Our recent photo session in Chiang Mai was a long-awaited chapter in our nomadic journey. It had been 5+ years since our last professional photo shoot which was during our wedding (Read: Our California wedding in the Redwoods). As fervent believers in experiences over possessions, we couldn’t wait to create new photographic memories and Chiang Mai, a city that holds a special place in our hearts, became the perfect canvas for our latest endeavor. In this blog post, we’re excited to share the details of our experience and the stunning results.
Since we love slow travel, we do explore the place we visit a lot by ourselves. This means we often find ourselves lacking in pictures together. While impromptu takes from strangers or the occasional self-stick moment help, they lack the quality of professionally captured moments.
Finding a photographer in Chiang Mai proved to be relatively straightforward thanks to the active expat community on Facebook.
Finding a photographer is relatively easy in Chiang Mai as there are plenty of Facebook groups for expats that you can reach out to. Mrs. NN led the charge on this one. She posted on the Chiang Mai Nomad Girls, where we got a few recommendations. We love Facebook groups for this as they are super resourceful and also big-time savers.
After exploring recommendations, we settled on Win Studio – a decision that proved to be a great choice we could not be more happy with!
Other Facebook groups worth joining in Chiang Mai are:
– Expats & Locals Living in Chiang Mai
– Chiang Mai
The Planning
As we were planning for our photo session involved careful consideration of location, timing, and attire. While my wardrobe was sufficient, Mrs. NN embarked on a brief online shopping spree to find the perfect dress. Chiang Mai’s affordability made this process seamless. Opting for the Golden Hour, we scheduled our shoot towards the end of the day to capture the soft, warm sunlight that enhances the colors and textures of a scene. Our chosen location was the I Love Flower Farm, an hour’s drive from Chiang Mai.
Did you know? Golden Hour refers to the period shortly after sunrise or before sunset when the sunlight is soft, warm, and creates long shadows. The quality of light during this time enhances the colors and textures in a scene, making it a preferred time for capturing visually appealing images
The Duo Behind the Lens
A delightful surprise awaited us on the day of the shoot – instead of one photographer, we were greeted by a dynamic duo from Win Studio. The main photographer, along with her partner, also a skilled photographer, made for an excellent team. While the partner was there to assist with translations, the main photographer’s English proficiency was pretty good to us. Together, they directed shots seamlessly, creating a harmonious and efficient process. We loved it. It was a lot of fun to act while trying to stay as natural as possible.
The Experience
On the day of the shoot, we prepared ourselves by mid-afternoon, and our photographer duo picked us up from our Airbnb to drive to the I Lower Flower Farm. Once at the Farm, we purchases our entrance ticket and got on a small vehicule that drove us to the entrance of the parc, a few hundreds meters away.
This place provided a picturesque backdrop, and the inclusion of hot air balloons during December added a touch of drama to some of our shots.
The one-hour session was divided into two half-hour segments, with a break in between, allowing us to refresh and enjoy a beverage courtesy of the farm (via the entrance fee).
The photographers’ expertise shone through as they captured 250 shots during our time at the flower farm. We provided them with some key highlights we wished to include, and they skillfully incorporated our preferences into the session.
The Unveiling
Two days later, our anticipation was met with excitement as we received a Google Drive folder containing all of our pictures. The efficient editing and delivery process heightened our eagerness as we swipped through the images, reliving our day at the I Lover Flower Farm.
Here’s a glimpse into some of the finest moments we had the privilege of capturing during this memorable photo shoot in Chiang Mai with Win Studio.
The Cost
In total the cost of half day photo shoot session came down to 2,640 THB THB (or ~75 USD).
Here is the breakdown of each line item of our budget:
| Description | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 hour photo shoot session | 1,500 THB |
| Tip to our photographers | 300 THB (20 %) |
| Transportation from our Airbnb to the location | 400 THB |
| I Love Flower Farm Entrance fee (x4) | 400 THB |
| Tip to local drivers (x2) | 40 THB |
| Total | 2,640 THB |
This rate is really competitive and definitely one of the best we found when we were looking for photographer. We gave Win Studio a 5/5 rating and we highly encourage anyone in Chiang Mai to get in touch with them if you are looking to plan a memorable photo shoot.
Our Bottom Line
In wrapping up our Chiang Mai photo shoot adventure with Win Studio, we’re left with plenty of memories captured through the lens of two incredibly talented photographers. From the picturesque setting at I Love Flower Farm to the behind-the-scenes teamwork that made it all come together, it was an experience that surpassed our expectations.
These type of small investment are so worth it in our opinion. They create lifetime memories proven its worth, as these memories will accompany us for years and decades to come. The idea of making this an annual tradition is on our minds – here’s to seeing if we can turn it into a yearly reality!
What are your thoughts on professional photo sessions? Have you ever had a memorable experience or do you have questions about our Chiang Mai adventure? Drop a comment in the comments section below – we’re eager to learn about your own experience!
2 Comments
Anastasia · January 7, 2024 at 2:04 am
I’ve never done a professional photo shoot (and probably won’t as it’s not my thing) but I love that there’s a plethora of options available for travelers nowadays. I see a lot of photoshoot sessions available especially on AirBNB Experiences, for instance, or “Instagram photo” tours on the major OTA websites. I’m sure it takes some of the pressure off of people since they don’t have to plan locations, transport, lighting, etc.– and some companies even provide outfit changes, which is nice.
Mr. Nomad Numbers · January 8, 2024 at 4:26 pm
Hi Anastasia. Thanks for stopping by! We love Airbnb experiences and have done a few. In this case however we were looking to hire someone local as we like to invest in the local economy as much as we can and Airbnb experiences aren’t always ran by locals (at least when we look at the one in Chiang Mai around photography). That being said, the option to provide outfit changes is definitely a nice option when considering a photoshoot like ours!