Flytographer Review (2023): The Perfect Travel Souvenir

Note: Right now, Flytographer is offering $50 off your first shoot! Click here and use code VALERIEVALISE when you book. (Through October 31, 2023)

I knew from the first time I saw it: I needed photos for this blog with that “Greetings from Alaska” mural that had started popping up on Instagram. The only question was: how? Mr. V and I are pretty creative when it comes to getting photos of ourselves while traveling… but this is a big space to shoot and using a remote always feels awkward.

Then I remembered: there’s a service that can help! It’s called Flytographer, and there was one photographer available in Anchorage during our recent trip to Alaska.

Despite having known of Flytographer for almost a decade, I had never used the service, and this seemed like the perfect time. In this post, I’ll share more about how Flytographer works, my own experience and Flytographer review, and why I think you should add this to your vacation budget for your upcoming trip to Alaska – or anywhere else!

All photos in this Flytographer review and elsewhere on my site by Cindy Maiyer through Flytographer.
This post was originally published in October 2021, and was updated in April 2023.

What is Flytographer?

So what exactly is Flytographer?

Flytographer is a global service that connects you with a local photographer – a professional photographer – to replace the selfie stick and shoot good photos of you and your family/friends in destinations around the world.

From inquiry to file delivery, the Flytographer experience is designed to make getting great vacation photos easy; they now offer a number of other photo services in cities around the globe too, including proposal packages and headshots. The whole process is handled online, perfect for those of us who don’t love picking up the phone to arrange professional services.

There are four package options for Flytographer:

You can see more about each pricing package and how it all works on the Flytographer website.

How to Book a Flytographer Shoot

Booking a professional photographer can be a complex process, especially in a far-flung destination. Flytographer makes it much easier; here’s the booking process.

1. Look up the destination you’re visiting on Flytographer to confirm there are photographers located there.
2. Review different photographers in that place, including their profile, reviews, and portfolio. Keep an eye out for anyone whose other photos match the style you’re looking for.
3. Fill out a booking inquiry. In that form you’ll share the type of Flytographer photo shoot you’re looking to do, dates and times you’re available, who’ll be at the shoot, and some other info about how the shoot will go.
4. Work with the photographer and Flytographer shoot concierge to confirm a date, time, and route for your shoot.
5. Pay for the shoot once it’s all confirmed!

All of this typically happens within 1-2 days, but you should definitely book in advance to ensure you get the photographer and shoot date/time that works in your travel itinerary. The ease of using Flytographer should stand out as a highlight of my Flytographer review!

On the day of the shoot, you’ll meet your photographer and make some magic happen. Then you’ll receive a preview photo within 1-2 days, plus your gallery of all digital photos a few days later.

My Personal Flytographer Experiences

I’ve worked with Flytographer three times, and want to share each experience briefly as part of my Flytographer review.

First, I purchased a Flytographer shoot as a gift (more on that below). Then I purchased a shoot for Mr. V and me at the Grand Canyon during our pseudo-honeymoon road trip in 2020 – unfortunately, that ended up being canceled due to a scheduling conflict on the photographer’s end.

Then, I booked a shoot for our trip to Alaska in September 2021. I reached out to our photographer, Cindy, months in advance to coordinate a date and time. She was able to make it work even though I was asking for a little different style than she usually shoots (weddings and elopements out in the Alaskan mountains!). In the end, as you’ll see in this post, she did incredible work!

I loved our Alaska Flytographer experience so much that I actually booked a Flytographer shoot in London in September 2022. We first worked with our photographer Jackie to get some of the photos above and many more – didn’t she do a great job of making us not look like we’d had food poisoning a few days earlier and with some of the most beautiful scenery in the background?!

I might have a problem because I booked yet another shoot in August 2023 in London too – our second shoot with Grainne was a delight and we even got some cute early maternity photos!

So my only question is: where next? Maybe Amman, Jordan? Or back in Alaska with our little one?

Flytographer Discount Code – $50 Off, Just for You!

This post isn’t just a Flytographer review; I know what you’re really here for: a Flytographer discount code. Here it is!

⭐️ Don’t Forget: Right now, Flytographer is offering $50 off your first shoot! Click here and use code VALERIEVALISE when you book.

Now let me convince you why you should book a Flytographer shoot… (And use this code, of course!)

5 Reasons to Book a Flytographer Shoot

It depends a lot on your vacation budget, but adding the expense of a Flytographer shoot might give you pause. Here are five reasons I think Flytographer is absolutely worth it (especially with that discount).

#1. Capture Family Photos with *Everyone* in Them

Family vacations are great – but someone always has to hold the camera! Usually, it’s one parent – leading to “proof of life” selfies just to prove they were actually there – but no matter who’s the semi-pro photographer in your family, they’ll be on break for this one.

By hiring a Flytographer, someone else will be in charge of the camera, meaning everyone in the family will be in front of the camera. This may be the first time you get (great) vacation photos with everyone in them!

#2. You Get Pro Photos of Yourself

As part of your photo shoot, your Flytographer will probably capture great shots of each person – especially if you request that when booking. In our case, I wanted a few solo shots of me that I could use here on my site and my social media profiles, in addition to some photos of Mr. V and me together.

Additionally, if you just need photos of yourself, Flytographer just launched The Modern Headshot. This service is specifically aimed at getting you incredible portraits that are both professional and gorgeous.

#3. Candid Moments are Caught Too

Part of what I love about photoshoots* is the candid photos you’d never expect to turn out great. While many of the photos Cindy took were staged or coached, she also caught loads that were just fun or special moments between Mr. V and me.

My favorite series by far is this one, where she encouraged Mr. V to give me a piggyback ride. Those photos are really fun and exciting, and we look truly connected in them – exactly what I want people to see in photos of us!

*We’ve had a lot of these in the last few years: two engagement shoots, a wedding, and now Flytographer!

#4. Your Flytographer Will (Likely) Overdeliver

Okay, I can’t deliver this, but I’m pretty confident saying that, in general, your Flytographer will probably overdeliver in terms of both the photo shoot and the number of photos you receive.

In our case, Cindy went to several nearby locations with us during our 30-minute shoot (compared to the one guaranteed location) and delivered me a folder of 32 photos (more than double the guaranteed 15 photos).

Photographers who work through Flytographer obviously want you to be happy – and they know there’s no second chance to get these shots since you’re likely on vacation and won’t be returning. They’re probably going to go above and beyond to ensure you love the photos you receive.

#5. Flytographer Also Makes a Great Gift

No, these photos aren’t of Mr. V and me due to time travel – these are my parents!

Way back in 2015, I bought my parents a Flytographer gift card to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. (They hadn’t had pro photos of just the two of them since they got married!) They had their Flytographer session in Washington D.C., near where they met.

Seeing my parents happily captured on camera and knowing they have a new set of photos to mark the occasion was the perfect gift. Learn more and purchase Flytographer gift cards, and remind the recipient to click this link (https://flytog.co/VALERIEVALISE) and use code VALERIEVALISE to get $50 off their booking.

And there you have it – great reasons to add this to your vacation budget for your next trip and bring back one of the best souvenirs possible. Special thanks to Cindy for doing such a great job and making our Anchorage shoot such a fun experience.

Have any other questions about Flytographer as a vacation photography service after reading my Flytographer review? Let me know in the comments!

I was provided an affiliate discount to try Flytographer, but still paid a partial fee for the service. All content was written at my own discretion.

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