Good photography can change how people see your venue
Updated: 16th October 2026
There's still a lot of misunderstanding about what swingers clubs and adult lifestyle venues are actually like. Professional photography gives owners an opportunity to challenge those misconceptions, show off their facilities and help potential guests feel more comfortable about visiting
I've been commissioned to photograph several adult venues, including Penthouse Playrooms in Dunstable, Oops Barcelona and Liberty Elite in Lutterworth.
And one thing I've learnt is that no two venues are quite the same.
Some feel like luxurious private members' clubs. Others have everything you'd expect from a nightclub, with bars, dance floors, DJs and impressive lighting. Then there are the playrooms, themed spaces and more intimate areas that make these venues different.
Unfortunately, without decent photographs, potential guests might never realise what's behind those doors.
Adult clubs aren't necessarily what people imagine
Mention a swingers club to someone who's never visited one, and there's a good chance they'll have a fairly outdated picture in their head.
Old leather sofas, questionable décor and dimly lit rooms that haven't been updated in decades.
I'm sure places like that still exist, but they're certainly not representative of every adult venue.
Some of the clubs I've photographed have genuinely impressive interiors, beautiful lighting, comfortable social spaces and facilities that wouldn't look out of place in an upmarket hotel or nightclub.
And I think that's something venue owners should be shouting about.
For someone considering their first visit, being able to look around a venue online can make a big difference.
They might be nervous, curious or simply unsure what to expect. Seeing a welcoming bar, somewhere comfortable to sit, a decent dance floor or a beautifully decorated lounge helps them picture themselves there.
It's not necessarily about showing them what happens in the playrooms.
Sometimes, it's about showing them that there's a perfectly normal, enjoyable night out to be had.
Two very different venues, both worth showing off
Two of my favourite examples are Oops Barcelona and Penthouse Playrooms.
I've photographed both professionally, and although they cater to the adult lifestyle community, they're completely different environments.
Oops Barcelona: More mansion than nightclub
Oops Barcelona is a gorgeous venue.
Spread across several floors, the building has the feel of a lavish private mansion rather than somewhere you'd immediately associate with a swingers club.
There are beautiful interiors, various playrooms, a dungeon and plenty of spaces where guests can relax and socialise.
What impressed me was the scale of the place and how different the spaces felt as you moved around the building.
It's exactly the kind of venue that deserves proper photography.
A handful of poorly lit phone pictures would struggle to communicate the size, atmosphere and attention to detail.
The professional photographs give potential visitors a much better understanding of what's actually there.
I also created a promotional reel for Oops which received more than 10,000 views on Instagram. That doesn't tell us how many people went on to visit, but it demonstrates the interest that good visual content can generate.
Penthouse Playrooms: A proper nightclub experience
Penthouse Playrooms in Dunstable takes a different approach.
Walking into the main social areas feels much more like entering a nightclub.
There's a cocktail bar, dance floor, pole and professional lighting that creates a proper party atmosphere.
Of course, there are also playrooms, a dungeon and various other facilities available to guests.
But here's the thing...
You could spend an entire evening at Penthouse enjoying the music, having drinks, dancing and socialising without ever stepping into one of those rooms.
And I think that's an important part of the experience to communicate.
For someone who's curious about the lifestyle but perhaps a little apprehensive, photographs of the bar, dance floor and social areas can make the venue feel far more approachable.
They're not just booking entry into an adult club. They're planning a night out.
The photographs should reflect that.
Why is photographing adult venues so difficult?
The biggest challenge is usually the lighting.
Adult clubs aren't designed with photographers in mind. They're designed to create an atmosphere, which often means very low light, coloured LEDs and dark interiors.
That might look fantastic when you're standing in the room, but it doesn't necessarily translate into a good photograph.
A room that's beautifully atmospheric in person can end up looking like a black hole on camera.
As a professional photographer, my job is to find the balance between showing enough detail and keeping the atmosphere that makes the space appealing in the first place.
I don't want to make a dark, intimate playroom look like someone's turned on the office lights.
Equally, there's no point producing photographs where potential guests can't see what's in the room.
And sometimes, certain rooms simply aren't worth photographing.
I'd rather be upfront about that and concentrate on the spaces that work well than deliver a collection of dark, unappealing images simply because they're on a shot list.
Good venue photography isn't about making everything look brighter or bigger than it really is.
It's about showing the space at its best while remaining true to what guests will actually experience.
When should an adult venue be photographed?
Ideally, when it's closed.
Photographing an empty venue gives us much more control over the environment.
There's no need to work around guests, worry about accidentally photographing someone or wait for people to move out of the way.
