Meldrum House Country Hotel

This image was taken on the backside of Meldrum House Country Hotel, which is about a 30-minute drive from Abderdeen. After arriving to the grounds of the property, park in the lot, and then make your way to the back of the hotel, and down a little slope that has stairs. Turn around and you'll have this vantage point. To best acquaint yourself with the hotel's grounds, reference the GPS in satellite mode. Address: Meldrum House Country Hotel & Golf Course, Oldmeldrum, Inverurie AB51 0AE, United Kingdom

In the summer months, the lawn of the Meldrum House Country Hotel will be a vibrant green color.

At morning, midday and late afternoon, you'll be able to find similar lighting conditions with the sun shining on the building and well-kept lawn.

Emphasize the architecture by positioning yourself at an angle. The varying levels and textures will stand out when they aren't shot from a straight-on perspective.

I stood on the lawn, back a reasonable distance from the hotel, so using a 55mm lens allowed me to compresss the scene and make them appear closer.

Try implementing the rule of the thirds at this spot. Work with the grid on your camera so that the top of the image focuses on the sky, the middle focuses on the hotel and the bottom focuses on the lawn and stairs.

Head into the hotel to shoot the interiors. The hotel has a posh charm that's perfect for lifestyle shots.

It's a great place to stay overnight — especially for a long weekend. There's a nice restaurant and bar, plus a golf course. One of my favorite things about this location is that the kitchen uses ingredients that are seasonal and locally sourced.

While you're in the area, don't miss out on visiting Fyvie Castle, which is within a 15-minute drive from the hotel.