Last winter I was hired by Less+More, a design and branding agency, to create a series of lifestyle images for Tanners, the hip new multi level ocean front restaurant at Paséa Hotel in Huntington Beach, CA. We would be shooting lifestyle images and some food and dining shots as well. The images were to reflect the overall upscale environment with a casual beach community vibe along with a slight amount of irreverence that is the Tanner’s experience.  Think motorcycle chains that compose the main lighting feature over the bar.

Jeremy Backo, the Art Director at Less+More was looking for authentic, natural and spontaneous looking images of people engaging in the moment.  Our approach was basically to have a party –  drinks, music, food and let the interaction and engagement happen while I shoot what naturally unfolds. The marketing staff at the hotel provided 3 real life couples as our talent for the day. For the first half hour or so I’m basically just firing the camera to build up the energy, but soon the conversation (and the drinks) kick in and we are indeed partying.

Chemistry among the talent is critical and these people really brought it with authentic and genuine interaction.  We shot at the communal table in the downstairs restaurant and then upstairs for cocktails at sunset in Treehouse, their roof top lounge overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  After the shoot ended,  our talent enjoyed an evening of dining and complimentary accommodations at Paséa. Party on.

“Marshall Williams did a great job capturing the unique vibe at Tanner’s. His style of shooting, his work flow, and his crew were all extremely efficient. They captured everything on our shot list and much more. It was a tough edit getting down to the final selects but in the end the client was thrilled with the images.” – Jeremy Backo

Every now and then as a photographer I am privileged to shoot in some pretty magical places. Mii amo Spa is a world class destination spa in the heart of Boynton Canyon in Sedona, AZ- ground zero for Sedona’s famed energy vortexes. The facility itself literally butts up to the towering red rock walls of the canyon. Spectacular is an understatement.

The spa was launching a new website and was in need of lifestyle photographs that would “activate” the property to tell the story of the spa experience. Doug Moore from The Starmack Group and I worked together to identify the shot list. This included a couple of scouting and research trips to Mii amo and Boynton Canyon where again and again we returned home with the same revelation; the unique aspect of Mii amo is that it is a complete product of it’s surrounding environment, it is infused with the terroir of the region. No need to import a fancy french clay rub product here. Mii Amo draws from the rich offerings just outside it’s door. Our thought was to make photographs that would tell the story of the strong connection to the earth and the natural environment.

We brought in professional talent and styling for a 3 day shoot. Chris Park from my studio ran video B roll to maximize the opportunity with the talent which also provided added value for the client. This footage was later edited into several short pieces for use on their website as well as online ads.  Watch Mii amo Spa video.

“Marshall always brings a sensibility that goes beyond just a photograph”, says Doug Moore, “He really digs in to find the visuals that tell a story about a place. The client was blown away by the beautiful images and the volume of photos she was able to add to her image library along with the video assets.”

See more photographs from our shoot for Mii amo Spa on our website.