Arniston Spa Hotel
A three visit commission shaped by
place, atmosphere, and experience
The COMMISSION
This commission for Arniston Spa Hotel developed over three short visits across twelve months. Rather than approaching the project as a standard hotel shoot, I worked to understand Arniston as both a place to stay and a lived coastal setting. The result was a body of imagery shaped by atmosphere, locality, and the guest experience, with independent story-led narratives developed alongside the project.
Scope
Place-led hospitality and destination photography
Client
Arniston Spa Hotel
Duration
3 visits over 12 months
Output
Fine art imagery, with independent story-led narratives developed alongside the project
The Brief
a slower, more interpretive response to both the hotel and the wider setting.
Arniston Spa Hotel invited me to capture some of the qualities that make both the hotel and its setting distinctive. The brief was intentionally open, allowing me to respond with a more interpretive fine art approach rather than follow a tightly prescribed shot list.
Across three visits, the work developed in two connected directions. One focused on the hotel itself as a place of stay, comfort, food, and hospitality. The other focused on Arniston more broadly: its coastline, Kassiesbaai, harbour, boats, architecture, weather, and the quiet sense of distance that shapes the experience of being there.
Storytelling was not part of the original commission. I developed those written narratives independently alongside the imagery, and the hotel later shared them through social media as an added layer of atmosphere and context.