Picture This: Viktoriia Telfer's Creative Marathon

Viktoriia Telfer is a people and experience focused photographer, with interior and hospitality spaces being a key part of her creative portfolio. With Ukrainian heritage and a passion for storytelling through imagery, she specialises in showcasing the soul of environments while also celebrating the people who bring these spaces to life. Her portfolio highlights her work with prestigious hospitality brands, including IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott, Fairmont and Marine & Lawn Hotels & Restaurants.

Her photography brings out the intricate details, inviting ambiances, and distinctive character of each property, with a style characterised by an uplifting and intriguing approach. When not behind the lens, she explores Scotland's historic landscapes with her husband and two huskies, drawing inspiration from the rich textures and stories of her surroundings.

Client: Eulogy 

Locations: Fairmont St Andrews, The George (Edinburgh), W Edinburgh

Shoot date: September 2024

Photographer: Viktoriia Telfer

LBB> What was about the initial brief that intrigued you?

Viktoriia> Okay, so this wasn't your typical photography gig. Three hotels, three days, one client - talk about a creative marathon!

I've done plenty of hotel shoots before, but this was different. Usually, I'm all about diving into a hotel's history, but this time, the brief was to showcase the pure, awesome essence of each space to make sure people are enticed (in an aesthetic way) to book their stays.

LBB> What were your first steps when it came to breaking down the brief and formulating your ideas?

Viktoriia> I had a great set of initial references from the client of “must-haves”, and they expressed what they loved about my personal shooting style so I had free reign on styling. I did what I always do: get on Pinterest and create my own visual playground.

I'm not one to just rely on a random burst of inspiration. My boards have a mix of my previous work, some ambitious shots and filler images to create a good roadmap of what I am working towards. I never rely solely on my inner creativity and always love to expand my style as every hotel is very different.

LBB> And what were the ideas and influences that you wanted to bring together?

Viktoriia> I love flipping through 'The Best Hotels of the World' books and looking at photography from some remote boutique hotels that often show a very different approach to hotel photography with details.

Architectural style is also very inspiring for me when I work with heritage hotels and restaurants. For this shoot I decided to mix your classic hotel photography expectations from the client + my own inspiration from boutique hotels, and bring them into the chains I was working with this time.

The three hotels were entirely different from each other, so for me it was also important to deliver three very different galleries.

LBB> Tell us about the location or setting - where did you shoot and why there? 

Viktoriia> Since it is a hotel shoot, all locations are predetermined. St. Andrews is basically my photography paradise. The Fairmont might not be right in the town, but holy moly, those views? Absolutely stunning. Whilst Fairmont is not located in St Andrews, it has a beautiful view over it from the rooms.

We were also very lucky with the weather, as September can be either very warm or very cold in Scotland so for the whole duration of the shoot we had proper summer weather which was perfect.

The other two hotels are located in Edinburgh where the views speak for themselves, so I owe Mother Nature a favour for these views and beautiful natural light I got to work with. 

LBB> Tech specs - what did you shoot on? Any interesting elements in the lighting or lenses that we should know about?

Viktoriia> I shot everything on my Canon R6 mkII with a 24-70mm lens. It's great for moving around quickly between locations. I prefer to get things as good as possible in-camera, so I don't have too much ‘fixing’ in post. For video, I used my DJI Osmo Pocket - it's tiny but shoots in 4K and is perfect for those casual, behind-the-scenes UGC clips.

LBB> When considering the final shots, why this particular shot over any of the other takes?

Viktoriia> I love a good interior shot! The views from the W are 360, and every room is looking at one or the other iconic landmarks. Here we can see a little bit of an ancient volcano Arthur's Seat blended perfectly with the W interior.

LBB> What is it about this project that stays with you? What made it different from anything else you’ve worked on?

Viktoriia> Shooting three hotels in three days was intense. Exhausting, but totally fun. I loved that every hotel was different yet with similar odes to Scotland which is why I love working in this country so much.

See more from Viktoriia here.