A client we worked with over five years ago recently got in touch about a new shoot. She had worked in sales and marketing for a hotel we photographed in Beppu, Japan, and had since become the GM at a different property, InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 in Yokohama, Japan. On the call, she told us they’d done plenty of shoots at Beppu since our initial pre-opening work, but whenever they invested in a new campaign, they kept reaching for our images. She’d fought hard to hire our team for Yokohama. I got goosebumps. This sounds a bit like a humblebrag, but screw it, a win is a win.
My definition of success has changed over the years. In editorial photography, you seek praise from editors and want awards to validate your work. Running Mott Visuals, our Vietnam-based hotel photography and video production company, with my wife, Q, has given me another way to look at it. Repeat business means a lot because I know how much goes into the work beyond taking the photographs. Q leads our productions, and we have several full-time employees doing shoots all over the world. When a client comes back, I’m proud of the images, but I’m also proud of the team and the standards we’ve built together.
A solo-traveler campaign in Beppu
That original Beppu shoot is still a cornerstone of our portfolio. Q impressed the client with her thoroughness and efficiency, planning ahead with props, wardrobe options, and casting. We pitched a campaign built around a solo traveler, rather than the usual family or couple. It made sense for that property: escape, relaxation, having some time to yourself. Working with one traveler also gave us more flexibility to chase the sun and use mostly natural light. The idea suited the experience we wanted to show, and it gave us room to execute it creatively in both the photography and video.
Returning to Japan for a hotel shoot in Yokohama
For Yokohama, the client wanted to explore the solo female traveler again. She described it as a market they wanted to reach: someone escaping to a place and having some alone time. It was a way for the hotel to do something different in a saturated market where the marketing can sometimes feel stale. Understanding that helped us plan the shoot. We were thinking about what someone considering a stay should be able to imagine: relaxing, dining, spending time in the spaces, and enjoying being there on their own.
Preparation and creative trust on location
We had a shot list, and clothes and props were approved ahead of time. We scouted the location and prioritized spaces based on the hotel’s marketing needs and the light. The client also let us go off the list when we saw something working. That’s the trust part, and it made a difference. During one of our video days, the exterior light was working better than it had during the stills shoot. While we were preparing for the next video scene, I could take the model aside. Our team quickly got her into a color that would pop against the space, and we made the photograph in ten minutes or less. The preparation gave us options, and the client’s trust gave us room to use them.
Hotel photography and video production designed to last
Having a fast, flexible team working across photography and video helps us capture those opportunities. As the photographer and an owner of the business, I’m thinking about how the work fits together for the client. The photographs can show off the spaces and architecture, while the video shows more of the experience of being there. We also think about how the work will look a few years from now. We choose wardrobe and props that will stand the test of time and intentionally leave technology out because it dates so quickly. These are decisions we make because we want the hotel to be able to keep using the images.
Here’s the film we produced for InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8, following the same solo-traveler concept as the photographs.
AI is here, sure, but so are we. There’s still something to be said for being on location, noticing the light, and having a prepared team ready to respond. The trust the client gives us helps make that possible. More content isn’t always better. This client had commissioned more shoots and still kept reaching for the images we made years earlier. Being hired for Yokohama made me proud of those photographs, but it also made me proud of Q, our team, and how we work together. Repeat business reflects all of that. At least for me, it does.
Planning hotel photography and video production in Vietnam or Japan?
Our team is based in Hanoi, Vietnam, and works with hotels and resorts in Japan and across Asia. If you’re planning a hotel campaign, take a look at our hotel photography and video production and Vietnam photo and video production services, or get in touch to talk through your property, audience, and brief.
Justin Mott is a photographer and co-founder of Mott Visuals, a Vietnam-based photography and video production company working with luxury hotels and resorts in Japan, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
