An Elegant Space
Hemingways Nairobi greets you with sweeping staircases, high ceilings and a feeling of stately calm. I’ve visited this property for several years now, and I am always curious to see who is in the entrance foyer. Business people, families heading out on safari trips with matching suitcases set for travel, and guests dressed to the nines celebrating special occasions. And then there’s me, hotel photographer, arriving with camera gear and dusty safari boots in tow. On this particular shoot, though, it wasn’t just me. Carmen van der Westhuizen was brought on board to cover the videography of this full media rebrand shoot.
The Brief
- Capture the feeling of quiet serenity at Hemingways Nairobi, showcasing the hotel through the eyes of a guest.
- Deliver a comprehensive photography update to all guest spaces and create a video narrative that showcases the hotel’s elevated space and experience.
Prioritise:
- natural light
- wide angles
- simple compositions
- mood and shadow
The Central Foyer
Working around the multitude of guests moving in and about the hotel proved a challenge. We divided this scene up into two parts: very early morning and early evening. We then set about showcasing the arrival experience for guests, chauffeur-delivered in Hemingways’ vehicle- and then the evening setting as guests walk upstairs to the terrace and bar.
Rooms and in-room dining
I’d photographed the rooms and suites at Hemingways before, but with the new brand directive, these spaces were set to be re-shot. Rooms were styled with light lifestyle elements, and Aisha, a highly professional Nairobi-based model, was brought in to bring the spaces to life.
Pool, Gym & Spa
One of the dreamiest areas of Hemingways Nairobi to work with as a hotel photographer is the pool, gym and spa corner. The spa, a calm space with soft light and soothing music, looks out over the pool, which twinkles with shades of blue under pink bougainvillaea. For those who want to use the gym, a private trainer is available on request. We had great fun photographing this space, although Aisha had a challenge on her hands looking serene whilst raising a sweat! (of course, she nailed it.)
Wine cellar, restaurant and bar
I photographed the interior refurbishment of the restaurant in 2024, creating space for us to capture lifestyle images of the wine cellar, bar and dining. Here, we focused on the simplicity of scenes, bringing in a hint of hospitality service where appropriate.
Working with Hemingways as a hotel photographer has been an ongoing relationship, doing updates here and there as new properties are acquired and soft refurbishments occur.
From Hemingways Nairobi, Carmen and I travelled onwards to Hemingways Watamu for a packed 3-day lifestyle shoot. More recently, we’ve completed the Richards Camp (Kenya) and The Retreat (Rwanda) media shoots, both full media rebrands with updates to both photography and video content.
I look forward to sharing these blogs soon!
