A holiday photoshoot with 10 adults and three kids: what could go wrong? We get the inside story of what a Travelshoot photo session is like behind-the-scenes.
With a global presence of expert local photographers in more than 90 locations, it couldn't be easier to transform magical moments into frame-worthy images. Bid adieu to awkward poses and the same old selfies – with Travelshoot, the experts work their magic, whatever the occasion.
We get the insider scoop from Penny Cordner-Maas, who surprised her parents with a Travelshoot session for their 40th wedding anniversary celebrations in Fiji, and Michael Condello, who planned his for a romantic Phuket honeymoon.
Read on for their first-hand experience.
LE: How was the booking process with Travelshoot?
PC: The entire process was super easy. I had planned the photoshoot as a surprise for my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary at Shangri-La Yanuca Island in Fiji, so I was excited about it. It was also going to be the first big family escape, with all the tiny tots! The photographer, Justin, messaged me that morning to confirm his arrival time and meeting point, so I let the hotel reception know accordingly. Justin had done a shoot at Shangri-La previously so knew the best places to get good shots, which was a great help!
Since this was a surprise, I had asked Justin to wait on a chair under the tree near our rooms. Then, when I went and told my parents, I pointed to them and said, “See him, he’s our personal photographer”, Mum instantly started cheering. I then spent the next 10 minutes rounding up the family who were staying in five different rooms, haha!
MC: The Travelshoot booking process for our Phuket honeymoon was seamless. Practically the same day we booked in, we had our photographer contact us to organise logistics and make us feel very welcome. Our photographer, Witita, was so lovely and knew the location well, so we knew it would be a great experience.
LE: Penny, how tricky was it to shoot with such a big family and young children? How did the photographer facilitate the process?
PC: Justin was very relaxed about the entire shoot; he arrived a bit early and told me not to worry about the time and that we could just ease into some posed and candid shots. He helped us all group together for the first shot and took a bunch of different pictures for us. We then broke into smaller groups so we could get couple shots and our smaller families too. Most importantly, he kept reminding us to relax and just have fun. We then moved to a second location for the golden hour sunset shots by the beach, which turned out absolutely gorgeous!
LE: Michael, did you have a favourite spot to shoot in Phuket?
MC: We started at our resort, but pretty quickly moved to the beach, which was far more comfortable for us. We were in a remote part of Phuket, so thankfully the area was pretty quiet, and we didn’t feel awkward at all. Our favourite location was this small, forested area adjacent to the beach, we got some amazing shots with the beach in the background.
LE: Tell us how chaotic your shoot was Penny! Photoshoots can range anything from awkward to funny – how was it like on the day?
PC: Oh yes! This photoshoot was pretty chaotic, but Justin was really chill. We wanted to get a picture of three babies but as they ranged from one to 18 months it was very hard to get them all in the one place, let alone looking at the camera! My mum ended up grabbing the baby chips and we threw them down on the ground as though the kids were seagulls! Thankfully they all flocked to pick the chips up off the ground and we got some super cute pics of them all together!
We also had 'Happy 40th Wedding Anniversary' T-shirts made for everyone as a surprise for our parents, which we revealed to them at the airport when we departed Melbourne. We took these T-shirts to the photoshoot, and all of us put them over our clothes for a super funny family photo. The smallest T-shirt was size two, so it was more like a dress for my 16-month-old!
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LE: Since it was a honeymoon shoot for you Michael, tell us your stories from the shoot.
MC: We didn’t really know what to expect and we’re not usually the type of people that pose for photos, so we didn’t have a dream photo in mind. Witita was full of ideas though – so we tried plenty of poses, some of which worked and some that didn’t. She was so lovely throughout the whole process. On the day, she was warm and welcoming and was aware that we were a little nervous. She was very open to feedback, for example, if we weren’t comfortable with a particular pose, so it made us feel very relaxed.
LE: What has been the favourite part of your experience with Travelshoot?
PC: The highlight was receiving the images and sharing them with my mum and dad. Mum teared up when I showed them to her as she was just so happy to have us all together for such an incredible trip! She immediately asked me to send all the pics to her Skylight (the digital photo frame she has in the living room) and she happily re-lives the trip every morning.
MC: Well, the only other professional shoot we had done was our actual wedding, so not really comparable as we were very well prepared to be the centre of attention! However, the best part of using Travelshoot was just the seamless experience. Everything from making the booking, communicating with the photographer, accessing the final product, as well as the local knowledge of locations that the photographer had, added to the experience.
LE: Why would you recommend booking a Travelshoot photo session?
MC: I think it’s a fantastic option to get couple or family portraits and make your trip even more memorable!
PC: When you come home from a trip it is always the pictures or videos that you treasure most. When travelling we always spend so long trying to get the perfect selfie or group shot, but it is so much better to trust the professionals! In just one hour they captured more incredible shots than we did in the entire week. Especially with young children, it’s so special that we were able to capture beautiful shots of our first big family holiday as I find that otherwise, I am always the one behind the camera. With Travelshoot, that worry never came!
Capture the special moments with a Travelshoot session on your next escape.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out Picture Perfect: All You Need to Know About Travelshoot Photography.
