If you’re on social media, chances are you’ve seen your favorite personalities showing off their dreamy Sweet Escape photos. But is it worth doing if you’re traveling with kids?
We booked a session with Sweet Escape during our latest trip to Singapore with our kids. Read on to find out all about our experience, some tips and of course, our verdict!
What is Sweet Escape?
Sweet Escape is a photography service that allows you to book a professional photographer during your trip. Each session lasts an hour or two (depends on your package) and you get to shoot on location at your chosen destination.
In other words, you get to have your own personal photoshoot during your trip!
Benefits of Having a Family Travel Photoshoot
Of course, the most obvious reason to book a Sweet Escape session is so you can have wonderful family travel photos (and as you know, these aren’t exactly easy to come by when you’re with kids!)
Having a professional photographer take your photos also means:
- That there’s no need to bring a tripod or to ask someone to take a complete family photo
- Being able to capture fun, candid moments with your kids
- Getting frame-worthy shots at your chosen destination’s famous landmark or spots
Remember, kids grow up fast. You’ll never have this time back again and you most definitely will never get them this small again. Having these photos give you the chance to freeze this moment with your kids.
Other Reasons to Consider Having a Photoshoot
If you can’t seem to get your husband on board the idea (lol, jk,) here are other reasons/instances you may consider that could convince you that you need those beautiful Sweet Escape photos and that you really should just go for it:
- When you’re celebrating a special milestone or occasion (ex. Baby’s first trip, birthday, anniversary)
- When you need to have a shoot anyway for a special occasion (ex. First birthday or maternity photoshoot; your session can serve a double purpose)
- When you need beautiful photos for your home as decor (I’m changing 90% of our framed photos to these!)
Our Sweet Escape Experience at Singapore
For us, it was Dylan’s first trip abroad and our first international trip as a family of 4. So we decided to commemorate this momentous family milestone (hehe) with Sweet Escape.
We booked a 2-hour shoot at Gardens by the Bay. After speaking with our photographer, Hisham, via the Sweet Escape app, we meet with him at the ticketing area on the agreed upon date.
To start off, he took us around the outdoor areas where we could get clear shots with the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands. Hisham seemed to know all the best photo spots!
It was a sunny morning, which means no one was crazy enough to shoot under the burning sun… just us! Haha. So no crowds of photobombers on our photos. Yay!
Hisham also took us to this area tucked away from plain sight! It was the perfect place to shoot if you wanted a photo with the famous Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay!
But like I said, it was really hot. We started our shoot at 10am and so when it was almost 11, we were all pretty sweaty (you can’t tell from the pics though, right?!) When it started to get uncomfortable, we decided to shoot at the airconditioned indoor areas instead.
Hisham made us choose from the Flower Dome or the Cloud Forest attraction. He recommended the Flower Dome because the Cloud Forest was usually very crowded and we followed his recommendation. And I’m happy we did.
The beautiful thing about all the indoor attractions of Gardens by the Bay is that they are all very well lit with natural lighting. So it was like shooting outdoors, minus the heat!
We spent roughly an hour going around the Flower Dome for our shoot. It was a very relaxed shoot with no pressures at all. I was able to take my time, stop for nursing breaks and we even got to explore the attraction even as we were having our shoot.
Tips When Having a Photoshoot with Kids
There are two things you need to take note of when you’re having a photoshoot session with kids: the weather and their mood.
If it’s too hot and uncomfortable or if they’re too tired and hungry, forget it. But if you can find a way to manage these things then I would say that you’ll find the whole process very enjoyable! We did!
Some tips based on our experience:
- Choose some place cool: I would highly recommend what we did, which was to shoot at the indoor, airconditioned areas of Gardens by the Bay. The natural light was great for the shots and the boys were in a better mood as compared to when we were outside.
- Take lots of breaks in between: I’m grateful we got the 2-hour package where we were able to take our time. As mentioned, I stopped multiple times for nursing breaks for Dylan and this really helped.
- Schedule during their best time: Goes without saying that you shouldn’t schedule during nap time so that they’re not cranky!
- Bring a stroller to dump all your stuff in: Everybody who travels with kids have mountains of things they lug around with them (if you don’t, you’re crazy!) But you would wanna go hands-free once the shoot starts. I recommend bringing a stroller where you can dump everything, as you go enjoy your time without all the baggage.
Final Verdict: Was It Worth It?
A Sweet Escape session starts at $120. Price varies depending on location, duration and on the number of photos you want to purchase. Our 2-hour shoot in Singapore is pegged at $300 USD with 40 photos included.
I am extremely happy with our session and with how our photos turned out. I’m glad we have beautiful photos that capture our experience in Singapore. So excited to have all these photos printed and displayed around our home!
The verdict? A Sweet Escape session with kids is well worth it. Not the easiest photoshoot to have (because kids, duh haha) but definitely worth all the trouble!
Convinced? Here’s one last reason to book! If you use my Sweet Escape promo code “SHEENALOVESSUNSETS” you’ll get $50 off + 30 extra photos on your session! And trust me, you’ll need those 30 extra photos! 😉 Make sure you book before June 30, 2020 to avail of this promo!
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