Aloha and welcome back to Hawaii. Travel Made Easy. I'm Marcie Cheung, and if you're planning your next Hawaii vacation and want to finally get vacation photos, you'll actually love the Kind You'll Frame Post and Swoon over for years. You are absolutely in the right place. Today I'm chatting with Natalie from Flytographer and I'm so excited because she has photographed my family, not once, but twice on Oahu.
Let me tell you, those photos are framed all over my house because they actually feel like us in Hawaii. They're not stiff or awkward or overly posed. They're real, joyful and full of the magic we felt in that moment. But here's the thing, before we did those sessions, I had plenty of vacation photos that were just disappointing.
You know, the kind someone blinks, the lighting is weird, the kids look miserable. Or you hand your phone to a stranger and hope for the best, and then you get home and think, Ugh, none of these photos are frame worthy. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. In this episode, Natalie and I are breaking down why your Hawaii vacation photos might not be turning out the way you hoped and how you can fix it.
Whether you're snapping pics on your phone or you're curious about hiring a pro, you're gonna walk away with practical tips you can use right away, and a better idea of whether a Flytographer session is right for you. So grab your iced coffee, pretend you're watching the sunrise in Waikiki, and 📍 let's jump in.
Natalie, thanks so much for being here today.
Hello, hello.
Can you introduce yourself to my lovely audience and let us know your background as a Hawaii vacation photographer.
Yes, absolutely. So my name is Natalie and I have been a professional photographer for over 10 years now. And eight of those years I have been shooting with photographer in all the different places I've lived around the world, including Prague, Houston, Austin. Oahu and now I am based in Southern California.
But of course Hawaii still has a huge piece of my heart. Shooting in Hawaii was amazing. My office was the beach.
I had my toes in the sand every single day, and just stunning views that I never took for granted. I also work as Flytographer social media manager on their partnerships team and on the Flytographer community team. So I get to see all aspects of Flytographer and let me just say I love working for them.
I love that. So what's your experience photographing families visiting Hawaii? Do you notice any patterns?
Yeah, so families are my specialty. I love working with kids. My background is actually elementary education. That's the degree I got in university, and while obviously I am a photographer and not a teacher, I think that a lot of those aspects of teaching are also really help. When you're managing a family and taking photos, and the pattern that I see, whether it's in the classroom or on the beach, is that kids always wanna play.
So I really don't expect them to just show up to the beach, which is, you know, basically Disney World and listen to me this. Total stranger, tell them what to do and smile at the camera. Like, of course they wanna play in the sand war. And so what I love to do is incorporate play into all of my photo sessions.
Not only does it create an opportunity for making really fun and genuine memories together, but it also sets up a great opportunity to capture those memories as I build rapport with kids and really get to know them and learn about their interests and just have fun and be. I find that those create the best opportunities for awesome photos. I also, I often find that parents feel a little bit stressed out if their kids don't immediately lock into a photo session from minute one. But I always let them know that this isn't only normal. I expect some warmup time. And so taking especially that first 10 minutes of the session to just have fun and get to know each other, sets up a great base for capturing amazing photos during our time together.
That was exactly our experience with you on our very first shoot. I was very nervous for my little boys. I wasn't sure how focused they would be and I just remember you instantly playing games with them and they were so into it and I could just tell I was getting like the real genuine laughs.
The smiles, they were having fun. They wanted to continue playing the games throughout the photo shoot and even beyond. And it was, it was so nice to have that weight kind of lifted right off my shoulders and I was like, oh, this is going to be good photos that I'm actually gonna like looking at. So what are some of the most common mistakes you see families make when they try to DIY their Hawaii photos?
So the biggest issue that I see with trying to DIY, your photos is just waiting too long to take them. Especially in Hawaii, the sun is strong, the UV rays. They're working. I'm wearing sunscreen every single day, and I still get burned sometimes. And so a lot of people get sunburn.
They have awkward tan lines. You know, the kids have been outta their routine for a few days and just completely exhausted from playing in the sun all day. As am I. And so I always tell families, make sure you're getting those must have photos out of the way at the very beginning of your trip. So one, you're not stressed about them, and two, you're not fighting against sunburns.
