Knowing how to take good travel photos is something many of us struggle with. You do your research by stalking travel bloggers on Instagram for ideas and inspiration and try your best, but you just can't snap that perfect picture.
And don't even get me started on getting great travel photos when you're travelling solo! You're forced to either take really awkward selfies (and risk looking like a crazy narcissist to anyone who happens to see your camera roll), or you're at the mercy of complete strangers, many of whom (it seems), cannot take very good photos.
Enter Travelshoot. Founded by Brisbane's Sarah Pearce, Travelshoot brings together local photographers and travelers who want high-quality images of their travels.
"It's about helping people get the most from their holiday with beautiful professional photos that will stay with them for a lifetime," Sarah said.
And that's exactly the reason I decided to book a Travelshoot for my visit to New York City last summer.
My favourite city, New York always seems to hold such promise and adventure and my two most recent trips have resulted in some pretty memorable moments with amazing people, so I was excited to know that this time I'd come away with a beautiful collection of photos of the city I adore-with me in them!
After booking my Travelshoot online, I was matched with photographer Luc Kordas who met me on the steps of the Met (so Gossip Girl) and over the next couple of hours we made our way through Central Park, down Fifth Avenue, through Bryant Park and across to Times Square.
As we wandered, Luc shared a little of his background with me; he's a portrait and travel photographer who had traveled the world before settling down in New York, where he'd been living for two years. He also speaks five languages and his favourite places to shoot in NYC include China Town and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Within 48 hours I'd received a couple sneak peeks from my shoot - and then within a week I received my entire Travelshoot album to download.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words and, when it comes to my New York collection, the pictures really do say it all ...
I can't even choose a favourite photo because I love so many of them for different reasons, especially the one that captured the golden glow which I later found out was the start of Manhattanhenge (read about it here); and a black and white image of me crossing the road which, to me, really captures the Sex and the City vibe I was going for.
But one of the best things about my Travelshoot was getting a glimpse of the city through the eyes of someone who knew it best (or at least far better than I)-a New Yorker!
I picked up some great ideas on places to visit from Luc which I may not otherwise have heard about or found online, especially when it comes to a city like New York, where there's something different on every corner, unless it's a pretzel/hotdog stand!
