New vacation necessity: professional photographer?

[Sirius Glass]

Job opportunities?

http://todaytravel.today.msnbc.msn.c...tographer?lite

[Brian C. Miller]

Makes sense, really. How many times do people ask someone else if they can shoot the camera for them? A couple of P&S cameras I've had came with remote shutter controls.

Now, what they really need is that the photographer is with them the whole trip! Can you imaging how much more horrible it would have been for Clark Griswold (Vacation) if there had been a photographer along for the trip?

[mgb74]

I have new business. Not only will I provide the professional photographer, but I'll take the vacation for you.

Skip the difficultly of scheduling, the hassles of traveling, the worry of what you might be missing at home or office. All of those disappear when you entrust me to take your vacation, allowing you to savor the professionally captured memories of your trip. Our modest fee includes Photoshopping actual images of your family into location shots. No need to worry about your taking a slightly out of focus or somewhat poorly composed shot of your family. You'll have perfect memories of the trip you didn't take.

For a small additional charge, I will edit out any unpleasantness (such as flight delays or a nasty waiter), leaving you with only happy memories.

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Ugh..I thought vacations are to relax and recreate, not a media event to impress your friends. I think the images produced by vacation photographers are probably beautiful and insincere. A vacation with a photographer that directs your every move for aesthetic shots doesn't sound relaxing. It's probably for those image concise 1 percenters. Just think, you have to fly the photographer to your exotic vacation spot and will probably charge for a travel day, pay for hotel and per diem. Too rich for my blood.

[MattKing]

I prefer the old fashioned approach - postcards purchased from the gift shop.

[SteveR]

My goodness, vain people are still the best laxatives!

[Diapositivo]

It actually makes sense. People on holidays spend more freely. It's holiday after all. They spend more on restaurants, they spend more on impulsive purchases.

Regarding hiring a professional photographer, probably most of those persons maybe wouldn't hire a photographer for some portrait to pass to posterity while they are at home. It's not just money, it's busy life, other things to do, a portrait might be something that is always postponed. While on holiday they might think that it is the nice occasion to have some properly made "portraits" of them with their children during a pleasant and "different" moment of their life.

A single session of this kind really ticks more than one box: it's a recollection of your holiday and is a portrait of your family in that time of your family history. For tourists with income in the upper 5% it could be a no-brainer. They'll just save something on shopping for not needed things.

Some people just don't know how to spend money and this is a very valid way to spend it.

[Newt_on_Swings]

I remember reading this in the wsj personal section a few weeks back. I had a good chuckle. An interesting way to diversify your product offering, but I guess you have to be quote close to a popular vacation destination. I think very few people will fly out a photog just for vacation pics.

[Stephen Prunier]

I was checking Craigslists for the Myrtle Beach SC area. My sister lives there and I spend 3-4 weeks there myself. I was checking the real-estate etc. There's a couple photographers offering sunrise, and sunset portrait sessions on the beach for the vacationing families. I think this weekend I'm going to walk the beach here (MA) looking like a pro in need of a couple of needy families