It also means we can take our time getting the lighting and composition right.
Before photographing a venue, I'd recommend making sure everything is clean, tidy and set up exactly as you'd want guests to find it.
Lighting should be working properly, bars should be prepared, and any rooms included in the shoot should be ready to photograph.
Small details make a difference.
Should you include people in your venue photography?
Absolutely, if it works for the venue.
While empty-room photographs are useful for showing the layout and facilities, including people can help bring those spaces to life.
A small group of models enjoying drinks at the bar, relaxing in a lounge or dancing can make photographs feel much more inviting.
It gives potential visitors a sense of scale and helps them imagine what the venue might feel like when it's open.
I'd recommend arranging this specifically for the shoot rather than trying to photograph unsuspecting guests during a normal club night.
That way, everyone involved knows exactly what we're creating and how the photographs will be used.
Of course, everyone appearing in promotional images needs to have given appropriate permission.
The last thing a venue needs is a photograph appearing on its website featuring someone who never agreed to be there.
There's also a distinction between photographing the venue and photographing an actual event.
I offer adult event photography separately, where the focus is much more on guests, entertainment and the atmosphere of the night.
What can professional venue photographs be used for?
Quite a lot, actually.
Your website is the obvious starting point, but a good collection of venue photographs can be useful across social media, event listings, promotional materials and advertising.
It also means you're not constantly searching for something suitable to post or recycling the same handful of images.
You can show different areas of the venue depending on what you're promoting.
For example, photographs of the bar and dance floor might work particularly well when advertising a social night, while images of your more unusual facilities could appeal to people specifically looking for those experiences.
Having a varied collection gives you options.
If you organise events as well, combining photographs of the venue with images showing people enjoying themselves can be particularly effective.
I explored that distinction in my article about photographing a Secret House event at Liberty Elite.
The venue photographs show what's available. The event photographs show what the atmosphere is like when people are there.
Both have their place.
Is professional venue photography worth the investment?
I think so, particularly when you consider how much time and money goes into creating and maintaining a good adult venue.
Owners invest in furniture, lighting, bars, themed rooms, equipment and facilities.
Yet sometimes the photography used to promote everything is an afterthought.
And that's a shame.
If you've invested in making your venue somewhere people genuinely want to visit, surely it's worth showing people what you've created?
Professional photographs won't guarantee more bookings, and I'd be suspicious of anyone promising otherwise.
But they can give potential guests a clearer picture of your venue, help challenge misconceptions and provide you with a much stronger collection of promotional material.
For people who've never visited an adult club before, that first impression could be particularly important.
Adult Venue Photography FAQs
Do adult venue photographs need to show anything explicit?
Not at all.
Photographs of bars, lounges, dance floors, lighting, décor and other facilities can be just as useful when promoting an adult venue.
What matters is showing potential guests what makes your venue worth visiting.
How often should adult venues update their photographs?
There's no fixed rule, but I'd recommend updating your images whenever you've made significant changes to the décor, lighting, facilities or layout.
If your website still shows rooms that were refurbished two years ago, it's probably time for some new photographs.
What should we prepare before a venue photoshoot?
Make sure the rooms you want photographed are clean, tidy and ready for guests.
Check that lighting is working, remove unnecessary clutter and consider which areas you most want to promote.
It's also worth deciding beforehand whether you want photographs featuring people, as this may require additional planning.
Can you photograph our venue without disrupting events?
Absolutely. I actually prefer photographing venues when they're closed, as it gives me more control over the lighting and time to capture each space properly. It also avoids any privacy concerns with guests. If you'd like people in the photographs, we can arrange a small group of willing models to bring the venue to life.
Want to show off your venue properly?
If you run a swingers club, adult lifestyle venue or private members' club and think your photography could do with an update, I'd be happy to help.
I've photographed adult venues across the UK and overseas, and I understand the importance of capturing their atmosphere without making them look completely different from reality.
Whether you need a few updated photographs or a complete collection covering the entire venue, we can work out what makes the most sense.
No complicated brief needed. Just let me know where you are, roughly how big the venue is and what you're hoping to achieve.
About the photographer
I'm Lee, the photographer behind Laid Bare Productions.
I've been a professional photographer for more than 15 years, working across commercial, corporate, travel and events photography.
Alongside boudoir and adult lifestyle events, I've been commissioned to photograph adult venues including Penthouse Playrooms, Oops Barcelona and Liberty Elite.
I approach venue photography much as I would any other commercial shoot: understand the space, work with the available lighting and create photographs that are genuinely useful to the people commissioning them.
