Do you have any travel traditions? We do! As someone who enjoys routines and habits, it makes me irrationally happy to know that every time I travel, there’s something I’ll ALWAYS do. For me, it’s having a professional photo shoot. In this era of smartphones when everyone has a professional camera in the palm of their hands, the idea of paying to have your photos taken in this era of smartphones might sound frivolous, but hear me out.
Why is it important to take photos while traveling?
Although some people view picture-taking during trips as non-essential, I’ve come to appreciate the value of capturing moments when we travel. It reminds me of why I travel in the first place: You can lose material possessions, but no one can take away your travel experiences. You’ll always be able to look back on them fondly, and photographs are even more reliable than your memory.
When I look at photographs from trips even decades ago, all the memories come rushing back! While you can take photos on your phone these days, my favorite memories come from the high-resolution photographs taken on professional cameras. Maybe it’s because I used to be a photographer, but professional cameras capture images with more depth and range than iPhones do, and once I recognized that, it was hard to un-know it.
Why you should book a professional photographer on your next trip
You’re probably thinking, “Eh, I’ll just buy a pro camera and take my pictures by myself.” Been there, done that, and it’s not that fun.
You’ll see many posts online about how to take photos of yourself as a solo traveler with a remote, and I’m all for independence, but if you’re shy or introverted like me, figuring out tripods and remotes in public places is not for you. Asking fellow travelers to take your picture is a sweet way to connect, but the pictures can be hit or miss.
Taking good photos while doing activities as a couple or family is also much trickier on your own. All your photos together have to be posed (no one’s taking candid photos of everyone together) or contain only part of the family, not everyone.
I still do all the things above, just to capture memories, but every time we travel nowadays, we always book a proper photo shoot with a real photographer in our location. Here’s why:
Capture HIGH-QUALITY images worth memorializing
I’ve already raved about the quality of photos from a digital camera, and I stand by that. Having a professional take our pictures has allowed us to leave each vacation with a variety of images (posed, candids, wide range, close-ups) featuring my husband and I interacting and experiencing the destination.
These are photos we can easily frame as permanent reminders of a wonderful trip. We’re not the most high-energy travelers, but if you’d like, you can visit more than one location and even have multiple outfits during your photo shoots for maximum fun. Beats selfies, huh?
Focus on enjoying the process
You can bring your own camera (and I did this while visiting Wales with our friends), but someone has to be the designated photographer who ends up rarely being in the photos or constantly directing everyone else. Your group will have to be on the lookout for the kind stranger who can photograph all of you, or like we did, you can stick your phone in the sand for some timed pictures.
It was still a great time. But the next time we travel together, we’ve already decided to save ourselves the stress and do a group photo shoot together with a professional. When you do this, you only have to worry about dressing right, showing up on time, and having fun! No time is wasted editing photos and sending them to all members of your group as the designated photographer.
Make a new local friend
We’ve done photo shoots in London and Cape Town, and both times, we connected with the sweetest, most passionate young ladies – Emily and Nadine. Emily gave us local tips on where to go and eat during our time in London, and we just had a blast talking to Nadine during and after the shoot — we were probably there for two hours instead of one!
It’s a safe way to connect with a reliable local, get tips for enjoying your vacation, and potentially make a new friend in a different country than yours.
The best way to book a photo shoot while traveling
Loads of people swear by Airbnb Experiences, but our favorite way to book a photoshoot while traveling is FLYTOGRAPHER. Flytographer was designed for exactly that purpose: to help travelers find photographers during their trips.
Here’s how it works.
Head to the Flytographer website and search for the city you’re visiting. They don’t have photographers everywhere yet, but they’re available in many countries in Europe and the Americas. You can see all the available destinations here.
Once you’re there, search for the city you’re visiting and choose a photographer whose style appeals to you.
All the pricing is the same, and you can pick anything from a 30-minute block to a 2-hour block of time. Each shoot costs between $325 for 30 minutes and $715 for 2 hours. We’ve always received over 20 pictures, so I view the number of photographs as a minimum number, not a hard rule.
We always do two hours, and it’s often more than enough time. The photographer will ask if there are any specific shots you’d like during the shoot and will do their best to capture those. I always ask for work headshots for my blogs. My Reading Middle Grade headshot is from London, and this travel blog one is from Cape Town.
Everyone wants different things from their photo sessions, so look out for your criteria in the reviews.
For example, if you feel awkward during photo shoots, look for reviews that mention the photographer making people feel comfortable in front of the camera. If you’ll be shooting with a large group, make sure the photographer has photographed big groups in the past, as it can be very different from capturing a couple.
I like to read the reviews, look at the photographers’ portfolios, and read their profiles to get a sense of their personality.
Flytographer photographers offer you route options for your shoot, so you can choose between beach scenes, a botanical garden, or a cityscape, depending on your location.
Once you book, be sure to read the terms and conditions. You can cancel up to 15 days before the shoot date and receive a 90% refund. I typically wait until my travel plans are set in stone to book a shoot to avoid cancellations, but make sure to book 1-2 months ahead of time. I recommend booking no later than two weeks before the shoot date, especially during high season.
This post is not sponsored, but I am truly a fan of the service and two destinations later, I’m just eager to do another Flytographer shoot on our next trip!
If you decide to use Flytographer, my code AFOMAADENIYI will get you $25 off your first shoot and score me the same amount off my next shoot too — win-win!
Do you have any other questions about this service? What travel traditions do you have? I’d love to hear!
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