Hotel Adlon, Bellman

Hotel Adlon Kempinski just celebrated their 100th anniversary and with luxury suits ranging from a few hundred - 12,000 Euros a night, there are many good reasons to work for such a respected establishment. I've passed by this Hotel many times while walking along Unter den Linden. The hotel screamed high class, too rich for my blood. The Bellmen wear traditional attire and carry themselves like gentlemen. Roy Hawkins a Bellman at the Hotel Adlon was very friendly and was happy to help me with my project. When I first went up to talk with him I asked him how he was doing and he was very surprised. We were first conversing in German but quickly switched to English. He reminds me of the staff who worked on the R.M.S Titanic in his uniform and the way he is standing. He has been working at Hotel Adlon for a few years now. He told me "work is work, but for now I'd rather work here." I asked him if he was American because of his accent and he informed me that his Father is an African American who was stationed in Germany while serving in the military. During that time he met his mother who is German. Roy has traveled to America but has always lived Europe.

I really like this picture with Roy positioned on the right. He is looking right at the camera which is a really powerful shot but his body opens up the picture and is inviting. My approach for this assignment was to photograph workers and the environment in which they work because the work place also says a lot about the their personalities. By Positioning Roy to the side I was able to capture the red carpet which leeds you toward the door which frames his head nicely and the gold accents around the hotel capture the luxury that Hotel Adlon Kempinski is known for.