Hotel Window Blog
It started off as a bit of fun.
I travel extensively and for a few years whenever I stayed somewhere I started to take pictures out of my hotel room window, mainly to show friends and family when I got home. One evening, in a roof top bar, as a bunch of us snapped the skyline, I realised I was snapping a view that existed in a thousand other places and that if you wanted a view of Shanghai or New York from up high you only had to go online or buy a postcard.
But what about a collection of views that nobody else has, that isn't Golden Gate Bridge appearing through the fog, or the surf crashing on Copacabana beach? How do you compete with the best travel photography when you're on the ground floor facing the car park in Nowhereville?
What once began as a straight-out snap each time has become a quest to find, I guess, the most interesting view. This now involves a lot of gear: DSLR, wide-angle and telephoto lenses, action camera, smartphone, unusual angles, the optimum light and whether or not to obey the rule of thirds. I changed the game over time, too - so not only hotels, but wherever I stay.
I missed some great opportunities early on - Copacabana Beach, Melbourne, Buenos Aires, Tokyo. Back then I never carried a camera or a device capable of decent image quality. Oh well. I'm not sure where this project will go or when it will stop - I might lose the ability to travel or fall out of a window onto the street below - but in the meantime I'll keep developing that collection of views that nobody else has... Enjoy!
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I travel extensively and for a few years whenever I stayed somewhere I started to take pictures out of my hotel room window, mainly to show friends and family when I got home. One evening, in a roof top bar, as a bunch of us snapped the skyline, I realised I was snapping a view that existed in a thousand other places and that if you wanted a view of Shanghai or New York from up high you only had to go online or buy a postcard.
But what about a collection of views that nobody else has, that isn't Golden Gate Bridge appearing through the fog, or the surf crashing on Copacabana beach? How do you compete with the best travel photography when you're on the ground floor facing the car park in Nowhereville?
What once began as a straight-out snap each time has become a quest to find, I guess, the most interesting view. This now involves a lot of gear: DSLR, wide-angle and telephoto lenses, action camera, smartphone, unusual angles, the optimum light and whether or not to obey the rule of thirds. I changed the game over time, too - so not only hotels, but wherever I stay.
I missed some great opportunities early on - Copacabana Beach, Melbourne, Buenos Aires, Tokyo. Back then I never carried a camera or a device capable of decent image quality. Oh well. I'm not sure where this project will go or when it will stop - I might lose the ability to travel or fall out of a window onto the street below - but in the meantime I'll keep developing that collection of views that nobody else has... Enjoy!
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Temple Bar Hotel. Dublin, Ireland. Feb 2019 - 0 comments
Aaah, Dublin, Ireland... the place, the people... The front desk staff kindly gave me a 3rd floor room facing away from Fleet Street as it was "less noisy at the back at night" , and I temporarily wondered what that might mean for my view. The side streets at noon were surprisingly busy - foot and vehicular traffic never stopped. There was not enough time available to wait for pedestrians, cars, deliveries to the building opposite - and for the painter and decorate to climb the ladder to the right - to come together all at the same time. Maybe next time
Aaah, Dublin, Ireland... the place, the people... The front desk staff kindly gave me a 3rd floor room facing away from Fleet Street as it was "less noisy at the back at night" , and I temporarily wondered what that might mean for my view. The side streets at noon were surprisingly busy - foot and vehicular traffic never stopped. There was not enough time available to wait for pedestrians, cars, deliveries to the building opposite - and for the painter and decorate to climb the ladder to the right - to come together all at the same time. Maybe next time
Exchange Place Apartments, Jersey City, NJ, USA. 7pm, Feb 2019 - 0 comments
It was fleetingly tempting to use a narrower field of view to isolate Manhattan from its periphery and bring it closer. But only fleetingly - I prefer to tell the whole story. I was not lucky enough to have an uninterrupted view of the skyline from across the Hudson this week but this is what 7pm from the 7th floor looking east yielded.
It was fleetingly tempting to use a narrower field of view to isolate Manhattan from its periphery and bring it closer. But only fleetingly - I prefer to tell the whole story. I was not lucky enough to have an uninterrupted view of the skyline from across the Hudson this week but this is what 7pm from the 7th floor looking east yielded.
Hotel Innsbruck. Innsbruck, Austria. 5pm, Feb 2019 - 0 comments
There was fog for much of our time here and it sat over the mountains giving the illusion that there was nothing behind that gorgeous architecture. But at 5pm from the 4th floor it revealed where we were to later ascend in the cable car and then walk part of the way down which included a visit to the Alpen Zoo. Innsbruck is apparently frequently rated #1 in the lists of cities to see in winter and it's easy to see why. Can't wait to visit again this time next year.
There was fog for much of our time here and it sat over the mountains giving the illusion that there was nothing behind that gorgeous architecture. But at 5pm from the 4th floor it revealed where we were to later ascend in the cable car and then walk part of the way down which included a visit to the Alpen Zoo. Innsbruck is apparently frequently rated #1 in the lists of cities to see in winter and it's easy to see why. Can't wait to visit again this time next year.
