My Boyfriend and I Wanted Non-Cringe Photos From Vacation — So We Tried the AirBnB of Travel Photographers

What I Tested…

A Private Travel Shoot with Flytographer ($325+)

Why I Tested...

How I Tested...

About a month before departure, I signed up for Flytographer’s “The Subtle Chronicler” package, which included 60 minutes of shoot time, 1-2 locations, and 35 finished photos. A week before departure, we approved Ramón and Sonia as our photographers and confirmed our meeting location. We met at 8 am on Thursday, April 17 and shot for one hour. 

Test Results....

• Extensive roster. Even before you create a profile, you can browse their full library of photographers in over 350 locations around the world. There were eight in Barcelona alone. We wanted to avoid engagement-style photographers and were happy to find more than one option that fit our more relaxed vibe. Ultimately, we went with a husband-and-wife duo who felt friendly and experienced.  

• Communication. The first thing I noticed was how communicative the concierge and our photographers were. When you confirm your photographer, you’ll receive a “shoot scoop” with all shoot details, including access to two inboxes: one to chat with a concierge, and the other to chat with the photographer(s) directly. All of our questions were answered in a timely manner, and it felt like we were talking with a friend, rather than a bot. The chat boxes also made it super easy to share WhatsApp info so we could communicate with Ramón, our photographer, the day of the shoot. During the shoot he was kind, easy-going, and personable. 

• Run of show. I was very impressed with how smoothly everything went, especially given the fact that we were in a foreign country. We were about 10 minutes late (I blame the jet lag), but Ramón was flexible and accommodating. He listened to our goals before ushering us from picturesque spot to picturesque spot all over the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona. He knew exactly which streets had the best lighting and the least amount of tourists. It felt like the ultimate private tour. We finished after exactly one hour, and while we covered a lot of ground, we didn’t feel rushed at all. 

• Final images. One word: wow. These images came out better than we could have imagined. With Flytographer, you get your final edited images within five days of your scheduled shoot. We received ours on April 21 (three business days after the shoot date) and are completely in love with them. I know a few other photographers who charge more for only 10 or 15 final images, so receiving 35 edited, print-worthy images was a huge plus. 

Sidenotes...

• Pricing options. There are four packages available on Flytographer at different price points, listed out below. 

  • “The Short Storyteller” — 30-minute session, 20 final images ($325)

  • “The Subtle Chronicler” — 60-minute session, 35 final images ($425)

  • “The Classic Souvenir” — 90-minute session, 50 final images ($590)

  • “A Romp Around the City” — 2-hour session, 65 final images ($715)

• Print orders. Once the final images are ready, Flytographer will send you an email with a link to the gallery on their site. From there you can download each file directly to your device, or order prints or a gift-ready photo book (starting at $215 plus free shipping). I loved that we could complete everything on their site, and we didn’t have to deal with a third-party printer. 

The Fine Details…

•  Flytographer Photo Sessions ($325+)