Find and Book the Best Vacation Photographer
- Updated: 10/19/2024
- Janice
I pre-book at least one professional photo shoot on most family trips. I do this to get great photos of myself and my family. My husband is an excellent photographer. However, and happily for me, he is undiscriminating. He thinks most photos of me look terrific. They do not. That’s where the need for an objective professional comes in. Ideally, one familiar with the best locations, with a knack for harnessing light, and knowledgeable about the most flattering poses.
Plus, our kids—now teens, participate much more willingly when an accredited pro directs the photos than cringe-worthy mom and dad. So, if I want some nice pics of my kids, husband, or myself for keepsakes, holiday cards, or even this blog, I have found outsourcing pays dividends. And luckily, the effort and cost to set up a shoot nearly anywhere—we’ve had sessions in Malta, Paris, and almost the Amalfi Coast—is less than you’d expect. Plus, the experience is far more enjoyable than you might anticipate.
In this complete what-I-wish-I-knew-first guide, learn why to book a vacation photographer, where to find the best ones anywhere, and valuable tips to get the most out of your photoshoot.
Table Of Contents
8 Reasons to Book a Photographer for Your Next Trip
Does booking a professional photographer make sense for your next trip? Here are eight reasons that may convince you.
1. Be in your trip photos. If you are the de facto trip planner and reading this article, it is likely that you are the default vacation photo taker. Outsourcing photos for a 30-minute or hour-long+ shoot guarantees you will have some keepers with you in them.
2. Get gorgeous backdrops. If you are traveling, you are likely going to a beautiful place—a city, beach, or mountains, for example—which will make for an ideal photo backdrop. Imagine strolling through cobblestone streets in the late afternoon light, or gathering on a beach at sunset as a skilled photographer expertly sets up and frames each shot.
3. No bad photos from random strangers. You will not have to rely on selfie sticks and the kindness and skill, or lack thereof, of random strangers to capture great shots.
4. Better group participation. Family groups considering hiring a photographer can guarantee better involvement from reluctant kids, teens, and adults who will be more willing to participate with a stranger taking the photos vs. family members. In other words, unenthusiastic participants—especially kids—will rein in poor behavior and scowls, making it more pleasant for everyone and a more successful shoot.
5. Photos make the best souvenirs. High-quality professional keepsake photos will be among the most treasured souvenirs from your trip.
6. Your smiles will be authentic. You will be on vacation. The probability that you have left behind the stresses of day-to-day life is high, and that you will be in a more relaxed and happy state of mind is nearly guaranteed, which will show in your photos.
7. Your photoshoot will be fun. Often, you will meet in new-to-you places. Or you can book a “photo tour,” which many trip photographers offer, allowing you to see hidden and beautiful areas of your destination that are easy to miss if not pointed out by a local.
8. It is more affordable and easier to find a photographer than you think. See how below.
Bonus 9. You now have your holiday card. If you are a regular holiday card sender like us, your trip photos will provide the perfect images for your card, helping you avoid the last-minute scramble for acceptable pics.
7 Ways to Find & Book the Best Vacation Photographer
Here are seven ways to find and book the best vacation photographers in any destination.
1. Instagram hashtag searches. For our Malta trip to Valletta and Gozo, I booked a one-hour photo tour with Danielle Cassar in Valletta, its ancient and beautiful peninsular capital city, where we stayed several nights. I found her by searching on Instagram using destination #hashtag terms like #maltaphotographer, #maltafamilyphotographer, and #maltaweddingphotogapher. I liked the style of her photography and messaged her.
For our Italy trip, I found our intended Amalfi Coast photographer, Andrea Gallucci, much the same way. I tracked him down on Instagram, loved the style of his work, and scheduled a 30-minute Positano shoot. However, much to my disappointment, the Amalfi Coast weather was abysmal on the day of our shoot, and we had to cancel without rebooking because we were leaving the next day.
Since our Amalfi Coast photoshoot cancellation, I learned to book photographers on the first day of our stays so that I have time to reschedule due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. See more photo shoot tips below.
Before arriving in Paris for the summer 2024 Olympics, I searched similar hashtags like #parisphotographer and #parisphotography. I found The Paris Photographer and booked a session with one of their staff photographers. Using a local in this situation was invaluable. Since so many city streets were closed due to the Olympics, our photographer, Odrida, who splits her time between Paris and Romania, met us at one of the few open spots with an unobstructed Eiffel Tower view.
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2. Airbnb Experiences. Search for your destination and scroll through the Experiences until you see a photo experience you like.
3. Flytographer. Search for your destination to see options. View online photo portfolios and reviews. Book through the site.
4. Localgrapher. Similar to Flytographer.
5. Local Lens. Similar to Flytographer.
6. Search “Hire travel photographer in (your destination)” on Google or other online search engines and click a few pages through the results. Not all destination photographer websites are optimized to rank highly on search engines. It pays to dig a few pages in.
