How to prepare for your Family Photo Shoot in Punta Cana

As a family of 6, including our doggies Luca & Maya, we know the importance of having memories with your loved ones. Especially when we book a trip, we manage to get some pictures done of our adventure. For that reason, when we receive a request for a family photo shoot, we cannot stop to share some advice with them to capture good images. These are the most common questions that we receive when we have a family photo session in Punta Cana.

Q: What is the best time for our photo shoot?

A: It depends on the season, because during the year, the light is not the same. We always recommend either sunrise or sunset. Sunrise being the time of the day we recommend the most.

In Punta Cana, sun rises from the ocean and sets on the palm trees and mountain side. During sunrise there are almost no people on the beach, resulting in some of the best pictures you can get with beautiful empty beaches. In the other hand, at sunset you may deal with crowds, specially on the public beaches.

If you are planning to come from November to February, then 4.00pm could be the best time, especially if you are not an early bird to enjoy the sunrise. During spring or summer, 5.30pm could be a good time. Taking pictures during the golden hour is phenomenal! The light is pretty soft and it gets a little cooler than noon.

Q: How to decide for the best outfits for our pictures?

A: Well, this is a very personal decision, but we highly recommend choosing a very comfortable outfit. It could be colourful or pastel tones. But most of the time you can’t go wrong with white linen clothes. It’s on you, but for sure, the combination of the outfits is a pretty good idea. You also can wear some accessories like hats, sunglasses, handkerchiefs, and collars.

Q: Are you able to come to the resort to take the pictures? How much does it cost?

A: Unfortunately, most of the resorts will charge you an extra fee for bringing a photographer to get into the property to take the pictures. Some of them could charge you a day pass, so you will have an extra cost if you want to take the pictures inside the hotel. For that reason, we will provide transportation for up to 4 people at no extra cost. We usually go to a public beach close to your resort.

Q: What should I bring for our photo shoot?

A: You can bring a number of things, the less to carry the better but we will always recommend to bring lots of water, because even when the photo session lasts for about an hour, it could be a little bit tiring, especially if you have kids or babies. You can also bring towels, some pics playing with the water or walking by the shore can be fun, then towels are a must. Sunglasses, hats, bug spray and sunscreen are also a must for this type of “excursion”.
Bonus tip: if you have little kids, some toys can be helpful to get their attention and capture very spontaneous moments.

Q: How can I book my photo shoot and when do I get my pics?

A: To book your photo shoot in our agenda, we ask for the 20% as deposit (non refundable), the balance must be paid in full on the same day of the photo session. We will send you a “sneak peek” of your pictures a few days after your session and then after the next 3 weeks (approximately, depending on the volume of work we have), you will receive a link to download all your pics in high and low resolution.

Now, let us show you the Ahrens family photo shoot done at Macao beach. They stayed at Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana, a perfect family friendly all inclusive resort. We picked them up, drove for about 15 minutes and arrived at this beautiful beach for their pictures. We were able to capture their portraits at the golden hour and as you can see, the results were awesome!