Can't Anyone Take Our Pictures?

Short answer?  Sure.  But you get what you get.

Long answer?  No.  Oh, wait... that was shorter than the short answer.

Hospitality photography is a highly technical branch of Architectural Photography, and there are a relatively small group of professionals who specialize in this type of work.

Why is it so technical and difficult?  Simple.  Room size.

Hotel rooms are very small, relatively, and photography is all about LIGHT.  Light is what separates the great pictures from the wanna-bes.  The trick is HOW to light the room so that it looks warm, inviting, and cozy at any time of the day or night... since many times we don't get to choose when the rooms are shot.  And that's why an expert is needed.

"But can't the local photographer do it?  They did a great job on my sister's wedding last year!"

Probably not.  You see, wedding/portrait photography requires a different skill set, different lighting equipment, and quite frankly, vastly different expertise.

"But it's just clicking a button...  how hard can it be?"

Which is kind of like saying, "All you're doing is cutting something... how hard can surgery be?"

When evaluating a room to be shot, a significant number of factors have to be considered and weighed... the Brand Standards for the brand of the property is first and foremost... they are very specific and very picky about how they want their images to look.  And they'll be the first to tell you not to waste your time on the owner's nephew. 

After you have memorized and mastered the standards, there remains the technical challenges of shooting a very small space... which take years and years and years of practice to master and do well.

Personally, I can't tell you how many properties have called me and asked me to come "fix" the horrible job "someone else" did because Management at the property wanted to save a buck.

There are a couple of things that should be invested in heavily, if you want to succeed in the hospitality industry.  Toilet paper, towels, and photos.