Last Updated on June 10, 2025 by Deanne
The last time my family had professional photos taken my youngest was just 6 months old – she’s now 15! So, when we started planning a trip to Oahu and Maui with our three kids (ages 15, 18, and 20), I put a family photo shoot at the top of my Hawaii bucket list (right next to trying surfing in Waikiki!)
With our oldest about to be out on his own soon, I knew it was now or never. And really, what could be better than professional family photos in Hawaii to capture this special time together?
Searching for a Location Photographer in Hawaii
I started researching location photographers in Hawaii, but quickly realized most local pros charged rates that were way out of our vacation budget. Then I came across Flytographer, a service I’d heard another travel blogger rave about.
Flytographer is a vacation photography company that connects travelers with trusted local freelance photographers in cities around the world. Their prices were more reasonable than traditional photographers, and their site made it easy to browse portfolios and book online. After reading a few glowing Flytographer reviews and seeing beautiful sample galleries, I decided to give it a try.
(Because of our great experience with Flytographer, I’ve since become an affiliate. If you book through my Flytographer link, I earn a small commission – at no extra cost to you. Read on and you’ll see just why I wanted to partner with them! Thank you for your support.)
Our Experience with Flytographer in Maui
Booking Ahead
Booking was very straightforward. I went to Flytographer’s website, selected Maui as our destination, and browsed through a list of local photographers. Each profile included a sample gallery, bio, and reviews, which made it easy to choose someone whose style matched what I was envisioning.
We ended up booking a 60-minute Hawaii photo shoot with Vicky, one of the local Maui photographers. Flytographer offers different photo packages and lengths of shoots, and we were able to message directly through the platform with any questions we had.
Day of the Shoot
The day of our session, the weather was very windy – I’m talking hair-whipping, dress-flying, hold-onto-your-hat kind of windy. Not great for an outdoor photo shoot! Plus, the sky was overcast – just like my mood, since I was sure our Hawaii family photo investment was going to be a total bust.
But we decided to make the most of it. We got dressed in our coordinated clothes and headed to Ulua Beach – just south of our condo. We met Vicky about 30 minutes before sunset – and something amazing happened. The clouds broke apart, the sun peeked through, and the wind calmed down.
We ended up with great weather for our shoot! No hurricane hair, no windswept chaos, just smiles and strands mostly where they belonged.
Our Flytographer Photographer
Vicky was great to work with – she was friendly, professional, and clearly knew the best angles and light. She kept the vibe light and fun – even getting our teens to do this:
(Click here for tips on traveling to Hawaii with teens.)
Because she’s a local, she knew exactly where to go for the best backdrops (and the best Mexican food! She gave us a great restaurant recommendation – Roasted Chiles – to check out after our shoot!)
The Amazing Results
A few days later, we received our online gallery – and we were thrilled. The photos were everything I had hoped for and so worth the money. Flytographer made it easy to download the full-resolution images and choose our favorites for printing. I liked being able to choose our own printer for the photos – it ended up saving us money. (Click here for more ways to save money in Hawaii.)
We’ve since used the photos in our holiday cards, a Hawaii scrapbook, family screensavers, and framed prints around the house. Every time I see one, it sparks such special memories of our family time in Hawaii.
Would We Use Flytographer Again?
Absolutely. In fact, I’m already thinking about booking another Flytographer shoot sometime in the future when Ryan and I head to Europe, since they’re available in more than 350 destinations around the world. It’s such a worthwhile investment for capturing the kind of photos you can’t get from a selfie stick or a stranger’s rushed phone pic.
A $25 Flytographer discount for you
I have a $25 Flytographer discount for you if you’re interested in capturing your own vacation memories – just click the link, browse photographers from many different destinations and schedule your session. Or if you’re not ready to book yet, no worries, you can still grab a gift card in order to secure the discount. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Final Thoughts on our Flytographer Review
Our Flytographer review comes down to this: the experience was easy, fun, and totally worth the money. We now have beautiful, professional family photos in Hawaii that capture a special time for our family. And we didn’t have to stress over finding a local photographer or hoping someone could snap a decent photo of all five of us.
If you’re heading to Hawaii – or anywhere else on your bucket list – and want to remember it with something more lasting than a cheap souvenir, a Flytographer session is one of the best decisions you can make.
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