Hello :) We've got an idea...

Hey Everyone! :)

My name is Shayne and my girlfriend is Melanie. We've been here on HostelManagement for a year or so and up until recently, we've come up with an idea that benefits us as much as it benefits hostel owners.

A little bit about us:
Im from all over the place (Uk, South Africa, Mauritius & now living in Germany) and my girlfriend is German and a strong traveller at heart. Ive been a professional photographer for 5 years and currently have a business here in Germany which is doing pretty good actually. Although we call Germany "Home Base", We cant help but want to explore the rest of the world.

Our idea is very simple, and can be very rewarding too! Here's the low down:

Trade Accommodation/Meals for Professional Photography

We'd be willing to:
- Photograph your hostel (up to 10 images) as professionally as we would if we were hired to
- Deliver the photos within a week to 10 days of Shooting (Have a look at our speed-retouching video to know how much work goes into it)
- Use our high-end equipment so the quality of the images match that of any other professional
- Be absolutely respectful of the hostel, the idea/Concept of the place and deliver unique images that match your style

In return for:
- A few days at your hostel including a meal each a day
- Advice on places to go and see that arent too touristic. We love exploring and seeing places that not many people know about
- A few recommendations on your website/blog/social network about us visiting and being available for paid work.

Whats the value of your work?
- Here in Germany, we price our interior/architecture packages subjective of what the client wants. But as a general idea, each image would normally go for €130.00 excluding Taxes.
- Yes that does sound pricey, but we use a series of techniques such as light painting, high end retouching & professional HDR techniques. A very rare skill set to find.
- Our images always include a 2 year Usage License (which is renewable after 2 years). This can be voided depending on what sort of deal we make with each other.

Why?
We love travelling. We love to see places that are unique, and special... Even if they are popular. As much as we love travelling, we love photography. This idea seems to be fitting for what we love doing. On top of all that - meeting people and socialising over a good few beers, tequila's and schnaps is something we don't normally turn down.

How do we know you're serious about this?
Theres only so much I can do to convince you here on a forum - so we're very open to skyping (including switching our video on so you can actually see us) and going over everything again.

We would love to hear back from any one who is interested in this idea and would be willing to chat about it further. We've got no specific location in mind just yet so, wherever you're from or wherever your hostel is, just drop us a line. So far, our plan would be to start it next year July so there is plenty of time to prepare and make sure things work out.

If you have any more questions or would like to get in touch, please drop me an email at [email protected] or find me on Skype at shayne_thomas

Here's some sample images we've taken over the years: