Behind-the-Scenes: Creating Mary Louise's Story for Tempo Hotel by Hilton

In my previous blog post, From Dreams to Reality: Mary Louise's Story at the Tempo Hotel by Hilton, we embarked on an incredible journey through the life of Mary Louise. It was a celebration of dreams coming true, filled with unforgettable moments and captivating imagery. If you haven't read it yet, be sure to check it out for a deeper understanding of her inspiring story and the beautiful visuals we created.

Now, let's crank up the excitement and dive behind-the-scenes! Get ready to meet the amazing team who brought this vision to life. In this blog, we’ll uncover the magic behind the creative decisions that made each shot shine. From scouting the perfect locations and styling outfits to designing the lighting that set the mood, you'll get an inside look at the artistry and teamwork that made this project a reality. Join us as we reveal the fun, the challenges, and the sheer creativity that turned Mary Louise's story into stunning visuals that are FLOOR-to-CEILING on every guest floor at The Tempo Hotel by Hilton.

For her humble beginnings, the team envisioned a setting that would evoke the charm of her childhood home. Mary Louise’s story takes place roughly in the 1970s, so we chose The Paper House, a mid-century modern gem, as the perfect backdrop since her parents style would most likely align with the 1950’s. Its authentic décor completely enveloped us in that era.

Emily Goodin, our fantastic wardrobe stylist, kept her clothing simple yet vibrant, with lots of stripes and textures. We all had a good laugh about her outfit with the guitar—it was a wild mix of colors that clashed with the background. But knowing these images would be in sepia tone from the start gave Emily the freedom to have a lot of fun with the styling, creating an eclectic and memorable look.

In the early days of her career, Mary Louise was hands-on, carrying her own music equipment and making things happen. We wanted to capture that authentic hustle, so for the first photo, we decided to show her unloading her car. We rented a vintage car from Picture Car Co. Ultimately, we chose an indoor shot where she's pulling out her guitar case. The wardrobe stylist nailed the 70s look with an outfit that perfectly fit the era. Haley, our set stylist, was a genius in sourcing the car and guitar prop, making everything come together seamlessly.

The second image captures Mary Louise playing at an open mic night with a sign behind her that says "Nashville Nights." We wanted to convey the intimate feel of her early performances, where she wasn't playing to huge crowds but to a few dedicated listeners who came out to enjoy her music. This scene was shot at Nashville Palace.
(FUN FACT: Anthony Romano, who was the Producer of this shoot, also photoshopped in the the word NIGHTS, which originally said PALACE)

The final image in this series shows Mary Louise collaborating with her bandmates and friends, working on songs together. We shot this at the iconic Castle Recording Studio, which added a touch of history and authenticity to the scene. The set stylist, along with the help of a few strong guys carried in all of these rugs Castle Recording Studio had and it was the perfect addition to the scene.

As Mary Louise's career progressed, she began playing larger venues with proper dressing rooms and amenities. Our first image in this phase shows her getting ready at a makeup mirror, which I found on Facebook Marketplace. Although it looked modern at first and had me worried, our set stylist Haley added vintage trinkets, fabric and other items to make it look authentic. Her expertise made it flawless!

The second image features Mary Louise on stage, singing a heartfelt ballad under the spotlight at Nashville Palace. This intimate performance was enhanced by the incredible lighting design of Joey Ramirez. His expertise added a classy touch to the shot, and the sleek bodysuit worn by the model perfectly fit the scene's tone. Both of these images were taken at Nashville Palace.

With Mary Louise’s rising popularity, it was time to think about where she could record her album. We chose the most iconic and amazing studio: Castle Recording Studio in Nashville. We explored a few different ideas here, but the final choice was a deeply emotional image showing Mary Louise singing while one of her bandmates played guitar. In the foreground, you can see the mixing board and someone mixing the song. A fun fact about this photo: the hat you see is actually Brad Paisley's hat!

The next image you see is her album cover, which we shot back at The Paper House. This room exudes a cool 70s vibe, complete with lace curtains and interesting window coverings that enhanced the look. Mary Louise's outfit was fun, sultry, and very 70s, with a blurred guitar in the foreground adding a unique touch. I was crouched all the way into a corner to get this shot and had just enough room to make this shot happen. Fun fact: Anthony Romano, who not only produced the shoot, but is also a talented photographer took my photo and designed this album cover with his graphic design skills.