And a couple days of just. Being completely exhausted. And one of the tips that I love to share is jet lag is your friend. If you are coming to Hawaii from, mainland North America, if you're traveling west, you are gonna be waking up early when you're in Hawaii, especially those first couple of days.
And so use that to your advantage to catch the sunrise when the beach is empty. Everything's new and exciting. I love when families use that first morning in Hawaii when their kids woke them up at four o'clock in the morning. Like, this is your time to get your hair done.
Do everything you need to do, get those photos outta the way, and then you're not stressed about them. The rest of the trip
Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. I feel like that first morning is golden and you can take advantage. There's so many things you can do, but photo shoots for sure that's like should be top of people's priority list because I think they assume they're gonna be sleeping in even just a little bit or even just as much as they do at home.
And that 4:00 AM wake up call is legit. That has happened. From since my kids were babies. Now they're tweens. They, it's still happening. You wake up crazy early. People are hungry. They wanna eat a little something and then they wanna go do something. And the beach is perfect because it is empty. You can get those gorgeous beach photos without random people in the background.
It's such a good use of your time and you don't have those sunburns because let me tell you, that has happened almost every trip. I'm also diligent about using my sunscreen, but sure enough, there will be swimsuit strap lines or , tank top lines or something. And it's not even just me. It is my husband.
Like, let's be honest. He's gonna ruin the photos. And so it's much better to do it right off the bat before anyone has a chance to even have that happen. So why do you think our phone photos rarely capture what we actually felt or saw?
So I always say it's not that phones are not able to capture these moments because. have amazing phones with great cameras in our back pockets, and it's not about buying a fancy camera to get great photos, so don't feel pressure to, drop hundreds or thousands of dollars on an expensive camera and think that that's, the magic way to make your photos good. It's really about how you approach the photos and so. My strategy for taking photos, whether it's on a professional camera or just photos on my iPhone, is trying to add to the moment rather than pausing the moment. And you know, of course, sometimes yes, a moment calls for, Hey, kids, look over here and smile. But often that leads to, you know, forced smiles, you know, awkward, cheesy grins that look like they are. know, being held up by their toes and you know, you hear Mom stop. I don't wanna take another picture. And so I always encourage people to capture the moment as it unfolds with candid. And so if you are the mom or the parent who's always behind the camera, but never in it, I also recommend have a chat with your partner about.
The why behind the photos that you're taking about how sharing the mental load of documenting special moments without always having to be the one that's looking for them and asking for them is like the greatest gift that they can give you. And so whenever I go on vacation with my husband, I tell him like, okay, here are the three most important things I'm excited about. And if you see one of those things happening, that's your cue. Like, don't ask me to take, don't ask if you. That's your cue. Don't just say, do you want a photo? Just take it. You can just do it, I promise. And so bringing that practice into everyday life too is a great way to get, you know, really genuine and authentic moments.
And. Yes, these are not going to be the most perfectly composed images with perfect ideal lighting every single time, but they'll be the authentic ones that you love the most, and I think the ones that you're gonna look back on and treasure decades from now.
I couldn't agree more. I definitely do that with my kids when I know they're super excited for certain activities we're doing. I take those photos and you're right, they aren't the perfect photos, but I swear I can hear the laughter and I can hear what had happened before and after I was taking the photo.
And it's just, it really is your little window into that memory. So I agree with you. Like just take the, take the photos. I tell my husband all the time, like, you know, when I'm going through our vacation photos and I'm like, gosh, you know, I spent all this time planning the trip and you know, doing the logistics and getting everyone there, making sure everyone was packed.
And then I looked through our photos years ago and then I was like, I'm not in any of these photos except for some. Really wonky selfies, maybe with my kids. And those are never like, really great photos. And so, , I love, you know, obviously using Flytographer because I get the really nice photos, but it is a good reminder to clue your partner in, to be like, Hey, I also want this photo and if, you know, if I'm taking a photo of you somewhere, maybe just go ahead and snap a photo of me in the same place because it's probably photo worthy.
