Interesting Locales to Shoot Models?

[thebeginning]

I have some friends and models that I'm hoping to use for some personal work (fashion, beauty, intense/grungy, etc.).

I do ALOT of work with nature (fields, woods, etc.) and urban areas (galleria, montrose area), and I'm looking for something different.

Has anyone shot in Hotel rooms? If so, which ones? I obviously wouldn't want one that looked like an ordinary motel 6 on the inside - it would either have to be really fancy or really old/sketchy.

Being new to the city, I'm just not sure where to look. Any ideas? I'm not limited to hotels of course, that was just a thought.

Thanks!

[photonewb]

downtown has some great locations

and the hotel comment is just an arguement waiting to happen...good luck with that

[thebeginning]

Originally Posted by photonewb

downtown has some great locations

and the hotel comment is just an arguement waiting to happen...good luck with that

How come? I actually got the idea from older topics here and from some modeling sites I frequent...it seems to be a pretty common thing to do...

[Tom]

Hotels don't want you to conduct commercial business using their rooms without paying their commercial rates. It is usually in the contract that you sign when you stay at a hotel.

They can kick you out if they find that you are doing that. Or they can call the cops and press charges for trespassing.

[Steelsun]

Yep - hotels are touchy - I know, I worked as a security supervisor for a set of Business+ class hotels in the Houston area for about 8 years and personally had to call the police on a few people disobeying the rules.

If you ask and get permission first, it's no problem. Also depends on the "subject matter". All the nice, good ones will say NO to porn, it's the perception and they don't want to have clients not go there due to being labeled as a "porn" hotel. Many will say yes to simple model shoots (One of my hotels would actually allow swimsuit shoots at our pool and in-room jacuzzi with prior inquiries).. Boudoir/Lingerie/Racy (but not porn) type shoots are a crap shoot as to whether or not permission is granted.

The real photogenic hotels, like Hotel ZaZa have strict "no commercial/model" photography rules for their property and have been harsh.

An alternate might be a Bed & Breakfast. I see you have Magnolia in your location listing, and that area and nearby Montgomery has plenty of rustic and classy B&Bs that might be available for shoots.

[sbug_adam]

Originally Posted by Steelsun

The real photogenic hotels, like Hotel ZaZa have strict "no commercial/model" photography rules for their property and have been harsh.

funny that you mention this hotel. I shot wedding portraits of the bride and groom there and they didnt mind. I told them I would be done in 15 mins they said no problem! Nice people