The Miami Biltmore Experience
New York and Miami based lifestyle and travel photographer George Kamper was recently tapped to produce a photo library for the highly renowned Miami Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. Steeped in History, "The Biltmore in Coral Gables, Florida does resemble the finest in classic Mediterranean architecture, it is neither an Italian palazzo nor Iberian castle. Instead it is the centerpiece of George Merrick’s vision of Coral Gables as an elegant, stately suburb, which he called “The City Beautiful.”
Here’s what George had to say about the experience: We felt at home in this venue having photographed here on several occasions, including the Miami Tourism campaign, which focused on Miami as a sexy lifestyle destination in a Mediterranean setting. The shoot was coordinated by the Hotel's head of marketing and came off without a hitch! We worked together seamlessly. I am so impressed that Danielle was able to bring her prior experience as a model and coordinator to our shoot. Needless to say, having the Hotel coordinate the shoot could have been a little risky from a production and coordination point of view. Danielle has amazing taste and was able to cast models, coordinate wardrobe through their on site store, handle all the scheduling, as well as make great suggestions while on set! "George is a gifted photographer with years of experience in fashion, lifestyle, travel, and tourism" said Danielle of their experience on the shoot. “He has highly skilled technical abilities and a discerning eye. George is cool and calm, hard-working and relentless in his pursuit of a great shot and his client’s best interest”. I brought in my crew, a digital tech, 2 assistants, and a great make up artist. The rest was left to Danielle. Not only did they put us up in beautiful rooms and suites, but they allowed us access to the restaurants on site, the pool, and a little leisure time to catch our breaths at the end of the shoot. Some of the final shots came from our scouting and attending the sublime, "Sunday Brunch at the Biltmore".
New York Times 5.20.2014
We coordinated the final selects and retouching between Danielle, her agency and ourselves. Working in partnership with the Hotel, we could freely speak up and make suggestions, help select final images and make suggestions for crops and retouching. We shot roughly 6 to 9 scenarios a day, mostly with talent. Began our days at daybreak and ended just after sunset. Almost all of the shots were lit with one portable flash, and reflectors. We've been working in a new way, usually finding the light instead of manufacturing it. This approach allows us the advantage of producing a variety of perspectives and allowing the shots to look more organic. We had originally reviewed some loose layouts, but during the shoot we started with an idea, and ran with it. We shot everything from a heroic shot of grandfather and his grandkid on the famous Biltmore golf course at dawn, to kids underwater and a multigenerational family enjoying the grounds.
To see more of George Kamper's The Miami Biltmore go to georgekamper.com