Case Study: Apex Hotels Scotland - Lifestyle

Brief.

Apex Hotels are a long-standing client I’ve worked with on many previous projects, and they client reached out about shooting a four-day lifestyle photography project in Scotland.

The goal was to tell the Apex story from the perspective and narrative of various models, playing the part of hotel guests, in different roles during their stay.

The first was shot over two days at Apex Edinburgh Grassmarket, Apex Edinburgh City, and the iconic Apex Waterloo Place, where we followed two male models playing the roles of business colleagues. Their story showed them using the meeting spaces, having breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks, visiting each of the three Edinburgh venues, and enjoying a visit to the iconic Scotch Whisky Experience. A particular focus was to be put on Apex Waterloo Place, with multiple outfit changes to reflect different times of day and settings.

The second part of the shoot centred on a chic mum-and-daughter narrative, with two female models exploring Edinburgh and then moving to Apex Dundee City Quay. There, they could enjoy and experience the Yu Spa, indulging in afternoon tea, relaxing in the rooms, having dinner and drinks, and visiting the Q&A Dundee sustainability exhibition. The final day introduced child models, with the two female models taking on the roles of mum and grandma, exploring the Beano room and playing at the V&A Dundee - creating a family-focused story.

The brief called for me to act not just as the lifestyle photographer, but also to direct the models to create natural, engaging storytelling imagery that Apex could use across their website, social media, and marketing campaigns.

Approach.

I put together a detailed creative session plan for all four days, ensuring each location and story arc flowed naturally. In Edinburgh, I worked closely with the Apex team to plan timings around the hotels’ schedules, capturing candid moments of the “business colleagues” as they moved from meetings to meals, through to evening drinks, and into their whisky tasting at the Scotch Whisky Experience. Multiple wardrobe changes were factored in to give the imagery variety and to show how Apex venues can support a full day of business and leisure.

For the mum-and-daughter story, we leaned into a chic, contemporary look; from spa treatments to afternoon tea and city exploring - to show the breadth of the Apex experience beyond business travel. The final family day in Dundee brought a playful energy, with images of the children interacting with the Beano room and enjoying the V&A Dundee.

As a hotel photographer and lifestyle photographer, I directed the models to create authentic, natural interactions while capturing aspirational moments that feel both inviting and relatable. Lighting and composition were chosen to reflect each setting’s mood, from bright morning meet ups to warm, intimate dinners and evening drinks.

The result was a diverse bank of lifestyle photography covering business, leisure and family travel, providing Apex Hotels with a versatile visual library that showcases their Edinburgh and Dundee venues across all customer touchpoints.