How to get great vacation photos!

You know those people who post pictures of their travels and you see beautiful, perfectly edited pictures that make you want to drop everything and go immediately to where they are?  You know, the ones that have a different insta-worthy outfit for each location and the color precisely matches the food on their plates? Yeah, I hate those people.   MY pictures on the other hand usually have 500 other tourists in the background, someone’s head is cut off, or everyone’s eyes are closed at the exact moment I take the picture … when I remember to take them.  The reality is that unless your best friend is professional photographer (I think you need to step up your game Liz ), you are at the mercy of your travel companions and strangers to take your picture.   

I don’t need to be insta-worthy, and let’s face it my pictures will never look like most travel bloggers because I’m not a 5’9”, 120-pound, twenty-something backpacking across Europe.  But I would like to get some nice pictures of myself on vacation.  Something that used to be a lot harder and more expensive just got much easier with the advent of Airbnb Experiences.  When you visit the Airbnb website simply type in your location and the word photographer.  When I enter “Bali Photographer” for example, I get several options ranging anywhere from $70-$150. 

This is a great option for solo travelers who want to ensure they get some nice pictures of themselves while traveling.  Many of the experiences are “tours” where a local will take you to the best places for pictures that you may not have found on your own and then take your picture. .

I recently used an Airbnb photographer in Maui, Hawaii.  I have been trying to get family pictures done every year and am failing miserably because it seems that I only get it done every other year.  This time I decided to get our family pictures taken while on vacation – and it turned out quite nicely!  Instead of the same old backgrounds we got our pictures taken on a beach in Maui with the black rocks and mountains in the background.  Hiring a photographer at home is usually pretty expensive, and this turned out to be a little bit cheaper.  Since the best time to shoot is either early morning or sunset, we were done with pictures by 8:30 a.m. and could still spend a full day sight-seeing.  For all you moms that have trouble getting your family together for pictures – this is a great option!

Since all experiences are a little bit different, make sure you clarify what your experience includes:

• Is this a group session or a private session? You don’t want to be surprised if other folks show up on your photo tour.  Ours was a private session which you would want for family photos so just make sure to clarify.
• Do they do any editing/touch ups on the pictures?
• How are you charged for the actual pictures? Each photographer does this differently.  For some photographers the price you paid per person for the Experience fee includes pictures, for others that is just a session fee and pictures are a separate cost.  Make sure you are comparing apples to apples when looking at price.
• What time does he/she do the shoot? A session in the middle of the day may impede your ability to do anything else. 
• Does the photographer use his own camera? Some of the experiences are photography class sessions where you take your own pictures and they assist.  Some I’ve seen in Marrakech advertise using YOUR phone or camera for the pictures.  Again, make sure you know what you’re booking. 
• Ask if the photographer has a website with samples of their photography to see if their skill level meets your expectations. 
• Check the reviews on Airbnb to make sure others who have done this have enjoyed their experience. 

Other than that – have fun with it!  Bring some cute outfits and let’s see those travel pics!