Hiring a travel photographer might be something that feels like a splurge. But I’m here to tell you it’s worth every penny! If you’re someone who is reading this blog, you’re more than likely someone like me who truly treasures their travels. For me, a vacation is more than just time relaxing on a beach. It’s a chance to dive into a new culture, replenish my soul with unique experiences and beautiful places, and spend quality time either with people I love or with myself. Over the years, I found that while I had a wonderful collection of photos from my trips, they were often missing something.
If I was travelling alone, any pictures of myself were awkward selfies or rushed self-timer shots. These were never perfectly composed and often blurry. If I was travelling with a friend, family member or even my significant other, they could easily take the shot for me. But then I’m was left without that person alongside me either. A few years ago, on our second trip to Japan, I made the decision to hire a photographer to help capture pictures of my husband and I travelling TOGETHER.
Hiring a photographer is going to cost money; there is no way of getting around that. And in an age where everyone has a camera on their phone, there is sometimes this feeling of “should I really be spending my money on this when I can do it myself?”. And yes, yes, you should! For every reason, I mentioned above and all the ones I’m about to talk about. After booking my first travel photographer, I knew that this was going to be something I would invest in every time we went somewhere special. It was worth every penny and not only that, and it made for an incredible experience as well! Here is why YOU should book a travel photographer on your next trip!
Often the only time in a person’s life, when they might hire a professional photographer, is on their wedding day. Avoiding hiring photographers for other events throughout the years is not only doing a disservice to yourself but also to photographers. These professionals have a real skills which are so unique and something which shouldn’t just be reserved for one event in your entire life. Photographers are perfect to hire if you’re travelling with the whole family. When else do you have the opportunity of getting everyone together in one picture?
Plus, you don’t need to worry about having to be the one who sacrifices being in the photo for taking it. If you’re a couple (like us) we love to capture our favourite spots in cities we love. We feel like it captures us in our most comfortable, happy place. If you’re expecting a baby, making a proposal or even just celebrating a momentous life event, hiring a photographer to capture that moment is the best way to remember it in print forever!
I’m pretty sure my dad invented selfies. Looking back at all his photographs from the 70s, I found dozens of selfies taken from his film camera. They all featured his blurry face in front of, what I think is, a famous landmark. And while they are indeed works of art (lol), I have not mastered that same genetic art of selfie taking. I never look quite right and more than that, the pictures never look natural. There is just something about stepping away from the camera, being in the shot, rather than in front of the shot that just feels more natural. You can see the space around you, interact with it and escape that dreaded double chin!
When I was trying to take my own vacation pictures, it always involved bringing my fancy DSLR camera, a tripod and a remote timer. I needed all these things to make even a half-decent photo. And even then, standing alone, posing across from a camera, can get pretty awkward. Let’s face it, most of us today use pretty much just our phone as the primary camera. I still love my fancy DSLR, but I have to admit when I leave it at home, I do feel freer and my bag is a lot lighter. Hiring a professional photographer means you can leave that camera at home and still get super high-res pictures that are frame-worthy!
Speaking of framing, I have found that all my pictures we took on vacation are the ones that make it onto the wall. I love to collect images of my family and it just adds that little bit of extra interest when set in a fantastical place around the world. For anyone who visits our home, it’s a conversation piece. “Where was this taken?” “What building are you standing beside?” “Omg is that what Japan looks like?!” I’m always so happy to answer any of their questions and start an engaging conversation about my favourite topic: travel!
Photographers are locals. And they know those secret locations which can make for some breathtaking photos. Or, if you’re looking to head to the Eiffel Tower for an iconic shot there, the photographers know hacks to get the perfect photo without enormous crowds. Photographers not only know about photography but they also know a lot about the city you’re visiting. I always spend the majority of the shoot asking them about their favourite things to do or where we should head next. And they still have the most interesting responses.
Some of us buy one fantastic dress or outfit that we totally fall in love with, without really having somewhere to wear it. Well, a photoshoot is a perfect excuse to break out those extra special garments. No one knows you wherever you’re travelling so use this opportunity to become someone who would wear that outfit just out and about! Or after the shoot find somewhere fancy to go which also justifies such fancy attire.