The last photo in this series is quite self-explanatory: it shows Mary Louise in a velvet suit made by local Nashville designer Any Old Iron. This shot captures her signing autographs for fans, who in reality were actually part of the crew. We shot this right outside of Nashville Palace.

We wanted to capture moments of Mary Louise having fun with friends and going out. We shot these scenes at Jaan's House, which is filled with music memorabilia and a very cool vibe.

The first image you see was shot downstairs against a striking painted wall. Our idea was to make it look like a paparazzi photo outside of a club. Nate, one of the models, is in the front, holding his hand out as if to say, "Hey, stop taking pictures." This created a fun and dynamic scene, resembling a spontaneous night out. All of the dresses are made by a local fashion designer, Laura Citron.

The next image shows Mary Louise and her friends lounging in the living room, dressed in very 70s attire. They’re surrounded by records, laughing, having drinks, and enjoying music. This shot exudes a relaxed and joyful atmosphere. While we added some styling touches, the space itself already had all the cool, authentic vibes we needed. The models did a fantastic job bringing this scene to life.

To showcase Mary Louise as a huge star, we focused on celebrating her success and authentically capturing the 1970s award show vibe. Both of these images were photographed at Nashville Palace.

In the first image, she’s on stage in a tight bodysuit with shiny frills and white boots, illuminated by dramatic lights behind her. We had the best time laughing hysterically because Haley, the model, is not actually a musician. She put on hard rock music and really went for it, making us all laugh with her energetic performance. It was hilarious to see her enjoying screamy emo hard rock music, and it truly became one of my favorite moments of the shoot.

For the second image, we wanted to create an authentic 70s award show feel. The velvet background set the perfect stage. Our wardrobe stylist found a stunning lace dress. Although we couldn’t use an actual Grammy for copyright reasons, our set stylist found an award that was a perfect fit after searching many places.

This project has been an incredible highlight of my photography career. The journey of capturing Mary Louise's story for Tempo Hotel was a truly rewarding experience, and I couldn't have done it without the amazing team that brought this vision to life. From the creative brilliance of our set stylist Haley, the impeccable wardrobe selections by Emily Goodin, to the stunning lighting design by Joey Ramirez, and the invaluable production support from Anthony Romano—each member played a crucial role in making this shoot a success.

Special thanks to our talented hair and makeup artists, who ensured Mary Louise and the models looked perfect for every shot. And to the models themselves, who brought energy, authenticity, and emotion to every scene—you did a superb job and truly brought the vision to life.

I am deeply grateful for the dedication and hard work of everyone involved. This collaboration not only resulted in breathtaking images but also created memories and moments that I will cherish forever. Thank you all for being part of this extraordinary project and helping to turn dreams into reality.

Kirsten Vaselaar from HRI Properties - This entire story was her brain child and I am forever grateful she chose me to capture it.
Anthony Romano, The Producer, orchestrated our ambitious project with perfection. He also did all of the design for the Album!!!!
Emily Goodin, the Wardrobe Stylist, along with her assistant Ashtyn Rae dressed our narrative in authenticity, ensuring every outfit perfectly captured the era.
Haley Beckham, our Set Stylist, transformed each location into a portal to Mary Louise's world with her incredible attention to detail.
Faith and Delaney added strokes of beauty with their hair and makeup artistry, and Joey Ramirez painted our stage scenes with light.
Haley Robbins, as Mary Louise herself, embraced the persona perfectly, bringing depth and emotion to every frame.
Kennedy, Brooklen, and Nate stepped into their supporting roles with passion, adding life and vibrancy to Mary Louise's story.
Jaime Bayer ensured not a moment was missed as our DigiTech, with Logan supporting every shot as my invaluable Photography Assistant.

Our journey was also enriched by the contributions from Art Dog Props, The Picture Car Company, Southern Trophy, and The Hip Zipper, each playing a pivotal role in adding layers of depth and realism to our visual narrative.