I’ve always been enamored with photographs. In fact, my first college degree was in Photography. I’ve been known to drag large camera bags full of lenses, camera bodies, etc while on vacation. Luckily, I’ve found an alternative to packing the tripod and remote for the camera to capture family photographs when we vacation. For the 4th time now, we’ve hired a local photographer to help us while we travel. Our first experience was in Dublin, followed by Rome the following year. This past vacation we did a session in both London and Paris (have I mentioned lately how patient my husband is?) Honestly, he’s a Saint when it comes to indulging my photography obsession.
The tag line for Flytographer is “some vacations deserve more than selfies” and based on my experiences, I couldn’t agree more. While I certainly appreciate the “go go gadget” arms that my husband has and his ability to capture a great selfie of the three of us, sometimes you want something a bit more refined. Giving your phone or camera to a local or fellow traveler is always a gamble. Will you really get the shot you are envisioning, or will your heads be cut off in the frame?
This week I wanted to share a bit with you about how these sessions work and how to best prepare for them.
Flytographer is the company that we work most closely with for vacation sessions. They are based in Canada and have photographers in nearly 300 destinations. Just in Paris there are currently 12 photographers to choose from. You can scroll through each portfolio and choose the photographer that best matches your style.
Sessions range from 30 minutes up to 2 hours. They also offer packages for those wishing to capture a proposal.
Once you decide on a photographer and a session length, we can lead you through the recommended routes. I’ll take care of the booking process for you as part of our service on your vacation package. I recommend the 60 minute session to get your best value. It also gives your family enough time to get comfortable with the photographer.
When it comes to planning the session itself you’re able to work with the photographer on the level of direction that you wish. Perhaps your family is really comfortable in front of the camera and you don’t need advice on how to pose, that’s fine, we can make those arrangements. Maybe it’s been years since you and your spouse had a photo session for just the two of you and you would be more comfortable with more direction from the photographer, that’s fine as well. It’s all up to you.
The next big decision is what to wear! My advice is to coordinate, but you don’t necessarily all have to match exactly, unless that’s the look you’re going for. I’d also advise you to keep an open mind. When we arrived in Paris the afternoon of our shoot it was much warmer than had been forecast when we laid our outfits out together. Luckily, we were able to coordinate outfits at the last minute that worked a bit better with the heat. Well, I thought we did until my daughter asked me as we were walking out the door of the hotel “Is that the shirt you’re wearing for the pictures?” Well, it was, but clearly I had to change shirts with a statement like that! In came plan 3!
So, what happens after the session? Great question. Within a few days you get a “sneak peek” which is normally one shot that the photographer picks from your session and sends to you as an electronic post card. Then within 5 business days you get an email with a link to view and download your entire gallery. Those high resolution downloads are then yours to do with as you wish.
Are you ready to try out a photo session on your next vacation? Click here and let’s get started.
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