Why You Should Hire a Photographer for Your Next Trip
I was recently sharing with a friend how booking my photo shoot for my first trip to Scotland was one of the best choices I've ever made. She had seen a recent blog and commented on the photos, telling me how happy I looked. That was the whole point.
At first, I wavered back and forth about booking the shoot. On the one hand, it felt somewhat self-absorbed and vain. On the other hand, I knew just how hard it was to get good photos of myself while traveling solo. As this was one of my lifetime dream trips, I didn't want to leave the memories in the hands of a random stranger* who may or may not know how to properly frame a good shot. In the end, I'm so glad I spent the money on the photoshoot. Now, I forever have high-quality photos that captured what I felt on that second day in Edinburgh: elation, peace, solitude, and so much more. And as a bonus, I now have fantastic photos I can use for my blog and other submissions.
I've encourage my friends to do this as well. This past spring, I had a coworker who was going abroad solo for the first time ever. She ended up booking a professional photo shoot during her stop in Paris and told me it was one of the highlights of her trip. Now she has these incredible photos of her standing before the Eiffel Tower from her first big adventure abroad. These moments and feelings, which she will never be able to recreate, are now captured memories.
I'm not saying you should book a professional photographer for any trip. However, if you are going somewhere that has more meaning for any reason, or you are traveling abroad alone and want to make sure you have good photos of your trip, I cannot recommend it enough. You don’t need to wait for a wedding or engagement to get beautiful photos of yourself. Your solo trip, your reunion with friends, your first big adventure in years are all worthy moments too.
*Little pro tip: If you do find yourself asking a stranger to take a photo, try to choose a teenage/20 something year old girl who will know how to get good shots because, let's face it, they live on their phones.
If you are considering booking a professional photographer for an upcoming trip, I asked one of my favorite travel photographers to share her expert advice on how to find the right photographer for your trip.
How to Find the Right Photographer by
:Taking a special milestone trip?
Consider hiring a pro photographer to capture you and your family, beautifully and professionally.
Here are 4 tips to find the right photographer for you:
Check their portfolio to see if you like their photos. Look for consistency in the style, quality and mood of the shots. Consistency gives you confidence that they’ll be able to reproduce those kinds of shots for your photo shoot with them.
Consider their destination knowledge. You want to hire a photography who’s familiar with the area and can suggest locations, ideal shooting times and insider tips so you can have an enjoyable time at the shoot and walk away with photos you love.
Treat the photo shoot like a collaboration. Discuss locations, photo style and clothing ahead of time so you’re all on the same page with your vision and expectation of the shoot.
Pick a photographer who communicates professionally, promptly and makes you feel comfortable. If you’re not comfortable with the photographer, it’ll show in the photos. Good chemistry will lead to better photos and a more enjoyable time.
By following these simple tips, you can make sure you pick a pro photographer who will capture great photos of your milestone trip so you’ll have memories you’ll cherish for many years to come.
I write about travel, photography and optimising points & miles for travel.
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Santorini is the perfect place for your next special milestone trip. Here’s my Best of Santorini Travel Guide to get you inspired!
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Thanks for the collab! It was so much fun to put this together!
I love this idea. I have traveled solo, and there are never photos of me, only of my surroundings. What fun; perhaps I will book on my next trip!