythm of the place. A wisp of coffee steam, a curtain moving, a door opening onto the light.
- Photos of the spaces: rooms, suites, spa, dining room, a laid table, the bar. Tidy, bright, with no clutter or distracting reflections, and shot with the right focal length so as not to distort the volumes.
- The drone: it places the venue in its landscape (the vineyard, the beach, the old town), which no ground-level photo can show. Keep it for setting the context, not for everything.
- The people: the chef, the head housekeeper, the sommelier, the gardener. A craftsman’s gesture is worth a thousand adjectives, and it is what truly sets an establishment apart.
Tip Show all four seasons if your venue changes: a garden in bloom, a fireplace in winter, the grape harvest. Showing only one season in your images also limits the periods when people feel like booking with you.
The drone, done properly
A drone beautifies, but it is regulated. In the “open” category, the maximum flight height is 120 metres, you must keep the aircraft within direct line of sight, and depending on the subcategory, flying over people is prohibited (A3) or very limited. Pilots must have completed training and passed an exam, and a drone weighing more than 250 g must be registered. If your hotel overlooks a beach or a busy site, it is better to shoot early in the morning, when nobody is passing underneath. Our article on drone filming for business details the process.
Where your images work for you
On Google
Your business profile is often the first point of contact. Google accepts photos in JPG or PNG format, and videos up to 30 seconds and 75 MB, at 720p minimum. It recommends sharp, well-lit photos, without excessive retouching or filters. Expect a review delay before they appear, too. Update them regularly, so that the profile stays true to what your guests experience.
On Booking, Airbnb and the others
Each platform has its own rules on order and format: check before uploading. Put the best-selling images first, because the first photo is the one the traveller sees first. Avoid uploading images that are too dark, or that promise more than what guests experience on site: disappointment is paid for in reviews.
On your website and social media
A beautiful atmosphere video at the top of the page, large-format photos, and vertical clips for Instagram or TikTok (see our article on vertical formats). Show the behind-the-scenes: the morning in the kitchen, a cocktail being prepared. These sequences reassure and make people want to join the party.
Shooting without disturbing your guests
Your guests are on holiday. We film the shared spaces at quiet times, give notice the day before, and frame shots without showing faces that haven’t consented. If guests do appear, their agreement is required, as for any identifiable person. For your teams, written consent is the baseline.
At that dog, we shoot with a RED V-Raptor 8K cinema camera, cinema lenses and a drone, and we light interiors with Astera tubes and COB lights, for images worthy of the experience you offer. Video, photo, drone: a single shoot can feed your website, your listings and your social media all season long.
Going further
- Ministère de la Transition écologique: operating drones in the open category
- Google Help: business profile photos and videos
- CNIL: the use of people’s images
This article offers general guidance and does not replace legal advice.
Make them want to book
Tell us about your venue: together we’ll imagine the images that make people say “I want to go there”.