City breaks are a great way to discover destinations across the world without taking too much time out, or having to spend lots of money. Short, action-packed getaways can offer a refreshing change of scenery, allowing you to escape your usual routine for a few days – just long enough to get a feel for life somewhere new.
Exploring a new destination, it can often be tempting to mindlessly snap one photo after another – desperate to capture every view, attraction and experience so you can remember it all when you get home. In doing so, however, you risk inadvertently turning your city break into a photo-taking marathon, rather than staying present and making the most of the experience.
I’ve used Smiler.co myself on my travels, and it’s a service I’d happily recommend. You can book a local photographer for part of your city break, so instead of constantly reaching for your phone or camera, you can concentrate on exploring – while still coming home with some decent photos of yourself in the destination.
The service you might not have considered
When planning a city break, arranging a photo session with a local photographer probably isn’t something most people would consider a priority. Many travellers might not even be aware that such services exist. Nevertheless, using a service like this can offer a different approach to capturing memories from your travels.
Services like Smiler.co connect travellers with vetted professional photographers in destinations worldwide, enabling you to book a photoshoot and have your pictures taken in some of the destination’s most photogenic locations. Essentially, you get access to a network of experienced local photographers who can meet you for a private photoshoot during your trip.
The booking process is usually fairly straightforward. Simply check the available destinations, choose your preferred date, time and package, and pay online. You’ll then receive confirmation of your booking and be assigned a photographer to meet at the agreed location and time. If your plans change, you can cancel for free up to 24 hours before the photoshoot begins. Following the shoot, you’ll receive a selection of professionally edited photographs, usually within 48 hours.
Photos that tell the story of your trip
When you look back at photos from previous trips, you might sometimes feel as though they don’t quite tell the whole story. A photograph can only frame a small part of a much bigger experience, and capturing the atmosphere of a destination can require more than simply pointing a camera at its best-known sights.
Working with a professional photographer can help you capture not only the places you visit, but also the mood and atmosphere of the trip, creating images that can transport you back to those moments long after you’ve returned home.
As local photographers are already familiar with the location you’ve chosen for your photoshoot, they can also offer guidance on where and how to take photographs that capture the destination at its best. They’ll understand the light, angles and surroundings, while potentially knowing quieter viewpoints or particularly photogenic spots that visitors might otherwise overlook.
Solving the challenge of taking quality travel photos
If you’ve ever travelled with a group of friends, you’ll probably know how difficult it can be to bring everyone together for a single photo, let alone take enough group shots to document an entire trip. If there’s no one around to take a picture of the whole group, one person usually ends up behind the camera and missing from the shot.
If you travel by yourself, taking great pictures of your experiences can be even more challenging. You might find yourself relying on selfies, timers or asking strangers to take your photo, with decidedly mixed results.
Booking a photographer removes many of these challenges. Everyone can be included in group photos, while solo travellers can return home with natural photographs of themselves exploring their destination without having to spend half the trip setting up a tripod or finding someone to hold their phone.
The professional touch
With smartphone cameras becoming increasingly sophisticated, it’s now possible to take impressive travel photos with relatively little effort. However, there’s still a considerable difference between having a good camera and understanding lighting, shadows, composition, angles, focus and the other elements involved in knowing how to take a good photograph.
If you’re tired of returning from trips and having to sift through albums filled with shaky, blurry or unflattering photos, you might want to consider booking a professional photographer for your next city break – someone who knows what they’re doing and is genuinely passionate about their work.
It’s easy to experience a city break largely through a camera lens, focusing so much on taking photos and videos that you forget to appreciate what’s actually in front of you. By handing over the photography for an hour or two, you can give yourself more time to explore, eat, wander and experience the city, while still coming home with photographs that capture the story of your trip.
Would you book a professional photographer while travelling, or do you prefer taking your own travel photos?