július 21, 2025

Organic progression: My career journey (Part One)

Hotel Photography

In this first chapter of his hotel photography journey, Zoltán Gali shares how a spontaneous leap—from a photo diploma to a one-way ticket to Southeast Asia—transformed his passion into a profession. From cold-emailing hotels to bartering shoots for accommodation, he built his first portfolio with minimal gear, maximum drive, and a lot of late-night editing. An honest, personal account of growing through curiosity and creating through constraint.

Organic Progression: My Career Journey

In early 2017, I took a leap of faith that fundamentally transformed my life! I enrolled in a Higher National Diploma program at the British Academy of Photography, all while juggling a full-time job at Soho Farmhouse.
What started as a distant passion for photography had now turned into a vibrant pursuit that I hoped would eventually lead to a fulfilling career. I didn’t know exactly where this journey would lead, but my curiosity and creativity were calling me, and I was ready to answer!

For the next year and a half, I immersed myself in my studies while balancing a busy work schedule. It wasn’t easy, but every spare moment I could carve out was dedicated to learning, experimenting, and honing my skills behind the camera.

When my course finally concluded, I decided to make another bold move: I packed my bags, ventured to Berlin, and soon after took off for Southeast Asia with just three lenses, a full-frame camera, and a travel tripod—how exciting! The first months of my travels were wonderfully spontaneous. I reveled in my new surroundings, soaking in the vibrant colors and contrasts of bustling Asian cities, tranquil forests, and stunning coastlines.

Before long, photography began to reveal its purpose to me. In Laos, I embarked on my very first collaboration with a guesthouse, offering to capture beautiful images in exchange for accommodation. That experience ignited a spark within me—it marked the beginning of my journey as a hotel photographer!

From that moment onward, I approached each new destination with renewed enthusiasm and a clear mission. I eagerly reached out to hotels, pitching barter deals through cold emails, and to my amazement, it worked!

I soon found myself in Vientiane, photographing a five-star hotel right alongside a charming local property just a few blocks away. These shoots became significant milestones in my career—each one a testament to my commitment to this new path.

I even took the initiative to contact my favorite instructor from the Academy to ask for advice on capturing hotel interiors. His insights were invaluable, but I quickly faced a challenge: I didn’t have an ultra-wide-angle lens, a crucial tool for photographing larger spaces. But instead of letting that discourage me, I resolved to find a solution and scoured the capital for rental options. Miraculously, I found a top-tier lens available in Vientiane! I can still recall the excitement that buzzed through me as I walked across town to pick it up.

My first experience shooting with that ultra-wide lens was at a cozy hotel called V-Hotel Vientiane. I treated it like a warm-up before tackling the more prestigious La Seine Burasari.

Looking back, I can see I made plenty of beginner mistakes in those images, but I still cherish a few of them in my portfolio—they symbolize the proud beginnings of my career!

After a brief detour in Vietnam, I journeyed to George Town, Malaysia, where yet another hotel shoot and an exciting side gig with a startup sandal company awaited me.

By this point, I realized my current lenses weren’t quite up to the task, so I set out to find a wide-angle lens of my own. I stumbled upon a quaint second-hand camera shop and, after an enjoyable negotiation with the shop owner (a memory I hold dear), I walked away with a well-loved, slightly scratched ultra-wide lens.

It wasn’t brand new, but it was mine, and it quickly became my trusty companion throughout Asia! I captured numerous hotel images using that lens, doing my best to polish up the imperfections in post-production while learning something new at every turn.

It wasn’t always glamorous, but it was genuine, filled with learning opportunities. My gear may have been modest, but I was steadily building a robust portfolio, growing in confidence, and refining my artistic vision. Reflecting on my journey now, I see that it wasn’t a straight path, nor was it conventional; instead, it was beautifully organic.

Each step flowed seamlessly into the next—whether through coursework, cold emails, lens rentals, or late-night edits.
My foray into hotel photography has been marked by adaptation, growth, and an unwavering sense of curiosity. And you know what? I wouldn’t change a thing about it!

To be continued..

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