“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.”

This quotation by Seneca is certainly true for Michelle who has had the privilege and pleasure of photographing hotels in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia and America – visiting over 60 countries along the way.

Michelle firmly believes that when you love what you do life’s journey becomes intrinsically fascinating. Photography is Michelle’s passion – not just her career.

Her work has appeared in books, newspapers, advertising campaigns, online publications, brochures, billboards and numerous international travel and lifestyle magazines.

Capturing the essence of a luxury hotel requires specialist experience in many areas of photography – architectural angles, night photography, lifestyle imagery, working with models, environmental portraits of staff, food photography, lighting for interior and exterior shots and capturing that special light in the early morning and late afternoon.

The Hotel Essence Photography team includes lighting specialists, food specialists, art directors, stylists and even journalists, all with a wealth of experience in photographic assignments and comissions. Michelle’s impressive experiencse in this niche market – and that of the team behind her – places Hotel Essence Photography in a unique position to manage luxury hotel projects around the globe. To view a selection of hotel imagery please visit the Hotels page.

Awards, Honours and Exhibitions

Michelle gave a keynote speech at TEDx Marbella on the Importance of photography for Luxury Hotels and destinations

This is the leading international award honoring excellence in color photography. Michelle received her Merit of Excellence award in the Professional Architecture section for the image "Bathtub at Dawn" The photograph was shot on location at the Dolder Grand hotel A five star hotel in Zurich, designed by world famous architects Forster+Partners. Michelle, in the same competition, also received an honorable mention for her work entitled "Hannah".

In 2012 Michelle signed a three-year contract to be an official photographer for the Spanish Parador hotels. Paradores de Turismo de España is a chain of Spanish luxury hotels, founded by King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1928. These unique hotels, created to encourage tourism, are often in castles, palaces, fortresses, convents, monasteries and other historic buildings.

Michelle Chaplow gave a keynote speech of the importance of photography in the Luxury hotel sector at the Preferred Hotels Group Annual Conference in New Delhi, India.

Michelle received seven nominations in the professional categories of the 7th Annual Black and White Spider Awards, the leading international award honouring excellence in black and white photography.

This course was organised by the Center for Contemporary arts in Malaga - CAC Málaga and the Fundación Valentín de Madariaga in Seville. “The Pool of Life” was Michelle’s final project for the course, her work was projected to an audience at the Contempoary Art museum in July 2012.

David Clarke Head of photography at the Tate in London wrote: “A beautiful exhibition, which really captures the essence of Spain”.

In 2001 Michelle was awarded an honorary mention in the Ortiz Echagüe Prize from the Spanish Ministry of Tourism and Commerce. The honorary mention related to her work in the field of promoting Spanish Tourism. (BOE Reference 031 5/02/2001 Sec 3 page 4336).

Michelle had the honour of being presented to HRH King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid at the end of her photographic assignment for the Washington Library of Congress.

In 1995 Michelle was awarded the prestigious State Photography Contract by Turespaña to document the coastline from Alicante to Huelva.