After uni, Kelly moved back in with her parents and started waitressing at The Grove. One day she spotted someone taking photos in the restaurant. A little nervous, but too curious not to, she went over to ask what she was doing, and found out the hotel had its own marketing team on site.
Kelly asked if she could do some work experience with the team, and it snowballed from there. She joined as an admin and quickly moved into an exec role. As anyone who's worked in a small marketing team knows, there's so much going on that you learn a lot, fast. In the end she worked on everything from PR and photography to creative campaigns, the website and copywriting. Here are a few of her favourite shoots.
01
Menus, cocktails and everything in between
With several restaurants and bars on site, there was always something new to photograph: a new cocktail menu, a seasonal dish, a summer pop-up. Every launch needed photos for the website, social media, newsletters and the press, often all in the same week.
02
Spa days, gardens and the little extras
It wasn't all food and drink. There were spa treatments to capture, a kitchen garden in full bloom, the grounds changing with the seasons and, of course, the guests with four legs.
03
Events, people and the seasons
From football camps in the summer holidays to snowy mornings and team headshots, every season brought something different. Her fireworks shot has been used every Bonfire Night and New Year since she took it, which still makes her smile.
What it taught us
Working in an in-house team, you see how many people care about a single photo. Take a new menu. The chef wants the dish to look exactly right, the PR team have their own angle, and the marketing team want to sell the whole experience. As the photographer and marketer, your job is to keep everyone happy.
You learn a lot about the craft, but even more about people. It all shapes how we work with brands today.
If your business could do with some fresh content, have a look at our brand film and photography or get in touch.
