Let’s Talk

( Direction / Shoot / Edit )

Photography

People believe the photograph before they believe a word. We make sure yours is saying the right thing.

( Overview )

Most luxury travel brands are let down by their imagery before a client has read a single line. Stock smiles, staged lobbies, pictures that could belong to anyone. Ours are directed from the strategy: real places, real light, real moments that make someone feel something.

( The Process )

  1. ( 01 · Direction )

    Art Direction

    ( Week 1 )

    The image direction set from the strategy. Moodboards, shot lists, locations and the moments worth capturing.

    Moodboards · Shot list · Locations

  2. ( 02 · Shoot )

    The Shoot

    ( Week 2 )

    On location. Real people and the moments between the poses. Directed so every frame belongs to the brand, and couldn’t belong to anyone else.

    On location · Directed

  3. ( 03 · Edit )

    Edit & Delivery

    ( Weeks 3–4 )

    Selected, graded and delivered as a library, organised for web, print and press, with the brand’s grade baked in.

    Selects · Grade · Library

( Our Camera Roll )

A street-corner bookshop in Tokyo, books stacked on the pavement
( Img. 01 )
A chef at the counter, seen through a lit doorway
( Img. 02 )
A bicycle in a quiet alley, warm light from a doorway
( Img. 03 )
Lanterns and a vertical sign on a dark façade
( Img. 04 )
A brush resting on an ink stone, close up
( Img. 05 )
A narrow street of timber houses at dusk
( Img. 06 )
A shoji-lit hotel room, the bed made low
( Img. 07 )
A host whisking tea at a dark counter
( Img. 08 )
A man in silhouette against a passing train
( Img. 09 )
A golden lattice façade lit at night
( Img. 10 )
A train conductor at the controls, in uniform and cap
( Img. 11 )

( The Eyes Behind the Lens )

My goal isn’t just to take nice pictures of your brand. It’s to capture the unguarded moments that make you feel something and bring its world to life.

— Alex Chan, Design Lead & Photographer

Alex Chan, design lead and photographer at Aura Studios, seated in a linen shirt

Good questions. We’ve got the answers.

What is brand photography?

Photography directed from a brand’s strategy rather than a shot list – imagery that carries the same story as the identity and the website, so everything a guest sees feels like one place.

Do you shoot on location?

Yes – properties, destinations and people, wherever the brand lives. Shoot logistics are handled end to end.

Who owns the images?

You do – full usage rights across your channels, delivered as an organised library with the brand’s grade baked in.

Can you direct a photographer we already use?

Yes – art direction travels. We set the image direction, brief the shoot and grade the results so the imagery lands on brand whoever holds the camera.