So, I definitely agree with that. Have you ever had families tell you about photos that just didn't turn out the way they expected before they booked you?
Yes, and so that's where I come in as a photographer. So it's not just about hiring someone to hold a fancy camera and click the button to take the photo. hiring a photographer just helps remove that stress from your shoulders and that stress you're carrying about capturing it all perfectly. You have us to help compose those moments that you just get to focus on living in.
That's what I think is the greatest joy of being able to be a photographer and capturing so many families is knowing that I'm helping families create lasting memories together. Where no one's, you know, fighting about who gets to be in front of the camera or you know, is the mom. Kids. A lot of times kids are like, mom, I don't wanna listen to you.
But then you have some funny stranger telling them the same thing and they're like, you know, just following you around like little puppies. It's. Funny when I see that happen. So being able to remove that stress and that even if you left your vacation not having taken a single photo yourself on your phone, you're still leaving with a gallery full of images that you're gonna treasure and you don't have to do any work on.
They're just delivered. They're
Perfect.
and you get to enjoy them and print them.
I love it. I know I usually get my Flytographer photos while I'm still on my vacation, which is another bonus if you book it early in your trip because then you're still in Hawaii, you're still enjoying yourself, and all of a sudden you have these amazing like magazine worthy photos that just pop into your email and you're like, Hey.
I'm gonna post these on social, like on our way home and like everyone's gonna be so jealous of our trip and it looks like, you know, we look amazing. It's just kind of that funny, like no stress kind of thing. But I know that I have had plenty of those meh photos from our trips in the past. What do you say to parents who feel frustrated when their photos never match the memories?
So first and foremost, if you're asking this question, I promise you like you are doing better than you think you are. I think in this day and age, there's this pressure to have this camera roll full of perfectly composed moments and to capture and document every little thing that's happening. And my advice, it might sound a little backwards, but if you're feeling overwhelmed with.
Capturing memories. Just try taking less photos. You know, think about your trip as a scrapbook page. What are the five to 10 photos that you would wanna put on that one page? And focus on capturing those moments really well because it does take time to, practice taking photos and get better and figure out your style. And so it's just, it's not possible to put that energy and care into every single. Photo that you're capturing. And so taking a moment to reset the intention behind the photos is what always helps me refocus when I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed. And that also really helps when you're going through your camera roll at the end of the trip and you have. 300 photos instead of 1500 photos to go through. You're gonna keep a higher percentage of those photos. I will also throw out there, like this advice sounds completely opposite to what I just said, but like, don't think photographers have it perfect during a photo shoot that I'm capturing. I overshoot a ton when I am dumping my SD card onto my computer after a session, I have a ton of bad photos on my camera, but you never see those because I'm only sending you the best of the best. And part of the reason why I do have a lot of bad photos is because I love the in-between moments. And so that's. Really important when you're capturing candid moments where you know your subjects aren't standing still and smiling per and smiling perfectly at you, you have to take a lot of photos to capture that perfect one. And so if you're taking photos on your phone, a quick tip is use burst mode, especially if you're taking photos of wiggly little subjects. And then you can go through and cull from there and choose the one or two out of that burst of photos. That's a great way to get really authentic. Genuine moments, and it's not just all eyes half closed and funny faces.
Yes, burst mode is so important. I think that that is one of the easiest things that people can do on their trip is just constantly, constantly take the photos because, and then you can sit and it doesn't take that long to go through and just pick out the couple ones that you're like, oh, these are the perfect shots.
Delete the rest, you're done. I love that advice. Are there any easy ways families can get better results even with their phones?
Love sharing tips about taking better photos with your phone because you know, obviously I think it's always great to hire a professional. That's what I do, and it's great to leave with this gallery of beautifully curated images, but it is only an hour of your trip. gonna wanna take photos for more than that one hour.
And so I love helping people feel equipped to take beautiful photos on their own as well. And so my number one tip is to use two x zoom. That's gonna help make the background look bigger in your photos. And so if you've ever been to a beautiful destination and you're looking at the mountains or the landscape and it's just beautiful, but then you take a photo.
