What to Look For When Booking a Photographer in the Algarve

1. How many edited photos do you actually receive?

This is the number that varies most, and it’s rarely the number people check first.

A one-hour session might come with 20 images or 60, at broadly similar prices. Ask for the specific figure, not “a selection” or “your best photos”. Then ask two follow-ups: are they high-resolution files you can print from, and can you choose which ones make the cut?

On many packages the photographer selects the final set. That’s normal industry practice and there’s a good reason for it — culling closed eyes and awkward mid-blink frames is part of the job. But it’s worth knowing in advance, especially if there’s a shot you particularly want.

Our answer: 40 images on Silver, 60 on Gold, 85 on Deluxe, all high-resolution, all with full print and digital rights. If there’s a specific photo you want — the whole family on the steps, grandma with the baby — tell us before we start and we’ll make sure it’s in there.

2. Is the price in euros?

If you’re quoted in dollars or pounds, you’re paying an exchange rate plus, usually, a foreign-transaction fee from your card. On a €400 shoot that can quietly add €10 to €20. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing that the number you see isn’t the number you pay.

Ask whether the final price is fixed at booking or moves with the rate.

Our answer: euros, fixed at booking. What we quote is what you pay.

3. What is and isn’t included in the session time?

Some things to pin down:

• Does the clock start at the booked time or when you arrive? On some bookings, arriving fifteen minutes late means you’ve lost fifteen minutes, and the photo count may be reduced to match.
• What does extra time cost on the day? Add-on rates can be steep, and are usually only available if the photographer has no shoot booked after yours.
• Are outfit changes included, or do they eat into your hour?
• How many locations does the package cover? One beach, or a beach and an old town? Moving between spots takes time that comes out of your session.

Our answer: we build in a buffer, so a few minutes’ delay with a toddler in tow won’t cost you anything. Silver is a full 60 minutes, Gold up to 90, Deluxe up to 120. Up to two outfit changes are included without extending the session. Gold and Deluxe cover one or two locations; Silver is a single spot.

4. Are there travel fees on top?

The Algarve is about 150km end to end. A photographer based in Faro shooting in Sagres is doing a two-hour round trip, and someone has to pay for it.

Ask explicitly: is the quoted price all-in for where I’m staying, or is there a travel supplement? Get it in writing before you pay, not after.

Our answer: most of our photographers are based around Faro, Loulé and Vilamoura, which sits in the middle of the region. Anywhere within about 50km of there carries no travel charge at all — that covers Albufeira, Quarteira, Vilamoura, Quinta do Lago, Almancil, Faro, Tavira, Lagoa, Carvoeiro and Porches. Further out we charge a flat fee, fixed and quoted before you pay:

That’s the whole list. No per-kilometre maths, no photographer setting their own rate, and nothing added after you’ve booked. See our Vilamoura page for how we cover that area specifically.

5. When do the photos arrive?

Delivery times in this industry run from about four days to four weeks. For a holiday shoot the timing genuinely matters — most people want at least a couple of images before they fly home.

Ask for the standard turnaround in writing, whether sneak peeks come sooner, and whether express delivery exists if you need it.

Our answer: full gallery within seven days. First previews usually land within 48 hours, in case you want to send something to family while you’re still here. Express full delivery within 48 hours is available as an €80 add-on.

6. What happens if it rains?

The Algarve gets very little rain between May and October, but “very little” isn’t “none”, and outside those months it’s a real question.

Ask what triggers a reschedule, whether it costs anything, and — the important one — what happens if you’re only here for four more days and the photographer is fully booked. A free reschedule is worth nothing if there’s no slot to move into.

Our answer: if conditions are genuinely unworkable we reschedule at no charge. Because we’re a team rather than one person, we can almost always find another slot inside your stay. Outside summer we agree a backup time or a sheltered alternative location at the point of booking.

7. How much is at risk if plans change?

Read this one properly. It’s the clause people skip and then regret.

Two separate things to establish. First, how much you pay upfront — some bookings take the full session fee at the point of reservation, others take a smaller deposit with the balance due on the day. Second, what happens to that money if you need to cancel. Policies tend to tighten sharply as the date approaches, and inside the final week it’s common to find nothing is refundable at all. Which is exactly when holiday plans actually fall apart: the flight is cancelled, someone gets a stomach bug, the baby won’t settle.

Ask specifically what happens if you cancel three days out, and whether rescheduling is treated differently from cancelling. It usually is, and it’s usually the better outcome for everyone.

Our answer: we take a €100 deposit to hold your date, with the balance paid at the shoot — so the most you ever have at risk is €100, not the full package price. That deposit is fully refunded if you cancel more than seven days before, and 50% inside seven days. You can also move it rather than lose it: reschedule to another day of your trip, or keep it as a voucher towards a future shoot with no expiry. If you’re coming back next summer, it still counts.

8. Who is actually taking the photos?

If you’re booking through a studio or an agency rather than an individual, ask when you’ll find out who’s assigned to you, whether you can see their specific work, and whether you can message them before the day.

Being able to ask “is the walk down to Praia da Marinha manageable with a buggy?” and get an answer from the person who’ll be there is worth a surprising amount.

Our answer: we confirm your photographer within 24 hours of booking, along with the recommended spot and the best time of day. You can reach us on WhatsApp before, during and after — we reply within six hours. Our team is on the about page and the work is in the portfolio.

9. Do they know the location, or just the postcard version of it?

This is the difference that shows up in the photos.

A good test: ask what time they’d recommend for your specific spot and why. Anyone who’s shot there regularly will have an immediate, specific answer — the light, the tide, the crowds, the car park.

Praia da Marinha is stunning and also the most photographed beach in the region, which means at 11am in August you’re sharing it with several hundred people. Falésia’s red cliffs do something remarkable in the first hour of daylight and rather less at midday. Praia de São Rafael’s water is calm enough for toddlers to paddle without waves; some of the bigger Albufeira beaches aren’t. Old Town Faro works beautifully for families with teenagers who’d rather not be photographed in swimwear.

None of that is on a website. It comes from shooting the same coast every week.

Our answer: more than 600 family sessions along this coast. We’ll suggest two or three spots based on where you’re staying, what time works for your children, and what you want the photos to feel like — and we’ll tell you honestly if the one you’ve picked won’t work at the hour you’ve chosen.

10. Can they shoot at your resort?

Worth checking early if you’re staying somewhere with a private beach or gated grounds. Many Algarve resorts require permission for professional photography, and some prohibit it outright or charge a fee. Finding this out on the morning of the shoot is a bad experience for everyone.

Our answer: tell us where you’re staying and we’ll check before you pay. We shoot regularly at Pine Cliffs, Vila Vita Parc, Tivoli Carvoeiro and Vilalara, so at those four we already know the grounds, the best light and what clearance is needed. Elsewhere we’ll make the call for you rather than leaving it to chance on the morning.