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Our family spent the first few weeks of our summer vacation in Europe this year, specifically Portugal, and came home with the best souvenir. I didn’t even have to pack it in my suitcase, because I am talking about taking new family photos in Europe!
Short on time? We booked our Europe family photos through Flytographer with Claudia in Cascais, Portugal, and couldn’t be happier with how they turned out! She also serves the greater Lisbon area, and I highly recommend her!
Without a doubt, booking family photos in Europe was one of the best decisions we made on this trip!
Please note that the family photos shown in this post were all taken by Claudia with Flytographer.
Why We Finally Booked Family Photos in Europe
Europe is my favorite place to travel. And while we visit often, this was our first time actually booking professional family photos in Europe.
A few years ago, we booked a Flytographer session while visiting Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Those photos quickly became some of our favorite family photos. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to book another vacation photo session for my family.
We’ve now visited Europe nearly a dozen times as a family, visiting amazing destinations in France, Italy, Spain, Malta, and more. For some reason or another, I never got around to booking a photo session on those family trips to Europe, and regretted it every single time.
The years passed by, and now Abby and Jake are 17 and 15. I have no idea how we got here so soon!
When we started planning our summer 2026 Portugal itinerary, I knew this was the trip! Between the beautiful coastline, stunning architecture, and charming towns, Portugal felt like the perfect place to finally book family photos in Europe. Plus, we had almost 3 weeks, so there was no excuse for not fitting this in!
And, spoiler alert: booking these family photos in Europe was, without a doubt, one of the best decisions we made on this trip!
Why Family Photos in Europe Are Worth Every Penny
Professional family photos are about so much more than getting a few pretty pictures for Instagram. They’re a chance to capture your family exactly as you are during one of life’s biggest adventures.
For me, destination photos like this mean so much more than going out to a random field to take photos. Years from now, I know these photos will remind us just as much about this season of life as they will about our family trip to Portugal.
#1 Everyone is Actually in the Photos
This alone makes getting professional family photos taken on trips worth it to me!
When we travel, I am usually the one taking the photos. And while I love capturing our trips, that also means I am missing from a lot of them.
Booking a vacation photographer means nobody has to be behind the camera. No selfies. No asking strangers. No rushing to set up a tripod. Everyone is actually in the photos together. And years from now, that matters!
#2 Europe Makes the Perfect Backdrop for Family Photos
Another reason European family photos feel so special is that the natural backdrops are already beautiful.
You don’t need props or an elaborate setup. Historic streets, colorful buildings, coastal towns, gardens, beaches, castles, tiled walls, and old-world architecture do all of the work for you.
That is one of the reasons I loved doing our family photo session in Cascais, Portugal. The scenery felt meaningful, but not forced.
It looked like our trip, because it was our trip! We spent four nights there and, ironically enough, just the day before we had walked along the coast and through the park that she ended up taking us to for the photos.
#3 Professional Vacation Photos Become One of Your Favorite Souvenirs
I love bringing home a few small souvenirs from a trip, but nothing compares to photos like these. Plus, they take up no room in your luggage!
If you add up what you spend on magnets, T-shirts, and little souvenirs that often get forgotten once you’re home, professional family photos become an even better value.
Years from now, these Flytographer photos will remind us exactly what this season of life looked like. But, they will also bring back memories of exploring Portugal together long after we’ve forgotten what we packed in our suitcases.
To me, that’s the very best souvenir you can bring home from Europe!
Our Family Photo Session in Cascais, Portugal
So, how exactly did we book our family photos in Europe?
First, I spent some time narrowing down the location and the photographer. On this trip, we spent time in Porto, Vilamoura, Lagos, Cascais, and Lisbon. Plus, we took a day trip to Sintra, and we even spent a day in the Douro Valley.
Leading up to this trip, I narrowed it down to either Porto or Cascais because we were spending four nights in both, which gave us ample time to take family photos. Once I had the locations down, I spent time reviewing the photographers at each location.