It looks like so far away and small, and it's just not capturing what it looks like in real life. That's what happens when you're shooting in that normal or wide angle mode. So if you have your photographer who's ever holding the phone, take a couple steps back, put your phone into two x, that's gonna create that lens compression, which is a fancy way of just saying that the background looks bigger and closer to you. can also play with portrait mode and F stock. So portrait mode is, it makes the background look blurry, right? It creates that effect kind of like a professional camera, and the F stop is essentially how blurry that background looks. So the good, the only thing you need to know is that a higher number, a higher F stop equals a less blurry background and a lower number equals a super blurry background. find with an iPhone and portrait mode, if you just move the number a little higher than the default, you still get that nice, dreamy, blurry backdrop, but it looks a little more crisp and professional and like a professional camera took it than just the default. So those are my easy tips to upgrade your iPhone photos.
This is so helpful. I take a lot of photos when I'm traveling and I have never tried either of these tips of using the two XI. I, that is blowing my mind that that sounds so easy that I can do that. Or I can even have my kids do that when they're taking photos of me. And then playing around with the f-stop with portrait mode.
I hadn't even thought about adjusting anything because I'm, I'm lazy, I guess. But this sounds totally doable. This sounds something that's not that difficult. And I think that the photos are gonna be, elevated for sure. What is your number one tip for lighting when taking photos on the beach?
Yes, so Hawaii is lots and lots of beaches and you're gonna take a lot and lot of photos. And so obviously if you know any photographers, they know golden hour. Golden hour is the hour right after sunrise or right before sunset when the light is really soft and glowy. So if you're booking a professional shoot, your photographer is probably gonna try to get you to schedule during that golden hour. of course we don't live life in golden hour. We live life all 24 hours of the day. so if you are shooting in the middle of the day, aim to keep the sun behind you and just out of the frame of the photo. And so that's gonna create even light on your face because the light is coming from behind.
So you're not getting those awkward, harsh shadows that just love to sit in your wrinkles and like, you know, make a weird nose shadow across your face. So keeping the sun behind you is key. And then with iPhones especially. The light can get blown out really easily if the sun is in the photo. So if you keep it out of the frame, that help makes, that helps make the light look a little more even. You can also hide the sun behind a palm tree, a building a person, and that also helps create that more even light. So those are my tips. But yes, I always say if you're trying to create more. Kind of special photos, like you're all dressed up before dinner or something. Try to snap those photos at golden hour.
'cause that's just the best lighting.
I love that. Yes. We all want those dreamy photos of ourselves in Hawaii. Do you have any easy hacks for making kids look natural instead of stiff or awkward?
Yes. I think everyone, every
I.
has had the universal experience of sit telling their chi kid. Yes. I think every parent has had the uni universal experience of telling their kid to say cheese, and it's just this like goblin grimace that you're like, well, that's. going on the Christmas card. And so the best way to get those real smiles, because kids just have the best smiles, is to lean into planned moments.
And so instead of a true candid where you're just taking photos, but you're not directing the moment at all, I like to plan my candid, hence landed. So for example, and if you're behind the camera, instead of saying smile with dad, look at the camera, you can say. Tell dad he's a stinky fart. And if you've ever shot with me, you will know that I love saying stinky fart because that's always the humor that's gonna get kids to laugh.
It gets me to laugh, and I'm 31 years old, so I think it'll work for an 8-year-old. So it creates those genuine laughs instead of forced smiles. It creates a fun little moment. I also like to let kids have a little power in the photo shoot. You know, allow them to choose a pose and then I choose a pose.
It's a little bit of compromise there, you know, let them do the silly face or jump around or be a little crazy and then capture your must have shot. And so I think that it kind of helps create a positive association with photos. And even if it takes you a little bit more time to get that final photo that you want, I promise it's worth it because it creates, you know, excitement around photos.
And it also makes for authentic moments rather than just endless pose shots that look exactly the same. I remember Marcie, when I was photographing your family at Kualoa, we. know, acted like dinosaurs and made dinosaur roars and you know, pulling your hands up like a dinosaur. And those are some of my favorite photos from your gallery because it was just so genuine to you guys.
