Planning for Perfection — Even When Time Is Tight

In mid-April, I had the opportunity to photograph two elegant event setups for the Goldener Hirsch, a Luxury Collection Hotel by Marriott in Salzburg. One was in the hotel’s classic Bibliothek room, the other just a short walk away in the Karl Böhm Saal at the renowned Salzburg Festival Hall.

These were real events, not styled setups. That meant tight timelines, with only about 15 minutes in each location. Just enough to work quickly and make every frame count.

The first setup was in the Bibliothek room. A long dining table ran through the centre, set for an intimate private dinner. The flowers were beautifully arranged in deep pinks. It was calm, understated, and very Goldener Hirsch.

I shot bracketed exposures from a couple of angles, then added a long exposure with an ND filter. Using a handheld continuous light, I walked slowly through the scene, adding warmth and gentle shape to the flowers and tableware. Simple, quiet adjustments that help bring a still image to life.

Andrea and Renate from the hotel’s marketing team had kindly come in on a Saturday to assist, which made a big difference.

Once we wrapped up at the hotel, we packed quickly and made our way to the Festspielhaus. It’s only about 150 metres away, but the streets were busy with people heading to the opera. It happened to be a performance of Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina that afternoon, so there was a definite buzz.

As we walked, we passed a small group of uniformed police officers standing near the entrance. I always feel a bit self-conscious walking past with a big tripod over my shoulder — it’s just one of those things. You know you’re doing nothing wrong, but you can feel eyes on you, especially around large public venues.

Once inside, we headed through the staff entrance and corridors to the Karl Böhm Saal. I’d done a walk-through a few days earlier which helped me get my bearings.

The space itself has great presence. Originally built in 1662 as a winter riding school, it was redesigned in the 1920s. The southern wall reveals the rock of the Mönchsberg, and above is a dramatic ceiling fresco depicting cavalry drills. It’s a historic space, used today for elegant events and special gatherings.

The banquet setup in the Saal was beautifully done — rows of white linen tables, candles being lit by the team as we arrived. People were still adjusting chairs and fine-tuning the layout.

I shot in stages again: first capturing the natural ambient look, then using the handheld light to subtly highlight sections of the table. We moved through it calmly, steadily, and finished just as the candles were fully lit.

• Camera: Canon R5
• Lens: 24mm tilt-shift, with 1.4x extender on two tighter shots
• Lighting: Profoto B10 using Continuous light, colour-balanced warmer than ambient
• Technique: Exposure blending + long exposure light pass for highlight control and depth

This wasn’t event photography in the usual sense. No people, no flash moments. It was architectural photography of spaces prepared for special use — and the timing just happened to be tight.

In this kind of shoot, there isn’t room to warm up. You get into rhythm quickly, focus, and stay organised. I like that kind of pace. It sharpens the work.

These images will likely live on in the hotel’s content library for years. They capture a certain kind of atmosphere that can’t be staged on a random Tuesday. That’s why it’s worth getting right.

Done properly, hotel photography helps define how a property is seen. Not just what it looks like, but how it feels.