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In his 20-year career as a commercial photographer, Antonio Cuellar has captured the architecture and lifestyle of the world’s most luxurious hotels and resorts. He’s an award-winning travel and lifestyle photographer who has collaborated with countless creative directors and brand marketers worldwide.
Most recently, Antonio was commissioned by Qatar Airways to photograph a large campaign for the airline in anticipation of the World Cup in Doha. It had been a few years since the airline company had taken an overall shot of the brand, and they wanted to highlight the luxury they offer when traveling to over 150 destinations worldwide.
The client liked the unique way and ability I had to combine lifestyle imagery while showcasing the space. They also mentioned the vivid colors of my images and the overall vibe of the photos. The project fits perfectly well since they were looking for a hospitality-lifestyle photographer with my style, with a lot of experience with architecture and lighting interiors.
Antonio was contacted by a local production company after submitting a proposal a few years prior. And while he’s no stranger to handling small to medium size productions, a project this size was a bit out of his league. Flying in 75 models from Dubai and dealing with airport clearances, hotels, and flights for every single one was just the beginning. Fortunately, the production company handled most of the logistical challenges, allowing Antonio to focus on what he does best.
As part of a great team that excels at their jobs, Antonio was able to concentrate entirely on the photographs, like framing and lighting. He was relieved that he wasn’t required to approve wardrobe or weigh in on hair and makeup decisions for models, as this can affect his ability to work effectively.
I’m glad I didn’t because shooting inside the plane required every ounce of photography knowledge and experience I had accumulated over the years. We often had very little time inside the aircraft, so we had to work fast. Planes are dark and tight. The medium-format cameras they required for the project were very slow, and we required a lot of light. Luckily, we got used to lighting planes quickly, and we got it down to a science.
As luck would have it, Antonio had been experimenting with color gel portraits and their effects on interiors during covid lockdowns. This knowledge was incredibly helpful as the magenta glow inside the plane was part of Qatar’s branding and something they needed help to achieve with previous photographers.
Leading a project this size does wonders for your confidence. Having many high-level executives on set while creating images can be nerve-wracking if you are not confident in your work. Luckily, I was and it validated all of my years of experience.
The production took place at the Hamad International airport, mostly in the first-class lounges and planes, and took about four weeks to complete. All the areas required the crew to work past immigration and security checkpoints which created a unique set of challenges.
These logistics were challenging because they required special permits, as you can imagine, with all the equipment and the crew. This is one of the reasons we were lucky to have a local production company familiar with all the paperwork.
There were 20 to 30 people on set each day for a project of this magnitude. There was a team of hair and makeup artists, two wardrobe stylists with their assistants, four photography assistants, creative directors and brand creatives from Qatar Airways, a digital tech, several models which changed daily, and at least five production coordinators.
The energy during the shoot was fantastic. It all comes down to the client’s happiness with the resulting images from day one. If they are not, it would be a downward spiral resulting in a terrible ambience.
Qatar Airways had a unique way of working and expected very few surprises during production. This required a comprehensive scouting session in which every angle or frame needed to be approved, along with the models’ actions and expressions.
I am used to scouting and selecting angles from my interior work, but locking in on the talent’s actions and expressions was very tough. We were using assistants and stylists instead the models for the scouting session. I didn’t realize that after presenting the options to the client and getting approval, we were basically “locked in” and needed to deliver that shot. So if a better shot or idea came along, we had to present it as an alternative, which took a little extra time we did not have.
Antonio’s images present the level of luxury desired by the client, at a time when Qatar has many traveling to Doha, whether to see the World Cup, Beyonce’s first post-pandemic performance, or for a unique experience all its own.
Qatar Airways prides itself on connecting people and places, so its imagery displays multiple races and connections between them. They have a diverse fleet, diverse products and a unified standard of service.
See more of Antonio’s work on his website.
Credits
Agency: Bareface Model Agency
Wardrobe Stylists: Anna Dreams & Samyah Ar
Makeup Artist: Keke Sati
Hairstylist: Sharice Tan