
With clients like Wyndham Hotels, Disney Resorts and Universal Studios Resorts, this small-town business creates durable, contemporary furnishings for big names in the hospitality industry. Artone LLC in Jamestown, New York has been in business for over 40 years and is looking forward to many more years. They are amping up their branding and image, so they called me to discuss improving their portfolio of finished projects. I've been looking to get further into hotel photography, so this sounded like the perfect symbiotic opportunity. With my past work experience of working for a cabinetry manufacturer, and as a former interior designer, I knew exactly what to do. Staging would be in order. Having been the photographer of the Westin hotel Buffalo NY, I learned a lot about prepping a hotel room for a photo shoot. There are also special considerations in photographing wood products. They easily show a distracting glare. Their top coat acts like a mirror, reflecting whatever "hot spot" there is in the room: a window, my flashes, a light fixture.