June 2011 Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Singapore

Twelve months later after her first shoot for this five-star hotel it was a pleasure to return to Singapore for a second commission, this time to shoot conference rooms, banqueting halls, and guest rooms, specifically the Premier Ocean and Ocean Grand rooms.

The Premier Ocean rooms offer one of the premier views in Singapore, taking in the modern architectural landmarks of the city, with unrestricted views right out to the South China Sea.

The Ocean Grand is Mandarin Oriental Singapore´s most spacious room – it really feels like a suite. This room has its own private balcony, with views of the up-to-the-minute Singapore architecture and far beyond to the South China Sea.
Following the new trends in hotel photography, the brief was to document the luxurious interiors of this luxury property, together with the views. One of the key factors in hotel photography is that the bedding must be absolutely perfect – so much so, that the in post-production process, “digital ironing” is not allowed. This is no mean feat, as industrial laundries seem to love leaving perfect creases as they fold the sheets, but never in the right places for photos. The housekeeping department at MO Singapore was superb and the staff went to every length to ensure that the beds were “camera ready”.

The final result can be seen here and on the Mandarin Oriental corporate website.

June 2011 Photo shoot for the five-star Finca Cortesin hotel, Malaga, Andalucia, Spain

Finca Cortesin is set within a 215-hectare private estate, nestled between the Sierra Bermeja Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. It has 67 suites, a couple of superb restaurants, a top-notch spa, two huge outdoor swimming pools and a championship golf course.

This hotel is a joy to photograph: the space, the quality, the air of grandeur. Together with my crew from Hotel Essence photography we photographed the pools, architectural exteriors, the internal patios, gardens and, of course, those essential Hotel Essence details. In June the gardens were ablaze with agapanthus, roses and jasmine. This hotel is not only aesthetically pleasing from an architectural point of view, it’s a delight for all the senses, with the delicious floral fragrances floating in the air.

One of my favourite shots from this shoot, both in concept and creation, was of breakfast under an olive tree. The floral memory that remains with me is the signature agapanthus, standing proud in the mature Mediterranean gardens of Finca Cortesin.

This palatial hotel boasts understated elegance and international influences, from Europe to Africa: Spain for its Andalucian countryside location, interior courtyards, cloisters and patios; Italy for its elegance and aspects such as the loggia, to idle away those endless summer evenings; Morocco for its jewel-toned chill-our area. Read more and view more images here.

June 2011 Afternoon tea at Raffles hotel, Singapore

No trip to Singapore is complete without a trip to one of the world´s landmark hotels, Raffles in Singapore, which offers everything from English cream tea paraphernalia to Chinese dim sum, French champagne, and the most wonderful selection of Asian tropical fruits. An essential treat for lovers of luxury hotels, colonial ambience and gastronomic gallivanting.

June 2012 ICANN meeting, Singapore

Mr Peter Dengate offered a special mention to Michelle Chaplow for her work as a member of the ICANN community, documenting journalist images for ICANN. Michelle was asked to shoot a team photograph portrait of the outgoing and incoming board of directors.