A while ago, I noticed that I don’t really have a lot of travel photos of myself. I often travel solo, and I’m not big on using a selfie stick. I always feel so awkward when I’m pointing a camera at myself, and I start wondering if everybody is looking at me and thinking, “Oh no, another selfie taker.”
But I still wanted some pictures of me during my travels, so it was time to try something new. I came across a Flytographer review and decided to check them out. It’s a company that lets you hire a local photographer for a travel photo shoot anywhere in the world.
I worked with them for the first time in Berlin and have since also used them again for a fun photo shoot with my mom in Budapest. Check out my Flytographer review below.
Flytographer review
How it works
Flytographer is a vacation photography service that connects travelers to local photographers all over the world. You can book them to take amazing pictures during your travels. From New York to Tokyo and everywhere in between, they have professionals in over 300 cities across the globe.
The company was founded in 2011 by Nicole Smith. She wanted to help people capture great vacation memories which were more memorable than the average blurry selfie.
You choose your destination, the local photographer you’d like to work with, and how long you want the photo session to be; they can be anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours.
After you have made these selections, the “shoot concierge” from Flytographer follows up with you to take care of the details. Honestly, I hadn’t expected them to be so thorough and provide such excellent service. I figured you just signed up for a destination (I chose Berlin in Germany) and picked a shoot time, and that was it.
But once I’d made my selection, I received a short survey from them that I needed to fill in to make the Flytographer shoot go as smoothly as possible. They asked me to describe what kind of photos I wanted, in what type of scene or part of the city, at what time of the day, and how comfortable I was in front of the camera.
I loved that they asked whether I wanted the photographer to give a lot of instructions or not, as I never really knew what to do with myself when I was being photographed. This way, I could let them know beforehand and avoid feeling a bit silly on the day of the shoot.
I also really like that they sent me a link to my photographer’s portfolio so that I could refer to her pictures and let them know which ones I liked best to indicate what kind of travel photos I wanted for myself.
So whether you want a good family photo, romantic vacation pictures to put in a travel album, or just some terrific travel shots, you can let Flytographer know, and they’ll make sure to brief your photographer.
My Flytographer trip shoot in Berlin
I told Flytographer I wanted very natural-looking photos in an urban setting. Now, such a scene isn’t hard to find in a city like Berlin, but I was delighted when they proposed to meet at Hackescher Markt. I went in a previous summer when I visited my friend Adam, but I hadn’t considered the location myself. It was perfect!
Hackescher Markt has a beautiful train station with a bit of an industrial feel to it, a graffiti alley, hidden courtyards, and a big shopping lane.
I met with my photographer Sarah on the platform of the S-Bahn, and we immediately hit it off. I’d feared that the shoot would feel very staged, with us only talking about good locations and which direction I had to look in, but we shared personal stories and talked about Berlin, more chatting from photo to photo than anything else.
This made me feel more relaxed, and although I still felt a bit awkward at times, Sarah told me to “just move around a bit” or “walk in that direction” while she was snapping away, resulting in some pretty great shots.
At least, that’s what I think. What do you say?
Practical information on booking and going on a Flytographer shoot
Booking the shoot
On the Flytographer website, you can find all the destinations the company has local photographers or “Flytographers” at. When you choose a location, you can see which ones are there and check their portfolios.
You can select a package once you’ve chosen your destination and professional photographer. Prices start at 285 USD for a 30-minute shoot, including 15 digital travel photos, and go up to 650 USD for a 2-hour shoot, including 60 digital images. There’s also the option to create a custom shoot where you choose the duration, number of photos, etc.
Planning a surprise proposal abroad? Flytographer has special “proposal packages” as well. A Flytographer gift card is also a cool travel present for friends and loved ones who love to capture their vacation memories.
Once you’ve booked your shoot, Flytographer will follow up with a small questionnaire to learn all about the kind of travel pictures you’d like to take home. This is also when you get to discuss the location(s) for your shoot. Feel free to ask for a specific location, or let Flytographer suggest a spot based on the kind of photos you want.
Once everything has been decided, you’ll receive a confirmation of the meeting time and place, as well as a bunch of useful tips on what (not) to wear and what (not) to bring to your shoot. The concierge provides a great service to prepare you for your Flytographer photo shoot.
Doing the shoot
On the day of the shoot, you should meet your photographer 10 minutes before the photo session starts to get to know each other a bit and go over what will happen. After that, you just walk around together while the photographer captures you on your trip.
After the shoot
About five days after the shoot, you’ll receive a link to your personal online gallery and a link to download all your trip pictures in high resolution. The best souvenir of your trip you could wish for!
Book your Flytographer Shoot
And that’s my Flytographer review!
Whether you’re after candid photos or the perfect pictures from family vacations, Flytographer can provide you with an incredible gallery of amazing images from the most memorable moments of your trip.
Sound like fun? Leave the selfie stick at home and book your own Flytographer shoot today and use the code “WONDERFUL” to get $25 off your first shoot.
PIN FOR LATER
Flytographer offered me a 30-minute shoot so that I’d be able to try out and review their service. I liked it so much that I later booked my own second photo shoot for a trip I did with my mom. As always, you only find my honest opinion here, and I hope the photos speak for themselves 🙂