It was important to me that the photographer’s editing style matched what I love: clean, vibrant images with beautiful composition and straight horizons.
Why We Chose Cascais for Our Family Photo Session
I personally love European coastal towns, and our family tends to spend a lot of time along the water. So, Cascais made perfect sense. It was the perfect blend of coastal scenery, beautiful Portuguese tiles, lovely alleys, and colorful homes, and it just felt right.
Plus, it was already almost two weeks into our trip, so we weren’t going to be jetlagged. That was a real possibility if we did photos in Porto at the very start of our trip.
Cascais also reminded me of Sitges, Spain, and Antibes, France, as well as Cinque Terre and Camogli, Italy, which are among my favorite European coastal towns.
Our Photographer Claudia Made the Experience So Easy
When looking through the Flytographer options in Cascais, Claudia immediately caught my eye. I really liked her style, and she had fantastic reviews. This is one of the major benefits of booking family photos with Flytographer in Europe.
You can obviously read the reviews, but you can also see sample photos that give you an idea of their style and the locations they like to use within that European destination.
I loved that Claudia used coastal, park, and city settings during our 1-hour photo session in Cascais, Portugal!
The photos are even better than I expected, and you will see them scattered throughout this post. Beyond that, communication was wonderful, and she made us feel very comfortable. We can be a little awkward!
And, we had our photos within 24 hours. Now, that was super fast! Typical Flytographer turnaround times are up to one week.
How to Book Family Photos in Europe
One of the things I love most about Flytographer is how simple the entire process is. It’s literally exactly as I just shared!
You simply visit the Flytographer website, choose your destination, browse local photographers, compare their styles and reviews, and select the package that best suits your family.
Flytographer currently has photographers in hundreds of destinations around the world, including many of Europe’s most popular cities such as Rome, Venice, Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Porto, Athens, and dozens more.
If you’d like a complete walkthrough of the booking process, current pricing, package options, and everything else you need to know, be sure to read my complete Flytographer review here, which includes our Rio de Janeiro photos. I cover every detail there, so I won’t repeat it here!
Are you just at the starting stages of planning your family trip to Europe? Here are a few posts that will help you:
- Best Europe Cities for First-Timers
- How to Plan a Europe Trip
- Finding the Best Flight Deals
- Tips for International Travel
- Family Apartment Rental Tips
- Using Points & Miles to Europe
What It Cost to Book Our Family Photos in Europe
For our Portugal family photos, we booked Flytographer’s Classic Experience, which is their 60-minute package. It currently costs $425 USD and includes 35 professionally edited digital photos for up to 10 people.
Claudia even delivered more edited images than our package included, which was such a thoughtful surprise. We truly appreciate her generosity and couldn’t be happier with our experience.
Was it an investment? Absolutely.
Was it worth every penny? Also absolutely.
When I compare it to what we spent on dinners, tours, and other vacation activities during our three weeks in Portugal, $425 feels like a bargain. Those experiences lasted a few hours, but these photos will be something our family enjoys for the rest of our lives. It’s not much different than paying for another tour or day trip. But, let’s be honest, this one was 100% for me!
Looking back, I only wish we had started doing this years ago on at least one of our Europe trips. Going forward, we plan to!
If you’d like to compare all of Flytographer’s current packages, pricing, and what’s included, just click here.
What To Wear for Family Photos in Europe
Choosing outfits for your Europe family photos doesn’t have to be stressful. My biggest advice is to coordinate your colors rather than match exactly, and to choose clothes that feel comfortable and look like you. And, hopefully, these are outfits you can wear throughout your trip!
#1 Coordinate Without Matching
Soft, neutral colors always photograph beautifully in Europe. We love mixing whites, creams, blues, tans, and light patterns instead of everyone wearing the exact same outfit. I also like to add a pop of color, as I did with my dress for these photos.
Avoid large logos or overly busy prints that can distract from the scenery.
