Los Angeles Interior Photographer: Inside Claremont Manor

Hiring a Los Angeles interior photographer for a commercial project should get you photos every company on the project can use. At Claremont Manor, a senior living community in Claremont, California, I shot Bryan Design Group's interiors on my ELITE package, and four project companies split the cost of that one shoot.

Would I move into Claremont Manor in my older years? Totally.

I got to shoot it in September for Bryan Design Group, the interior designer on the project, and everywhere I turned there was another detail, texture, or little nook to capture. It was a super fun shoot from start to finish.

Four companies on the project split the cost of the shoot, and every one of them walked away with the same set of photos to use for awards, proposals, and their websites.

Shooting Claremont Manor in Claremont, California

Front desk at Claremont Manor senior living community in Claremont, California, photographed by a Los Angeles interior photographer

Claremont Manor is a senior living community in Claremont, out on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County. Bryan Design Group, a full-service interior design studio working across Southern California, handled the interiors, and SGPA Architecture and Planning was the architect.

The design team redid the dining room around an exhibition kitchen with a pizza oven, so the chef can cook in front of residents and get them involved. They added acoustical beams and materials to keep conversations easy to hear, plus a café-style seating area for a cup of coffee or cocoa.

Bryan Design Group put it best: "Set amongst mature trees and landscaping, this idyllic campus was a dream to design."

Outdoor dining pavilion on the Claremont Manor senior living campus in Claremont, California

My job was making all of that show up in the photos, from the millwork details to the craftsman-inspired textile patterns on the furniture.

How four companies split one interior photo shoot

Lounge with green wingback chairs and a fireplace at Claremont Manor, photographed by a Los Angeles interior photographer

Bryan Design Group was my client on this one, and three other companies came in on the shoot with them: SGPA Architecture and Planning, RTM Engineering Consultants, and LP Consulting Engineers. Bryan Design Group paid the biggest share and the other three split the rest.

This is how cost-share works on my shoots. Each company skips hiring its own photographer to shoot the same building, and nobody has to buy photos after the fact. Every company that comes in gets a license that never expires and has no limit on commercial use, so they can post, submit, and pitch with the photos without asking me first.

We booked my ELITE package, which is my biggest one. It's a 6-hour shoot built for 8 or more spaces, with 25 to 30 final images delivered in 14 business days.

One shoot at Claremont Manor covered four companies, and each one can use the photos anywhere they want.

Shooting the dining room between breakfast and lunch

Senior living dining room with an exhibition kitchen and pizza oven at Claremont Manor, shot by a Los Angeles interior photographer

The dining room was the trickiest room of the day, mostly because it's so big. There were so many tables and chairs, and every one of them had to line up in the frame.

We ended up taking the napkins, glasses, and decor off every table so the room wouldn't look cluttered in the photos.

And we had to move fast. We shot it between breakfast and lunch, which gave us a tight little window before lunch service started.

Working around residents in a senior living community

Café seating area with a banquette at Claremont Manor senior living community, photographed by a Los Angeles interior photographer

The people who live at Claremont Manor were going about their day while we shot, so for every other space we moved room to room whenever residents weren't using it.

Keeping people out of the shot turned into part of the fun, and I got to do it alongside two designers from Bryan Design Group. They were so great and lovely to work with.

It was such a fun space to shoot, with details and little nooks and crannies around every corner.

Library with built-in wood shelving at Claremont Manor senior living community, photographed by a Los Angeles interior photographer

How to get your project ready for an interior photo shoot

Seating nook with a bookshelf and round tables at Claremont Manor, photographed by a Los Angeles interior photographer

Here are three things from Claremont Manor that make an occupied building easier to shoot.

Pick the window when the rooms are empty. Find out when each space gets used, like meal times in a dining room, and book the shoot around it. At Claremont Manor that meant the dining room between breakfast and lunch.

Clear the tables before the shoot starts. Napkins, glassware, table decor, and anything else that reads as clutter in a wide shot should come off. In a big room, lining up the chairs takes time too, so build that into the schedule.

Bring the other companies in before the shoot. Ask the architect, engineers, and contractor whether they want to split the shoot while it's still being planned. Setting up licensing for everyone up front is a lot easier than sorting it out after the photos are delivered.

PROJECT PARTNERS

Client: Bryan Design Group

Architect: SGPA Architecture and Planning

General Contractor: Park West

Engineers: RTM Engineering Consultants, LP Consulting Engineers

Other Participating Companies: Barrie and Co., Front Porch, Kimley-Horn

Interior Products and Finishes: Mannington, Shaw, Visual Comfort, Kwalu, Krug, Via Seating, Sherwin-Williams, Ann Sacks

Location: Claremont, California

Photography: Haley Hill Photography – your go-to architectural and interior photographer

Ready to plan your next interior photo shoot?

If you've got a project wrapping up in Los Angeles or anywhere in Southern California, with a few companies on it who all want the photos, let's talk. I'll help you pick the package and figure out how to split it.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Los Angeles interior photographer cost?

I publish fixed packages with set image counts and delivery times, so you know the price before the shoot. When other companies on the project split the shoot, the cost for each company goes down.

Can several companies on one project share the same interior photos?

Yes. At Claremont Manor, four companies split one shoot. Every company that comes in gets a license that never expires and has no limit on commercial use.

How do you photograph a building while people are using it?

I schedule each room around when it's empty. At Claremont Manor, a senior living community, I shot the dining room between breakfast and lunch and moved through the other spaces whenever residents weren't using them.

How long does it take to get interior photos back?

My packages deliver in 5, 10, or 14 business days depending on the package. If I deliver late, you get a credit toward your next shoot.

How should I prepare a space for an interior photo shoot?

Clear the tabletops of napkins, glassware, and decor, line up the furniture, and book the shoot for a time when the room is empty. In a large room like a dining hall, lining up chairs takes extra time, so build that into the schedule.

Do you shoot interiors outside Los Angeles?

Yes. I shoot across Southern California, including San Diego, plus the Bay Area, Phoenix, and Tucson.