If you’re not someone who takes pictures often, coming up with ideas for poses can feel both awkward and uncomfortable. A photographer is practiced at this and has a thousand thoughts in their head to make your shots look interesting, dynamic and, most important of all, natural. I love taking direction from an expert and honestly, it makes it more fun and feels like a real experience!
Solo travelling is GREAT, I love it. Travelling alone means you don’t have to compromise on anyone else’s schedule or interests. It allows you to do whatever YOU want. And sometimes, being alone lets you be a little more introspective, which is something we often don’t allow ourselves to be in this world of go-go-go. Solo travelling is tough if you want a picture of yourself, though. Usually, you have to resort to asking a stranger. Often this results in less than optimal images since strangers don’t know or care about getting a good shot or sometimes they don’t even know how to compose a picture at all.
A professional photographer is such a beautiful thing to splurge on for solo travelling as it allows YOU to be in the shot. To captures your travels without compromising on the shot. Plus, if you get a little lonely, it’s a nice chance to talk to someone new and perhaps even make a new friend!
If you have a bigger budget, there are plenty of companies already out there that have taken care of the search for a photographer around the world for you. Places like Localgrapher, Flytographer, Shoot My Travel and Local Lens have packages, at different price points, for you to choose from in cities all over the world. You can view the photographer’s profile, see past clients’ photos and read reviews. While all this is neatly put together in an easy to purchase a package, it does come at a much higher cost. These companies are very expensive, and often you don’t get many photos for the high price. But they’re reliable and efficient.
If you don’t have as big of a budget, try searching out burgeoning photographers. There are so many INCREDIBLE photographers on Instagram. By searching on there you can find, in my opinion, even better than the ones on those sites. Often, since they’re not affiliated with these companies, they have more flexibility in their prices and the number of photos they provide. This might mean sending a bunch of random Instagram DMs to find your perfect fit, but if you’re looking to save a bit of money, this is the best way to do so.
While a photographer might email you in your native language, this could mean they’re using google translate to communicate. Be sure to ask if they speak your native language since communicating in real life with your photographer is essential to get those great shots.
Picking a photographer who has a style that suits you is super important. Almost more so than price. What’s the point of paying for pictures which don’t represent your personal style, no matter how much they cost. For us, one of the most vital things is composition. We LOVE a well-composed photo. We don’t always need to be the focus of the shot. If we’re featured inside a stunning architectural feature – that’s the best! It combines the city and us together. Often we don’t even want to be looking at the camera, this was it feels more editorial. For others, this could be the complete opposite of what they want.
It’s essential to look at examples of the photographer’s work to see their style, both in the photo-taking and in the editing. If you like a more retro photo processing style, don’t pick someone who uses high contrast and modern colouring. Sometimes the photo editing is the photographer’s signature, and they won’t change it based on your preferences. So choose a signature you LOVE! Don’t think you can just fix it yourself afterwards or ask for the raw files. Plus half the reason you’re hiring someone is for their artistic flair and style. So chose the one you love.
Although your photographer will have a better idea of the exact time for your photos, as a general rule, starting early in the morning and on a weekday will mean you’ll have a more private, quiet experience. Especially if you have your heart set on a popular attraction or backdrop, you want to make sure you’re there before hoards of selfie stick-wielding tourists take-up the entire space. Early in the morning also means you’ll have some beautiful light as the sun begins to rise.
Checking the weather a week or so in advance can help you plan out your outfit. Be sure to plan on two options just in case you get some rain or if it ends up being a touch chiller than perhaps you thought it might be. Starting early in the morning means it can be colder than the daytime high so be sure to plan on a jacket you could easily take off as the day wears on.
While some photographers might be flexible on changing dates if it rains, most photographers won’t be as their schedule is already full up. So it’s always good to have a rain plan. Ask your photographer where they might think would be good spots around the area to escape to should there be a massive downpour. Rain might also mean that potentially busy places are empty. As long as you bring adequate rain gear, it could make for some iconic shots! Bright and colourful umbrellas are a real statement piece, and you can always find them in tourist shops for sale. Don’t make the weather a downer, make it an opportunity!
Our incredible photographer in Tokyo was KP Photography and the amazing photos from Mexico City were taken by Olga Koroleva. If you’re looking for a photographer in either of those locations do not hesitate to contact either of these true artists!
Let me know if you’ve ever booked a travel photographer and what your experience was like!
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