Spotlight: Filipe Redondo for Botanique Hotel

BY 2 October 2024

São Paulo-based photographer Filipe Redondo recently took on an exciting new stills and videos project for the Botanique Hotel, a luxury boutique hotel in Brazil’s São Paulo state. The hotel is designed to be in harmony with nature and features architecture that integrates with the surrounding environment. It offers a range of accommodations, including suites and private villas with amenities such as fireplaces, jacuzzis, and private gardens. Filipe worked with the BFerraz agency to bring the hotel’s story to life through both photography and video for website and social media use.

Preplanning

Filipe shared how it all started and what was expected from him as a photographer on this project.

This was my first time working with Botanique Hotel. They sought a photographer/director who could capture a broad range of imagery — architecture, culinary scenes, cocktails, and lifestyle — to tell their unique story with a distinct style in both photo and video.

We had several meetings before the shoot to study each photo and video very carefully. The BFerraz agency aimed for storytelling that would capture both the freshness of the surrounding forest and the warmth of the hotel’s ambiance.

A photo of a hotel room featuring rustic furniture, with wooden accents, cozy decor, and a warm, inviting atmosphere

The Project

The shoot took place at the Botanique Hotel, which is located near Campos do Jordão, a small mountain city in the São Paulo vicinity.

The hotel can be easily accessed via major highways and is two hours from São Paulo. We traveled the afternoon before to prepare the team and equipment. The next morning at 6 AM, when the sun was already up, we started filming and photographing.

A photo of a boutique hotel nestled in the Sierra de Mantiqueira, showing its charming architecture against the backdrop of a lush, mountainous landscape. Photo by Filipe Redondo.

We had a team of about 20 professionals and talents on set, including a filmmaker, drone operator, assistant, producer, producer’s assistant, food stylist, fashion stylist, art director, makeup artist, ad agency representatives, the client, and four models. Additionally, hotel staff such as the restaurant chef, drivers, maids, and waiters were on hand, helping us achieve the most thorough work possible.

A photo of a rustic wooden restaurant in a hotel complex with large windows that flood the space with natural light.

We had 85 photos and 8 short videos to shoot in just 3 days, with a team of over 20 people to manage and a hotel spread across 300 acres. Everyone was aware of the challenge and was highly focused and committed to their roles, ensuring we could deliver great work.

A view inside a room with an entrance leading to an outdoor pool.

However, Filipe’s team greatly appreciated the hotel’s support during the shoot.

The hotel was closed to guests during the shoot, but they maintained their usual service, providing amazing food for our team and being super attentive to our needs. This was very nice of them, and it created a fantastic atmosphere on set.

A photo by Filipe Redondo showing an assortment of dishes beautifully arranged on plates on a rustic wooden table.

Challenges

In addition to managing the scale of the project, the weather affected the schedule of the shoot and added to the difficulty.

We had to work around occasional afternoon rains, which required rescheduling some outdoor shoots, such as the drone flight over the pool, and adjusting our plans to shoot within the hotel area. We had to postpone the shoot twice due to the weather forecast, as the client wanted to capture the hotel experience on bright, sunny days. While the region and the hotel are well-known for winter tourism, the client aimed to position the hotel as a summer destination, making clear blue skies crucial for the shoot.

A photo showcasing an arrangement of lavender, leaves, and petals, accompanied by a mortar and pestle, and an open book of herbalism.

Combining different types of photography was an additional challenge for Filipe.

Although I have experience with Food, Architecture, and Lifestyle photography, this was the first time I combined all three in the same shoot, and almost simultaneously. I would go from finding the perfect angle for a hotel room to photographing a dinner table in a matter of minutes, so constantly switching between these different types of photography was a real challenge.

On a final note, Filipe reflected on the importance of this project for his career:

I think this project marked a turning point in my career. I was accustomed to working on smaller productions, where my responsibility was limited to the still photography department. This time, however, I not only handled the still photography but also directed the entire shoot, including video and drone work. I managed a team of 20 people and collaborated with a diverse range of professionals, such as a food stylist and an art director.