Imperial Hotel. Russell Sq, London UK. 8am, Dec 2018 - 0 comments
When you can't get the camera outside you can press the lens to the window but in this case, despite so much to see across Russell Square from the 8th floor, I couldn't get a composition I liked. The locks and cords on the windows aid safety but not creative photography. Still, looking out over central London is always special. The green-domed building to the upper right of the frame is the British Museum, but I gave up trying to identify the building to the right next to the BT Tower.
When you can't get the camera outside you can press the lens to the window but in this case, despite so much to see across Russell Square from the 8th floor, I couldn't get a composition I liked. The locks and cords on the windows aid safety but not creative photography. Still, looking out over central London is always special. The green-domed building to the upper right of the frame is the British Museum, but I gave up trying to identify the building to the right next to the BT Tower.
Swissotel The Stamford. Singapore. 5pm, Nov 2018 - 0 comments
The views of the Singapore skyline are amazing but amongst the high rise there is a lot of lush green and some gorgeous older architecture. To get something a little different from my balcony on the 38th floor I waited for some late afternoon light to settle on St Andrew's Cathedral. St Andrew's is Singapore's largest and was built in the 1850's, was burnt down 10 years later and then re-built. I was happy to be back in Singapore, I have some good friends here.
The views of the Singapore skyline are amazing but amongst the high rise there is a lot of lush green and some gorgeous older architecture. To get something a little different from my balcony on the 38th floor I waited for some late afternoon light to settle on St Andrew's Cathedral. St Andrew's is Singapore's largest and was built in the 1850's, was burnt down 10 years later and then re-built. I was happy to be back in Singapore, I have some good friends here.
Renaissance Hong Kong Harbour View Hotel. 1pm, Oct 2018 - 0 comments
From the 26th floor I also had a view out of the harbour, which I eventually caught with time-lapse. In the mornings here there's a mist that obscures some of the spectacular landscape but by lunchtime it clears and at 1pm the sun had moved into such a position that it threw these deep shadows and lifted the reflections in the windows that I couldn't quite get around any other time without a polariser.
From the 26th floor I also had a view out of the harbour, which I eventually caught with time-lapse. In the mornings here there's a mist that obscures some of the spectacular landscape but by lunchtime it clears and at 1pm the sun had moved into such a position that it threw these deep shadows and lifted the reflections in the windows that I couldn't quite get around any other time without a polariser.
16th Oct 2018. Through The Hotel Window, Volume 1 - 0 comments
It's taken quite some time, but I've put a collection of my favourite shots from Through The Hotel Window into a coffee table-style book. It's distributed through www.blurb.co.uk and you can find it through this link: http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/8977828-through-the-hotel-window-volume-1
Rival. Stockholm, Sweden. Sept 2018 - 0 comments
The view over Mariatorget from the 6th floor was incredible - the park, the surrounding architecture and the sunset. But it's always fascinating to watch life unfold on the street below and at 7am this morning there was much to see, especially via the huge open-in window. And then there's the huge ABBA canvas hanging in the room above your bed...
The view over Mariatorget from the 6th floor was incredible - the park, the surrounding architecture and the sunset. But it's always fascinating to watch life unfold on the street below and at 7am this morning there was much to see, especially via the huge open-in window. And then there's the huge ABBA canvas hanging in the room above your bed...
Brookedge Cottage. Port Isaac, Cornwall UK. 7am, Sept 2018 - 0 comments
Well, through the top of a barn door - home for a few days in this lovely fishing village, which we learnt is where the BBC series Doc Martin is set. The small stream opposite was frequented by ducks, dogs and small children but in those few days we found no drunken tourists in it...
Well, through the top of a barn door - home for a few days in this lovely fishing village, which we learnt is where the BBC series Doc Martin is set. The small stream opposite was frequented by ducks, dogs and small children but in those few days we found no drunken tourists in it...
Intercontinental. Sofia, Bulgaria. 2pm, August 2018 - 0 comments
The new Interconti in Sofia is like every other Interconti - simply fabulous - and the staff treat you so well. I guess that the widest of wide-angle lenses would not be wide enough to show you the whole story here. It was never quiet outside. 5th floor.
The new Interconti in Sofia is like every other Interconti - simply fabulous - and the staff treat you so well. I guess that the widest of wide-angle lenses would not be wide enough to show you the whole story here. It was never quiet outside. 5th floor.
Marriott. Indianapolis Downtown, USA. 3.30pm, June 2018 - 0 comments
It was bright and clear when I arrived at 2pm but this torrential downpour suddenly happened just before I had to go out at 3.30pm. There was sunshine over the two days during my stay, but I prefer to share all of the realities with you... From the 8th floor
It was bright and clear when I arrived at 2pm but this torrential downpour suddenly happened just before I had to go out at 3.30pm. There was sunshine over the two days during my stay, but I prefer to share all of the realities with you... From the 8th floor
Candlewood Suites. Harborside, Jersey City, NJ USA. 5pm, Jun 2018 - 0 comments
7th floor. Without the buildings opposite you'd have an uninterrupted view of the New York skyline across the Hudson. But you can see enough to be awe-inspired. I was last in Jersey City three years ago and I can't believe how much it's been developed since then...
7th floor. Without the buildings opposite you'd have an uninterrupted view of the New York skyline across the Hudson. But you can see enough to be awe-inspired. I was last in Jersey City three years ago and I can't believe how much it's been developed since then...