So you have finally booked that ticket to the epic island of Santorini! You are thrilled to wear your best blue and white outfit and get amazing photos by the blue domed pearly buildings in Oia. But you start to research and realize capturing this moment isn't as easy as whipping out your cell phone and setting a timer. In this article, I detail why I believe you should splurge for the photoshoot experience in Santorini. Spoiler: most of these photo sessions are actually reasonably priced and provide a lot of content!
Why a photoshoot?
When you get to the most famous photo area of Oia with the cascading buildings, you won't be able to just snap and go. You will have to wait in a long line of other excited travelers in their blue & white ensembles. Sometimes the lines can be up to an hour long just for a few minutes at the best posing areas. BUT, if you are with a photographer A) they will get to cut the line of regular tourists because all the photographers know each other and allow each other to pass and B) they will know all the best alternative locations if the main ones are too jammed. Plus, your cell phone camera will only capture great shots if the the weather is perfect. If the day is cloudy then cell phones just don't cut it (see examples below). The photographers will also know the best poses for couples and solo travelers so that you don't have to rely on your self timer or your significant other to snag the shot! Convinced? Keep reading for three different photoshoot experiences based on your budget.
Here is a cell phone image taken by my husband on a cloudy day in Santorini. As you can see it's somewhat dark and not super detailed.
This is one of the photographer shots in the same location as the cell phone shot. As you can see the details are more vibrant and clear, the posing is better and the overall photo lighting is improved.
AirBnB Group Photoshoots
This is a great hack I learned when researching photoshoots for Paris and Santorini. Other major cities in Europe offer this as well. On the AirBnB website or app, go to the "Experiences" or "Services" tab. Here you can put in your location and see what events pop up. In Paris and Santorini, many "Group Photoshoot" options appear. Does this mean you'll have to pose with strangers? Or need to have your own group. NO! All it means is that multiple travelers spilt the cost of one photographer for the couple hours that you get them for the session. Everyone involved takes turns getting their photos taken in each location. You can go with a partner or as a solo traveler. Both of our photoshoots in Paris and Santorini had one solo traveler in our group and they got awesome shots of themselves with the different monuments. They did have to endure watching us be romantic hahaha, but the women in our groups were so nice and hyped us up!
Price: About $100 a person for two hours (company depending)
Here is the photographer we booked our photoshoot with named Amel
Here are some of the fabulous shots that we got from this shoot!
The romance, the domes, we loved all of our photos from this shoot!
Loved us and my dress came out in these photos!
A photographer can also help you with different pose ideas. I would have never thought of one person looking at the camera, and the other looking away!
To see ALL of our shots view the whole Facebook album here. (The link will be added soon. Beware, there's over one hundred shots)
The best part about this photoshoot is you get ALL the photographs, not just 10 or 20 edited ones. Our photographer gave us about 700 photos total!! Of course, I only picked and edited the best 100 for Facebook haha! Another plus is that most of these photographers offer vertical video content as well. They will take multiple aesthetic video clips of you in vertical form for Reels or TikToks. She gave us over 30 raw vertical video clips which I've repurposed into my YouTube video as well as for social sharing on those sights! If you are booking an Airbnb Photographer and you do social media, make sure they include some vertical videos in your package. That addition is a lifesaver for content creators!
Company Run Photoshoots
If you want more privacy for your photoshoot, for example if you are planning a proposal, announcing a pregnancy or a wanting a group family shoot, then researching various photography companies could be more your speed. Sometimes these companies will have good deals but they are overall pricier than Airbnb photographers. But they do offer different options and add-ons to your experience. See examples below!
Price: About $300 for two hours (company depending)
Here's one Santorini company that has a variety of options
Flying Dress Photoshoots
Another popular option in Santorini is the famous flying dress photoshoot! These are more expensive than regular photoshoots, but they do offer the use of an amazing flowing gown that transcends gravity for epic and grand shots! Additionally, some companies even include props such as balloons or the opportunity to pose with animals, such as horses. These types photoshoots are usually best for solo travelers wanting splurge on their Santorini experience! Below is an example of the types of shots you'll get with this type of shoot.
Price: About $400 - $600 (Company and time depending)
Conclusion
Whether you book from Airbnb or Instagram, you will love your photographs taken with a photographer! We sure did and we'll cherish these photos forever! Comment on the vlog above whether you would book a private photographer or a flowing dress shoot and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more Europe and Southeast Asia travel hacks!
