Photoshoot for La Playa Hotel

La Playa Hotel is a bespoke luxury hotel in the dreamy Carmel-by-the-Sea. They recently underwent some major renovations and back in March, I was hired to shoot photos that captured their new look, as well as new menu items at the restaurant and bar on their property, Bud’s, for them to use on their social media. I have been working with the hospitality group that owns La Playa since pretty early on in my photography career (before the pandemic) and it is always so meaningful to be asked back by old clients because it means they were truly happy with my work.

For this shoot, their marketing team wanted to focus on little details and interesting vignettes that make staying here feel like an elegant and uniquely luxe experience. I noticed a motif of deep greens and a “modern coastal retreat” meets “old glamour” vibe and I held these themes in my mind as I approached the shoot. These days, I don’t do many on-site shoots, but I had so much fun sourcing props for this one and the team is always so lovely to work with.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the work I did for La Playa Hotel and Bud’s.

Photoshoot for Hanabi Cakes

Hanabi is a local bakery that makes really lovely Asian-style cakes that are so adorable and not too sweet. They offered to gift me some cakes in exchange for sharing some photos of them in my Instagram stories. I usually only agree to do this if it is a restaurant or product that I already love, or if the company agrees to send me the sample obligation-free, meaning I do not have to post anything about them if I don’t end up liking it. However, I had heard good things about Hanabi and wanted to help a local Asian-run business!

I ended up really genuinely liking the cakes. They are tiny and perfect for my household because we like to end the evening with a little sweet treat but are not hugely into cake. I also ended up really liking the photos I took; this romantic/hygge tea party vibe is my favorite kind of theme to style and photograph, and sadly I don’t get to do it very often!

Photoshoots for La Playa Carmel and Brophy's Tavern

Last month, I went down to Carmel and shot some photos for a returning client, Classic Hotels & Resorts; they have two lovely properties in Carmel-by-the-Sea: La Playa Carmel and Hotel Carmel. When I shoot at a restaurant, I always try to capture their unique vibe and I love it when this results in a look and feel that is a bit different from what can be seen on my own Instagram account or blog. I am really happy with how the photos from these shoots came out, so I thought I would share some of my favorites here.