I have a confession to make. When travelling across Australia checking out new properties to add to the alluxia collection, mostly I'm travelling solo. It may look all-glamorous in a bunch of idyllic locations, but there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes. Luckily, it's not all business though and I usually try and schedule some down time to explore each destination, unearthing what's new, unique and different to share with our readers.
I love solo travel, but it's sometimes difficult to capture yourself in these destinations unless you resort to selfies (yuk) or wrangle a random stranger (whose camera skills may be questionable) so the options are pretty limited.
Enter Travelshoot, an incredible website that connects travellers with professional local photographers in destinations around the world to capture your holiday memories. So, on a recent trip to Port Douglas to attend a friend's wedding, I thought it was time to try Travelshoot for myself.
The process of booking Travelshoot online was easy and after submitting my brief I was matched with local Port Douglas photographer Rian Cope. I loved being able to see Rian's portfolio of work online prior to the shoot, making me feel confident of his style and vibe ahead of our meet up.
It was all so effortless with Rian arriving at our agreed meeting point just before golden hour all ready to shoot! The bright, breezy location of QT Port Douglas was the perfect backdrop to kick things off. Rian did his best to make me at ease, but I still felt a bit awkward, I should totally have ordered a glass of Champagne at the bar to loosen up! Travelshoot is all about being natural (no cheesy posing) and enjoying the experience, which is sometimes easier said than done.
A quick wardrobe change and it was down to the spectacular Sugar Wharf and St Mary's by the Sea, also the location of my friend's beautiful wedding. The hour flew by and it was great to chat with Rian between shots about all things tourism (he takes amazing photographs to promote Port Douglas tourism) and he shared some local recommendations and tips with me.
You can normally expect to see a sneak peek of your shoot within 48 hours and the full album within 7 days. However, Rian exceeded my expectations by having the full album online for me the very next day. How's that for service!
I'm happy with the results, particularly the ones where I'm laughing and more natural, so it just proves it's best to loosen up and trust the photographer to get the best results. I'll know that for next time and there will be a next time - think laneways of Melbourne and the streets of New York!
Looking back at these photos, I'm reminded of my friend's beautiful ceremony in this little church and the incredible time we had celebrating in Port Douglas. While the Travelshoot service is ideal for solo travellers, it would be magical for couples and brilliant for families to capture some truly great holiday memories. So my top tip for creating epic travel photography is to call in the experts at Travelshoot!
Love to plan your own Travelshoot? The good people of Travelshoot have kindly offered $50 off any Travelshoot experience when you enter promo code "ALLUXIAVIP" here.
Which destination would you love to experience your Travelshoot?
With thanks to Travelshoot. On location at QT Port Douglas.
