Architectural photographer in Miami
Antonio Cuellar is an architectural photographer based in Miami with over 20 years of experience working with hotels and luxury brands. His work is centered on high-end hotels and resorts, with additional projects for architects, interior designers, and developers across Miami. Over the course of his career, Antonio Cuellar has photographed hotels, airports, airport lounges, restaurants, stadiums, and recreational parks — spaces where lighting, scale, and atmosphere all have to work together in a single frame.
From Hotels to International Campaigns
Antonio Cuellar’s architectural work is grounded in over two decades photographing luxury hospitality properties, but it hasn’t stayed confined to Miami. That same technical ability — shooting any type of interior, from a hotel suite to an aircraft cabin — led to Antonio Cuellar being selected for several commercial campaigns in the Middle East for tourism boards and airline brands, including Qatar Airways. Architects and hospitality brands looking for a photographer who has proven that range internationally, not just locally, find that background reflected in every shoot Antonio Cuellar takes on.
Antonio Cuellar’s Approach to Lighting
Lighting is where Antonio Cuellar focuses most of his technical attention on a shoot. He works with a mix of natural and artificial light, timed around a space’s best moments — sunrise on a waterfront property, the shift of light through a lobby in late afternoon — to bring out the textures and features that define a building rather than flatten them.
Antonio Cuellar’s Approach to Composition
Antonio Cuellar frames every shot to draw the eye toward what matters most in a space — the lines of a building, the flow of an interior, the relationship between architecture and its surroundings. For interiors, that also means working with the space itself: arranging furniture and details so the final image feels balanced rather than staged. A closer look at this interiors-specific work is available on Architecture & Interiors Photography.
Hospitality and Resort Architecture
Hotels and resorts make up the core of Antonio Cuellar’s architecture work. He understands what hospitality brands need from architectural photography — images that support marketing and brand identity, not just document a building — because that’s the majority of what he’s shot throughout his 20+ year career. That marketing-focused output connects closely with Antonio Cuellar’s Advertising Photography and Lifestyle Photography work.
Airports, Stadiums, and Public Spaces
Beyond hospitality, Antonio Cuellar has photographed airports, airport lounges, stadiums, and recreational parks — large-scale public spaces that come with their own lighting and logistical challenges, and that he approaches with the same attention to detail as any hotel shoot. Airport lounge and terminal dining photography also ties into Antonio Cuellar’s Food & Beverage Photography work.
How Antonio Cuellar Works With Architects and Designers
Antonio Cuellar takes the time to understand what a client needs before a shoot — the brand identity, the marketing goal, the specific story a space needs to tell — so the images he delivers are built for how they’ll actually be used, not just how they look in isolation. This collaborative process is the result of many years working alongside architects and interior designers on projects ranging from individual properties to full brand photography programs.
Teaching at Maine Media Workshops
Antonio Cuellar also teaches an architectural photography workshop at Maine Media Workshops, where he shares the lighting and composition techniques he uses in his own work. Sign up here to my architectural photography workshop if you’re interested in the class.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an architectural photographer cost in Miami?
Architectural photography is typically priced as a day/creative fee rather than a flat hourly rate, with experienced specialists in major metros commonly charging $1,000–$4,000+ per day depending on scope, plus separate fees for post-production retouching and image licensing. Larger or more complex commercial projects, such as hotels or hospitality buildings, tend to fall at the higher end of that range. Antonio Cuellar’s rates reflect over 20 years of experience photographing architecture for hotel brands, architects, and interior designers, and vary based on project scope, so interested clients are encouraged to reach out directly for a quote.
Why do architectural photographers charge a day rate instead of an hourly rate?
Unlike an event, a building doesn’t move — which means the photographer controls timing, light, weather, and composition, often planning shots around a narrow window of ideal natural light. A full shoot day commonly produces only a handful of carefully composed final images rather than a high volume of quick shots, which is why the pricing model is built around a day or creative fee covering planning, equipment, and expertise, with retouching and licensing typically billed separately. Antonio Cuellar shoots interiors and architecture with medium-format systems including Hasselblad and Phase One, and a typical interiors shoot produces around 7–10 final images across a full day, reflecting the additional time spent on lighting and composition.
What should I look for when hiring an architectural photographer in Miami?
Look for a portfolio of comparable work — hospitality, commercial, or residential architecture, depending on your project — along with a track record of published work and experience working directly with architects, interior designers, or brands. Technical expertise with perspective-correcting equipment (tilt-shift lenses or medium-format cameras) and lighting for both interior and exterior shots is also important, since architectural photography requires more technical precision than general photography. Antonio Cuellar is an award-winning architectural photographer with over 20 years of experience, featured in Architectural Digest, Dezeen, and Interior Design Magazine, and has photographed architecture for hotel brands, architects, and interior designers internationally.
Who owns the rights to architectural photos, and can I use them for awards or publications?
The photographer typically retains copyright to the images, and the fee paid by the client includes a license to use the photos for specific purposes — commonly a website, portfolio, social media, and award submissions — with broader or extended usage sometimes requiring additional licensing. Clients planning to submit images for awards or press features should confirm this usage is included before the shoot. Antonio Cuellar’s architectural work has been featured in major design publications and used in award submissions, and he also serves as a judge for Luxury Travel Guide, giving him firsthand familiarity with what award-caliber architectural photography needs to include.
What’s the difference between architectural photography and real estate photography?
Real estate photography is generally fast-paced, covering many rooms quickly to support a property listing at a lower cost. Architectural photography is a slower, more deliberate process focused on design intent — working around ideal natural light, correcting perspective, and producing fewer but more polished images intended for portfolios, publications, or brand marketing rather than a sales listing. Antonio Cuellar’s architectural work falls into this category, shooting for hotel brands, architects, and interior designers with a technical, design-focused approach rather than a high-volume real estate style.
What kind of architectural photography does Antonio Cuellar specialize in?
Primarily hospitality architecture — hotels and resorts — along with airports, airport lounges, stadiums, recreational parks, and projects for architects, interior designers, and developers.
How does Antonio Cuellar approach lighting for architectural photography?
By timing shoots around a space’s best natural light — sunrise on a waterfront property, late-afternoon light through a lobby — and supplementing with artificial light to bring out texture and detail rather than flatten it.
Has Antonio Cuellar photographed architecture outside of Miami?
Yes. Antonio Cuellar has been selected to shoot several commercial architecture and interiors campaigns in the Middle East for tourism and airline brands, including Qatar Airways, based on his technical ability to shoot any type of interior.
Does Antonio Cuellar teach architectural photography?
Yes. Antonio Cuellar teaches an architectural photography workshop at Maine Media Workshops, covering the lighting and composition techniques used in his own professional work.
Work With Antonio Cuellar
Hotels, resorts, developers, and design firms looking for architectural photography in Miami can get in touch with Antonio Cuellar to discuss a project. More of his portfolio is available on the Miami photography page.
Further reading on architectural photography and design: