Westin Bellevue | Seattle Travel + Hospitality Photographer

Often when I travel for hospitality and destination photoshoots, not only am I photographing the space itself but also crafting lifestyle images that help to tell the story of the space. In this project with Westin Bellevue, I was able to debut the brand new suite design, and also to photograph the experience of the property. We highlighted in-room amenities like top-notch room service (always fun to flex my food photography muscle!). Westin also has a partnership with Peloton where they will bring one into your room, which we also had to capture. Making commercial photography feel candid and warm is always my goal. I love when brands drift from traditional stock photography goals and incorporate an elevated lifestyle and storytelling perspective into their marketing. This shoot also incorporated some UGC-style images for social media usage.

And yes, it’s me in the shots! I’ve devised a self-portrait system so that I can quickly hop into the frame to bring some human interaction into spaces. It’s a little song and dance but it works! For projects that don’t have extensive budgets for models, I’m happy to stand in.

Thanks for having me, Westin team!

Crafting Brand Authenticity: A Deep Dive into the Influence of Commercial Lifestyle Photography

The landscape of marketing and brand representation is constantly evolving, and visual content stands as a powerful tool for creating a lasting impact. Your brand’s digital visuals are the front door into your brand experience, and give your future customers and clients and sneak peek into their experience with you. It’s something I think about with my clients on a daily basis, and I’m feeling chatty today, so let’s chat commercial lifestyle photography and how it has the potential to elevate your brand aesthetics to unprecedented heights.

A Fresh Approach

We are inundated with images, standing out requires a fresh perspective. In order to participate fully in today’s digital consumer culture, you need marketing that spans high end photography and video and candid, user generated (UGC) content. As a commercial lifestyle photographer, I’m thinking about all of the media channels you use (or will use in the near future) when I’m working. It's more than just capturing perfectly crafted moments; it's about infusing your brand with a distinctive and human vibe that sets it apart in the market.

The Captivating Power of Visual Content

Human beings are inherently visual creatures, and the impact of striking visuals on brand perception cannot be overstated. My approach goes beyond the baseline – I aim to create an emotional connection between your brand and your audience. Through carefully curated imagery, we strive to evoke feelings, tell stories, and leave an impression with your customers.

Making a Lasting Impression

In the fast-paced digital age, attention spans are fleeting. To truly make an impact, your brand needs visuals that resonate instantly. In my decade of experience, I’ve learned what images are worth making and how to compose a shot that endures, shaping perceptions and fostering brand loyalty.

Tailoring Aesthetics to Your Brand Essence

One size does not fit all in the world of branding. Our team understands the nuances of your business, and our photography and content is a reflection of that understanding. Whether you're aiming for sleek and modern or warm and inviting, your brand is welcome. My skills and experience build to a place of getting to know your brand, and interpreting it visually.

Beyond the Ordinary: Creating Shareable Content

In the age of social media dominance, shareability is key. Our commercial lifestyle photography doesn't just stop at creating visually appealing content; it's about crafting shareable moments that resonate across platforms. I keep things in mind like taking shots in multiple orientations for optimized usage across all platforms, from Instagram to email. Elevate your social media presence with images that tell a story, engage your audience, and spark conversations. Your photos are delivered in a user-friendly digital gallery with no watermarks. No confusing back and forth.

Ready to Transform?

Talking brand imagery is my favorite, and even more, meeting my clients and building lasting relationships aligns with my highest values. I would love to connect with you about your business. The clients that I work with range from interiors and architecture to small business to Airbnb hosts, to travel and hospitality, to massage therapists and artists and beyond. Reach out by email at emily@emilykeeney.com anytime.

Check Your Vibe: Vintage Meets Modern with Revival Rugs

When we bought our house three years ago, we inherently agreed to a pretty hefty renovation process in order to bring it to a livable state.  We never set out for a fixer upper (though we were clocking many hours with renovation home shows).  We actually found the house by driving by it, and when we first stepped foot inside with our real estate agent, it was an exercise in emotional mulitiplicity.  The arches in the dining room, the crumbling floors, the craftsman fireplace, the beautiful windows, the non-functioning kitchen, the crumbling wallpaper, the insane window views.  All of it at once!

We had an offer in by the end of the day.

When we set to renovating, I wanted to preserve as much character as possible while bringing the house to the modern era with its comforts.  Though the original floors were not savable, we installed hardwood that I love.  We kept all of the cool windows and arches, and my absolute favorite spot is the living room with the fireplace that tons of time, effort, and money went into.  

My design aesthetic is very vintage meets modern.  In my mind, I’m always keeping a balance between clean, new pieces that hold up to my family’s use and one-of-a-kind vintage pieces that bring warmth and texture.  (And, always, lots of plants.)

To bring in a finishing touch to this living space, I knew we needed a special rug.  We had a placeholder there while I searched for the perfect vintage Moroccan rug.  Enter the specialists, Revival.  Revival has offices in Istanbul, Casablanca, Mumbai and Oakland, CA and sources vintage rugs that fit their high standards of quality and ethics, and at fair prices.  In addition to their vintage operation, they also produce beautiful new rugs. 

Browsing their collection of Moroccan rugs, I stumbled across this beauty.  It had the warm pinks and beiges accented with pops of blue that I had been looking for.  Truly, it stopped me in my scroll and I just knew it was the one.

Now that I have it in the space, our living room finally feels complete.  I absolutely love the way it feels so soft underfoot, and the texture elevates the room and adds such character.  I really couldn’t be any more thrilled with my whole experience with Revival!  

My first tip when buying vintage is to trust your gut.  I’m a believer that if we surround ourselves with things that make us feel good it will all come together.  I’d also highly recommend measuring your space first, ensuring that the rug is large enough for all of your furniture to have at least two feet touching.  Since you can browse by size you won’t fall in love with the wrong rug!  

Let me know, what do you think of the new look? If you’re in the market for a new rug, Revival is offering a discount code through March 6th: 10OFF-EMILYKEENEY.

Seattle Interior Airbnb Photography | Queen Anne

It’s a two-fer! This beautiful Queen Anne home is actually a duplex, both with stunning views of the Puget Sound. Located in my favorite part of the neighborhood (where we first lived when we moved to Seattle!), it’s a short walk from Kerry Park, Parsons Gardens and the downtown core of Upper Queen Anne. We had such fun styling this shoot, creating a dreamy tablescape (using discards from the landscapers working outside, yes, literally!). A bit of greenery goes such a long way in creating inviting images, even with short term rental photos. Bringing an Airbnb or VRBO listing to life means treating the photos like a magazine shoot. It goes way above real estate photos (whose goal is to show each room looking its biggest and brightest). In interior shoots, the goal is to create a mood on the inside. It helps a prospective guest imagine what a stay would look and feel like, inviting a little more imagination. That’s also why good interior shoots take TIME. This is a big expectation shift if your only experience previously has been real estate photos for listing. The intentionality in composition and styling is huge, and really makes the difference in stellar listing photography.

You can book this beauty right here and now on Airbnb.