7. Contact your lodging or tour guides for photographer recommendations before your trip. Smaller properties and businesses are often well-connected locally and can make suggestions. Larger hotels have concierges who may be able to help.
8 Tips to Make the Most of Your Vacation Photoshoot
Before you book your vacation photoshoot, remember these eight tips to get the most out of your experience.
1. Find your photographer and book directly to keep things affordable. Expect to pay higher prices when arranging sessions through booking agent sites like Airbnb Experiences or Flytographer.
2. Check out the style of your photographer before you book. Take time to scroll through online portfolios. Make sure you like your photographer’s work. Before our Malta trip, I got a recommendation for a photographer from our day-trip tour company. After visiting the photographer’s website, I found their style too contrived and prop-heavy for my tastes, so I kept looking and found Danielle.
3. Confirm they offer the kind of photo session you want. When searching for a photographer, if their website or portfolios show only engagement, wedding, or honeymoon photoshoots, know that they typically offer other services—such as family or solo shoots. Since occasion shoots comprise most of a vacation photographer’s business, they usually showcase these. Message the photographer to confirm they offer other session types, which they typically do.
4. Determine the image package included in your shoot. Then find out the cost for additional images. Our Malta session with Danielle included 20 finished and edited digital images. We loved her work so much that we purchased another 30 pictures at a very reasonable price per image.
5. Check their reviews. If your photographer has an online business presence, search online to read their reviews. For example, check out these stellar Google reviews of Andrea Gallucci, my recommended Amalfi Coast photographer. Reading photographer reviews will help you better understand their professionalism, communication style, and skill, reconfirming that your choice is a good one or indicating you should keep looking.
6. Book your shoot for the first day you can. Avoid my Positano mistake! Schedule your photoshoot for the first full day you are in a location. That way, if there is bad weather or the need for a last-minute cancellation, you still might have time to rebook. While in Positano, I scheduled our Amalfi Coast photographer, Andrea Gallucci, for our last afternoon of a three-night stay. Since the weather was terrible that day, we had to cancel and had no time to rebook. I learned this one the hard way.
7. Plan your outfit(s). Especially if you are scheduling a shoot for a group, try to color-coordinate outfits if possible. You will love how the cohesive colors will look in your final photos. However, despite the obvious benefits (!), I struggle to convince my skeptical family to do this. So, for our family vacation photoshoots, it is enough that I can get everyone to bring one nice outfit that loosely fits a general color scheme and know it will still work out.
8. Communicate with your photographer. Let them know if you have any types of photos or a time of day in mind for your shoot. Let your photographer know if you feel out of your depth and uncomfortable providing direction. They are professionals. The best ones readily take direction or supply it—according to the needs or requests of their clients.
Finally, relax and enjoy. You have done your research and can be confident knowing you can rely on your photographer’s expertise to capture the most attractive light, prettiest backdrops, and the most flattering poses to create beautiful photos that will be a cherished reminder of your unforgettable vacation.
Related Reading
Pair my vacation photographer resources and tips with these related articles to ensure your best trip.
- 49 Things You Need to Do to Plan Your Best Trip (Free Travel Research & Planning Checklist)
- Itinerary Template for a Trip: Free Downloadable Examples & More Resources
- The Top Travel Apps I Use for Better Travel
- Pack Faster & Better With This Universal Printable Packing List
- 25 Expert Packing Tips to Help You Travel Better
- Pre-Trip: A Practical Checklist to Close the House & Pack
Additional Trip Planning Resources
To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below.
Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here.
Google Hotels. Use its “Where to stay” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.
Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.
Viator, Get Your Guide, & Airbnb Experiences. Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.
Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps. Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list.
AllTrails. Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.
Guide Along. 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour.
Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here. My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com.
Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks, and my free customizable travel itinerary template, downloadable in four file formats.
About the author: Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog, Gather and Go Travel. After attending the University of Michigan undergraduate business school and following a career in retail strategy and event management, she returned to focus on her first love—travel. Read her bio, learn how she became a blogger, and discover how to work with her. Sign up for her monthly Discovery Newsletter for travel recs and how-to’s. Or follow her on social media (@gatherandgotravel).
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Welcome to Gather and Go Travel, a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, a world traveler to 50+ countries, a travel writer/blogger, and a book lover. Learn more about me, read our story, and how to work with me. Get my latest updates, how-tos, and trip ideas in my monthly Discovery Newsletter.
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2 Responses
Thank you for taking the time to share, and have a great trip!
Thanks for also talking about the kinds of packages that I could expect when planning to find a good family photography service. I’m interested in looking for one because I will be having a nice family vacation in a few months. Being able to have nice pictures of us taken will be quite exciting.