Showing the Feel of a Space

If you want to attract potential customers to your premises then you need to make it easy for them to imagine themselves there. So often, we make decisions about which restaurant to go to, which pub to meet at, which hotel to stay in or which conference venue to use based upon the images that we see online. This means that there is both a real danger of putting people off with the wrong images and a real chance of winning their business if we can make the space look enticing.

To do this, we need to think about what it is that we need to convey about the space. For example, do we want to show off a large, open, bright atrium where people can meet? Do we want to give a sense of it being a bit space with contemporary design features? If so, we might want something like this:

Showing the feel of a space - a large light atrium

How about if we are looking for a nice cosy pub to warm ourselves up in on a winter’s evening? In that instance we might look instead for something more like this:

Showing the feel of a space - warm cosy pub interior with fireplace

The image has an evening feel to it. The lighting and the lit fire suggest warmth. There is also a feeling of the pub being styled in a particular way. All of this helps to attract the right kind of person. If the walls were shown pure white, the fire was out and the room was really bright then it would lose that cosy appeal.

It might be that you run a pub in an unusual historic location, such as the one featured below. It is in an underground space (an old cellar) with a slightly lower ceiling than normal and despite being a long room it feels cosy rather than cavernous. So, we might represent it something like this:

Showing the feel of a space - underground bar
Rathskeller Bar Kings Lynn

In each image we are looking to convey a sense of what is unique about a space, what makes it most appealing to customers and what it feels like to be there. We may wish to include people in these images to give more of a sense of atmosphere as well. However, this isn’t always possible and may not be desirable for a controlled advertising image.

If you have a function room with character features then make sure that you show them off and again think how the image can make it even more appealing for viewers:

Architectural photography - showing the feel of a space - sample shot from Hanse Haus

In some cases, it can be beneficial to show how rooms interact. For example, this image clearly helps the viewer understand that it is an ensuite room and they can see the relationship between the rooms easily:

Showing the feel of a space - relationship between rooms bedroom with ensuite

Perhaps you are an interior designer and you want to show how well your choices of furnishings and decorations and colour palettes go together. You might choose to show off the effects achieved by the particular lighting fixtures chosen as well. So, you may want something like this:

Showing the feel of a space - interior design opulent hallway

If you have a restaurant area that has a large window that looks out onto the garden or a particular view then why not include that? We can give a sense of the outdoor space without having to allow it to dominate the image:

Norfolk Lurcher Main Dining Area

To conclude this brief look at showing the feel of a space through photos, let me leave you with one final image. I wonder, what does this picture say to you about the space?

Showing the feel of a space - Bar area

© Joe Lenton, October 2018

If you would like help showing the feel of a space with high quality architectural photography please do get in touch for a no obligation free consultation.

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