And it still makes me smile every time I look at them.
I totally remember that from our shoot. That was one of my favorite moments was pretending to be dinosaurs. It made the kids really relaxed and they got to get involved and it was so fun. And we've kind of taken that concept on all of our future, photo shoots by letting each kid pick a pose.
So we just were in Japan a few months ago. And each kid got to pick one post that everyone had to do, and it had to be appropriate, of course. But we ended up doing all these signs from Jujutsu, Kaisen, anime, and, doing all kinds of, like lurching kind of movements. And of course we've dabbed in photos and we've, we've done it all.
It gives the kids some sort of power, just like you were saying, where they felt like, Hey, we all got to pick. Something to do in the photos. And those are the ones that end up getting framed near my kids' rooms because they just crack up when they see them. I know from experience how stress free it felt just showing up.
Knowing Natalie would guide us and capture everything, especially since my kids don't exactly love being posed. Can you share what makes a Flytographer session easier than trying to DIY?
Yes. So like I've said before, my favorite thing about being a photographer is helping take the stress off of capturing your trip. And so all of our photographers know the best photo spots, the best times of day tips for what to wear. Where to go before and after your session, what else to do on your trip?
All of that really helpful knowledge that you could get from, basically your brand new local friend and wherever you're traveling. And so I always love to say outsource the stress. We are here to take that off of your shoulders so that all you have to do on your photo session is enjoy being on vacation with your family.
You know, Flytographers, we have your must have shots in mind. We keep those, ideal backdrops or poses or photo combinations in the back of our mind and capture all of that so that you just get to have fun and make memories with your family. And so, even if you leave your trip not having taken a single photo on your own. leave with an album of memories that capture this fleeting and special time. And plus, it's fun. I've talked a lot about how I love to make the photo session fun for kids, but I also love making it fun for adults and just getting to know you and share all of my local tips and insight I consider myself.
Your welcoming committee to Hawaii.
I love that. I know I always have such a fun time when we get to photograph, with you. And one of the things I appreciate a lot, from you and from all the Flytographers that we've used, is having a professional eye. Maybe one strand of hair is doing something funky and that they can go and fix that really quick, or maybe like my bra strap is showing, or, a tag is out or something. It's just nice to have somebody just run up and just fix it really quick. Because after, if I was to do it myself, I would look at the photos and be like, well, this is great, except for, and it'll be something, something that could have easily been fixed, had somebody just run up and just fix it really quickly.
So I think that that's one of the bonuses that I find with photographers specifically. For families wondering if professional photos are worth it, what's the biggest difference you notice in the final results compared to phone photos?
Yeah, so while there are tons of editing and photo tips, you can easily capture phone photos that you love and adore because phone cameras are really, really great these days and only getting better. The biggest benefit to professional photos is getting everyone in the photo.
You don't have to lug around a tripod or ask a stranger to take a photo who may or may not. Cut off your feet or your head or the backdrop in every single photo. You're not stressing about trying to get your toddler to look at the camera. Instead of you, you've got a photographer behind the camera acting like an insane person to get everyone looking at the camera.
I have a. Quacked like a duck and danced like a chicken with a head cut off anything to get people to look at me. And so I think that one is a huge, huge stressor off of you. And plus, they are high quality with nothing else to do on your end except enjoy them. Once they're delivered, you know you have enough on your plate.
So we're here to help lighten the load. You just get to sit back and look at all the photos with your family and choose which one to print and display, which. For me, it's always all of them. When I have my own photos taken.
Yes. I always just beam as soon as I get the email and I'm going through the photos and I'm like showing my husband, I'm showing the kids, I'm showing anybody around me like, oh, we just got these photos. Aren't these cute? And then I'm just like, oh, like each one just gets better and better. It's such a fun, fun experience I think. What's your favorite moment to capture when you're photographing families visiting Hawaii?
