George Ferris and Chase Heilman of Starboard and Port have recently turned their attention to local business. Based in Springfield, Missouri, the studio co-captains had the opportunity to shoot a new building for a repeat client.
The Hotel Vandivort’s newly opened V2 expansion is located in downtown Springfield, close to the Starboard and Port studio. The expansion includes a beautiful new hotel building with a rooftop bar called Vantage. Starboard and Port’s close relationship with the local boutique hotel put them in a prime position when the hotel needed photographs to show off their new space.
We photographed the original Hotel Vandivort a few years ago and we must have done an okay job because they called us back! The client also wanted to have a consistent look between the two properties.
Beyond a studio-client relationship, Starboard and Port put up their stylists and clients at the Hotel Vandivort when they come to Springfield for a shoot. They have also used the hotel as a location for shoots like a recent lifestyle shoot for Smuckers.
The three-man crew planned two and a half days to photograph the new expansion. One days was devoted to hotel guestrooms, suites, the lobby, meeting spaces, and various other details. The next day focused on the Vantage rooftop, and the following half day was scheduled to create lifestyle and social images for the rooftop bar’s soft opening.
Because we run a three-man (two photographers and a digital technician) team, we can crush out a lot of images quickly, which helps our hotel and resort clients keep distractions to their guests at a minimum. We try to minimize the amount of time they need to close down a room or attraction.
Starboard and Port hopes that by working with local businesses like Hotel Vandivort’s V2 expansion they can remind people of the restaurants and retailers they can support in their own town. As the studio make a push towards expanding their hotel and architecture business, shooting local businesses helps the studio two-fold.
We’re so proud of [Hotel Vandivort] and the quality of hotels and restaurants they’ve created – it’s really a gem in our city.
What the team enjoyed most about this shoot was the beautiful and well-designed space. Even with the challenge of hiding the power lines with bright orange safety covers in post-production, George mentioned the great materials, textures, and lighting that made this architectural shoot a success.
Shout-out to our digi-tech Geoff who spends a LOT of time in hotel hallways. And shout-out to the smoked trout dip at the rooftop bar Vantage.
Credits:
Digitech: Geoff Ridenour
Check out more of Starboard and Port’s work at starboardandport.com.
Check out our other great photographers on our Find Photographers page!