If it were up to me, every trip we take would be professionally photographed. I felt that way before we had a blog or instagram account and still do. I’ve never been on a trip that I wanted to completely forget. In a sense, pictures help extend your trip beyond the typical one or two week vacation. Pictures last a lifetime. They can take you back in that moment of time regardless of how many years have passed. They have the power to inspire your future generations to see the world even if you aren’t here to tell them your stories.
Furthermore, depending on the trip, you may have spent hours looking for the perfect accommodations, for the best places to eat, for the must do activities, for the must see places and for the best price points. It’s so easy to unintentionally spend hours on travel services like DiscoverList or Tripadvisor! Needless to say with so much time and money invested in travel, you deserve to have great pictures!
A few years ago I planned myself a birthday celebration in Costa Rica with some of my closest friends. It was amazing and truly a trip that none of us will forget! I spent countless hours researching, looking for the perfect house to rent, and negotiating the best price points for chefs and activities. A LOT went into planning this trip so I definitely wanted it documented with timeless professional pictures. I hired a professional photograph from America to travel with my friends and I to Costa Rica. I had to provide housing/meals for her along with paying a photography fee. I’m really grateful that I have such beautiful professional pictures of the trip but it’s not something that I thought we could afford to do every trip.
It’s possible now! We recently discovered Dovetail Experience, a photography company, that pairs you with local photographers. Essentially, you are guided throughout the city to take both candid and posed photos. You get the celebrity experience and timeless photographs without the hefty price tag. We did a photoshoot with them in Paris for our one year anniversary and really enjoyed the experience. Here’s what we loved about them:
Quality of Service
We loved how our pictures turned out! The photographer spent years mastering his craft and had great equipment. Needless to say the pictures we get with a professional and their camera are much better than the ones the stranger we grabbed took with our phone or even our camera.
Mathias really knew how to capture the best moments
Shooting with a Local
The great thing about shooting with a local is that you get the added benefit of having a tour guide who knows the city. Our photographer was able to give us insights on the different areas and restaurants. He knew the best times and areas to take photos to avoid crowds. This was great because we wanted to take some shots with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Despite the time of day being peak tourist hours, he knew exactly where to go to avoid the herds of people.
Us with our photographer/city guide, Mathias
Quick Turnaround
The policy is that you get your photos within five days. But they typically arrive earlier. So if you want, you can still do it for the gram while on your trip. At the end of our shoot, our photographer let us look at the photos on his camera and mark the ones that we liked best. He sent us all of the unedited images and the edited versions of our favorite ones.
Convenience
It can take as little as one hour depending on how many hours you book. This is great because the shoot doesn’t take up your whole trip. Like many of you, we work full-time so our vacation days have to be used carefully. They currently have photographers in over 70 cities but their reach is much further. If you are visiting a city that they don’t currently cover, they can still connect you with a photographer as long as you give them a month and half notice. You pay a flat fee of $220 per hour and you can have up to 4 people in the pictures with no additional charge. This is great because some places charge you per person.
We LOVE crepes so it was important that we took a break to have one. We conveniently had a photographer with us 🙂
Their Story
The company was founded by a millennial couple who love to travel! Every year on their anniversary, they travel to a new country to renew their vows. After a few years of doing this they decided to start Dovetail Experience. It is their mission to promote more diversity in travel and to show the world you don’t have to be rich and famous to have great travel photos. How can you not love this story and mission?!
If you are ready to get some great photos all while supporting a minority owned business, you can check out the website here to see all the places that they have a presence. You can also check out their work and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for deals! If you see your city, you submit the online form. Then someone will get back with you to confirm the vibe you want for your shoot and the date/time and meeting location.