Yeah, so I love when families aren't
afraid to get a little
bit wet and a little bit sandy at the end of the shoot, of course, playing in the water, splashing each other, just having fun in the ocean is what Hawaii is all about. So, at the end of your shoot, don't be afraid to let loose and have.
Splash war and we'll make sure you still look good doing it. I always would tell my clients, when you splash water in the air, that's free, diamonds in your shoot. You know, it just looks so fun and incredible and just leads to really great, genuine moments, whether you have kids or you're all just kids at heart, it's the best way to end a shoot. But I do add the caveat. Make sure you have an extra pair of clothes and towels in your car because that is essential.
Absolutely, yes. We've done that before in some of our shoots in Hawaii, and it is a really fun way to just let loose at the end of the shoot. And that's, the kids love it especially, but it's just, it's just fun. Do you have any specific tips for families taking beach photos?
Yeah, so even if you're not planning on getting in the water at the end, always bring a change of clothes in case you get splashed or it's sandy or you get rained on and bring extra towels because I have had, you know, the toddler and the family run straight to the water at the beginning of the shoot and. didn't even realize. And then we're chasing after her and her dress is wet, so always bring backup clothes. And speaking of clothes, opt for natural fiber clothing. So cotton linen, it's, it's hot and humid in Hawaii all year round, so you will probably sweat a little bit during your session. And those natural fabrics are so much more breathable.
They're gonna hide. Sweat, they're gonna feel better and they're gonna dry faster if you get wet. So I love natural fiber clothing for photo sessions, just they do wrinkle a little easier. So maybe either plan to iron or bring a steamer that's just, know, set out your clothes the night before in the, in the bathroom.
So that's my little tip there. we talked about earlier, sunrise shoots at the beginning of your trip are the ideal time to book. So not only are the beaches empty, the morning light is gorgeous, you're jet lag, so you're up early, but it also gives you some buffer time because we are an island. So. know, little rain rainstorms come in. So you wanna have some time to adjust. So if you need to push your shoot back a day or two, you have that flexibility rather than planning your shoot for the
Last day.
and then something pops up and then you just have to cancel, which is a huge bummer. speaking of rain, don't fear it. If you see it on the radar, it's usually in short bursts.
You know, the weather changes really quickly on the island and often. I didn't even look at the forecast until the day before at the earliest, because the weather would change so often. But we've kind of learned how to read the radar, see what rain might stick around, see what's gonna clear off. You know, I've had multiple shoots where it said it was gonna be pouring rain and thunderstorm, and it was like the clearest blue sky I've ever seen on the actual shoot. The island is also almost always breezy, so bring extra bobby pins, bring extra hair ties if you've got little ones, opt for a pulled back hairstyle and load up on the hairspray even if it doesn't seem that windy. You know, if you don't want a hair, you know, straying across your face and giving you a little mustache, you know, trying to control that in advance as much as possible is really great and lets you not have to worry about your hair during the session. And finally, don't forget to ask your photographer for their local tips and recommendations because all photographers live in the city that they're shooting in, so they can share their favorite local approved tip. while I'm no longer based in Hawaii, I'm in Southern California now, we do have amazing Flytographers on Maui, Oahu, big Island and Kauai, who cannot wait to capture your trip. And I always say too, don't forget to drive with Aloha. Support Local and just enjoy your time on the islands.
Wow. I love that conversation with Natalie, and I hope you're feeling inspired too. We've all had those photos where the lighting's off the kids look cranky, or it just doesn't capture the magic you felt in Hawaii, but now you've got some easy tips to make your vacation photos better, and you know that there's a stress-free option if you'd rather just show up and enjoy the moment.
Honestly, booking photographer for my family was one of the best decisions I've made in Hawaii. Natalie made it so easy and the photos our treasures will have forever. If you're curious about trying it, I've got you covered. Just check the link in my show notes to get $25 off your very first Flytographer session, and if you do book.
Send me a message or take me on Instagram. I'd love to see your gorgeous Hawaii photos. Mahalo for tuning in to Hawaii. Travel Made Easy. If today's episode was helpful, don't forget to hit subscribe so you don't miss next week's travel tips. 📍 Until then, aloha. I.
