In the United States, most of my friends hire photographers for special occasions like weddings, birthdays, family Christmas photos, etc. However, locals who live in places like Europe or Asia, seem to hire photographers all the time, for all kinds of daily events! If they have a good hair day or a cute picnic setup, they plan to keep photo memories just “because.” Which I love, of course, as I am all about documenting life—we only get one, so why not take the photos, keep the memories, and look back someday with a smile. Here are 5 reasons you should hire a professional on your next vacation. 

1. Let’s face it, our iPhones have great cameras, but not THAT great. And who needs another selfie. We want to remember where we visit, not just what our makeup looked like in that location. Hiring a photographer ensures you have good quality images without having to worry about missing the moment (or worse, the whole location) with a selfie. A professional photographer will have better equipment and thus, more ability to capture the moment.
   
2. They make you look good. Most professional photogs will tell you where to stand, how to position your hair, your hand, your arm, etc. They will make sure you look better than the other tourist who takes your camera for a quick snap, only to cut half of your forehead out or crop your feet at the ankle. 
   
3. A professional photographer will know where to go. They know the best spots for shots and find the areas the tourists cant. Check the photo of the Gangnam Style Sculpture below. My iPhone photo versus the professional shot taken by Bimbot. 
   
4. A lot of times, they will speed up your picture taking. Instead of wandering around and stopping at every cool sculpture, you’ll walk away with a clear portfolio of the things worthy of being documented and receive those photos back (usually edited) but in a clear way versus being jumbled and lost on your camera/phone. 
   
5. You’ll make a local friend. Now you have someone in the area to ask questions of. You can ask about where to eat, what else to see, where the nearest grocery store is. You basically have an undisclosed tour guide and new friend to call on when you return again!

IPHONE VS PROFESSIONAL CAMERA ^^^^^^^

How should you find a photographer while you travel? Couple ways: 

Google: Try googling photographers in that area. Easiest way, but does come with its own set of problems; like thousands of reviews to weed through and outdated information. Plus, the top searches that pop up are usually the paid businesses, not always the best ones. 

AirBnb: Try searching in AirBnB’s app under “experiences.” There are a ton listed in here for most locations (which varies depending on location) but they are always affordable. If they are listed in AirBnB they are already catering to tourists as well, so its a win-win situation. 

I know my husband is always grateful to have a photographer so he doesn’t have to be. Ha! If you are traveling to Seoul, Korea I recommend hitting up Josh, who shot my cover photo and the photos below or Bimbot, who shot the Buddhist temple and the Gangnam Style Sculpture above! Both are talented photographers in Seoul. Josh is a native to Korea and has been shooting tourists for awhile now, and Bimbot is a delight, leaning into his gift of photography and giving it to others. 

Check out my shots with Josh and connect with him here

Check out my shots with Bimbot and connect with him here.  

Shot by Josh ^^^^^