#2 Dress for Your Destination
Think about where your photo session will take place. Flowy dresses are perfect for coastal towns like Cascais, while comfortable shoes are a must if you’ll be walking on cobblestone streets. Be mindful of overly windy destinations where short dresses and long loose hair might be an issue.
Make sure to pack clothes that don’t wrinkle easily, or bring a small travel garment steamer. Don’t forget a European power converter if you plan to use it!
Make sure to check out all of my Europe Travel Essentials before your trip.
#3 What We Wore
If you’re curious, here’s where we found everyone’s outfits for our Portugal family photos. Matt and Jake are wearing Old Navy, and both shirts and shorts are actually Matt’s. But these days they wear the same size, so it was easier to just pull things from Matt’s closet instead.
I laid out these outfits at home about a week before our trip. Everyone had to try them on and make sure their shoes blended in well enough. We weren’t going to buy a whole set of shoes only for this photoshoot.
Abby’s dress is from Zara, and we bought it in Rome a couple summer ago. So, I don’t have the exact link to that, which is a shame because it’s so cute!
Me:
Matt:
Abby:
Jake:
5 Tips For Booking Family Photos In Europe
Before wrapping up, I want to share a few tips to help you have the best European photoshoot. As a customer and a photographer myself, I know these are things many people overlook!
#1 Book Your Photographer Early
Summer dates fill up quickly, so if you find a photographer you love, book them. In most cases, when you are ready to book, you will send a request and may need to wait a day or two for a confirmation of availability. I like how Flytographer lets you provide a few time and date options!
#2 Schedule Around Sunrise or Sunset
Golden hour makes a huge difference. Not only is the lighting best in the early morning and evening, but there are often fewer people around, making it easier to get the shots you want.
#3 Beware of Jet Lag and Sunburns
I would avoid taking these photos during the first 48 hours of a trip to Europe. Give people a chance to adjust to the time change and recover from the long travel day.
That said, if you are in a beachy destination or anywhere with hot sun during the warmer months, be careful about sunburn. Mainly those pesky swimsuit tan lines when wearing strappy dresses!
#4 Pick A Location Already On Your Itinerary
Use a destination you’re already planning to explore. Not only will it make your photos more meaningful, but it will also make it easier. We met Claudia just a couple of blocks from the apartment we rented in Cascais. Doing it this way eliminates any traffic or transportation concerns.
#5 Plan Something Fun Before Or After
Let’s be honest, if your family is anything like mine, they are doing you a solid by taking part in these photos, hopefully with a smile on their faces. So, since you are already dressed up, go do something fun afterward.
Make this your fancy dinner night and make reservations somewhere nice. But give yourself an extra hour or so buffer in case your session runs longer, or to walk to the restaurant from your endpoint.
Or, go out for dessert or gelato, and catch the end of the sunset! Stroll back to your hotel or rental and stop to take in anything that catches your eye, like live music!
Is Booking Family Photos in Europe Worth It?
Yes! Based on my past experience with Flytographer, I knew it would be good. But this family photo session in Europe exceeded my expectations! I just adore Europe, and our family travels in Europe have become such a special part of Abby and Jake’s teenage years. So, it just feels so special to have these new family photos.
I just wish I had done family photos in Europe sooner! I can just picture how lovely these photos would have been along the coastal path on Cap Ferrat, or with Cinque Terre, Italy, as the setting.
While I can’t go back and book family photos for all of our previous trips to Europe, I can make sure we don’t miss the opportunity again.
From now on, I’ll gladly budget for a professional photo session whenever we take a big trip to Europe. Years from now, I know these photos will become some of our family’s favorite memories, and to me, that’s worth every penny.
Click here to browse Flytographer destinations and packages before your next trip!
Related Europe Travel Tips
- Flytographer Guide
- Planning a Trip to Europe
- Europe Travel Essentials
- 6 Easy Europe Towns
- Finding Flight Deals
- Last Minute Europe Tours
- International Travel Tips
- Points & Miles Guide
- Airbnbs vs Hotels
PIN: Family Photos in Europe for Later
