Atlantic Oceanside Hotel

Bar Harbor is a high-stakes market for hospitality. Every hotel has a "view," and every lobby has a "vibe," but not every space has a perspective. When I took on the project at Atlantic Oceanside, my goal was to move past the generic travel brochure aesthetic. I wanted these images to function as corporate branding photography that felt like an invitation to a specific experience, not just a confirmation of a room booking.

The challenge with hospitality photography in New England is often the lighting. You’re dealing with the coastal Maine elements that can shift from brilliant sun to flat fog in twenty minutes. Instead of fighting the environment, I looked for how the hotel’s design interacted with it. I spent a significant amount of time in the common areas and the lounge, waiting for the "blue hour" transition where the interior warmth of the bar balanced perfectly with the cool Atlantic dusk outside.

One of my favorite shots from this session was the balcony view. It would have been easy to just point the camera at the ocean and call it a day, but that’s a postcard, not a narrative. Instead, I framed the shot to include the interior details—the texture of the furniture and the reflection in the glass—to ground the viewer in the room. It makes the "view" feel earned.

This project is a key part of my architectural photography portfolio because it demonstrates how intentionality can transform a commercial space. By focusing on the details that define the brand—the custom fixtures, the layout of the bar, and the specific flow of the guest rooms—we created a library of images that look like the hotel at its absolute best. It’s about creating an "argument for the space" that convinces a guest they shouldn't just stay in Bar Harbor, but that they should stay here.