Vacations have a way of flying by, and before you know it, you’re back home scrolling through a camera roll full of cocktails, blurry selfies, and that one random shot of your toes in the sand. The Sandals photo session is an easy way to make sure you come home with a few truly great shots — the kind you’ll actually want to frame, not just filter.
If you’re staying at any Sandals property, you can book a complimentary 20-minute photo session with one of their professional photographers. Yes, FREE. Zero obligation. No “we’ll just charge your card later” shenanigans. I always tell people — do it! You lose nothing, and you might end up with frame-worthy vacation shots.
If it’s your first Sandals getaway, you might also want to check out my Sandals Resort Tips and Vacation Checklist — it pairs perfectly with this photo guide and will make planning your trip even easier.
When you book your Sandals trip, you can arrange your free photo session online ahead of time. Or, if you’re like me and prefer to micromanage the perfect lighting, you can adjust the time once you arrive.
I always book the latest available time online before the trip.
Once I’m on property, I check the actual sunset time (thank you, Google) and reschedule my session to be as close to that golden-hour magic as possible.
Pro Tip — I do not recommend a daytime shoot unless it’s in the pool or by the ocean — otherwise, you’ll be glistening (and not in a “dewy glow” kind of way).
Even if you skip the formal shoot, Sandals photographers are constantly roaming the resort. They’ll snap shots while you’re splashing in the pool, lounging at the beach, or sipping a cocktail at dinner. I’ve ended up with some of my favorite candid photos from these moments.
This is why I wait until the day before checkout to go to the photo desk and look through all the shots from our stay. That way, I’m not missing any spontaneous gems that might happen on the last night.
Buy individually — Around $20 per photo — perfect if you just want one or two.
Photo packages — If you want several, the price per photo drops. (And yes, they will tempt you with gorgeous sunset shots until you cave.)
I’ve been known to say “just one or two” and leave with enough photos to fill a coffee-table book. Oops.
Look, I’m all for “come as you are” vacation vibes — but for your official session, I highly recommend coordinating outfits. Not full-on matching (unless you’re into that), but colors that complement the scenery.
I usually pack an outfit specifically for our Sandals photo session:
• Light, airy fabrics
• Colors that pop against the ocean or sunset
• Something comfortable enough to move in so we can do candid, playful shots
And don’t be shy! The photographers are used to going with the flow. If you’ve seen a cute pose on Pinterest or want to try something specific, just tell them — they’ll help make it happen.
Bottom line: the free 20-minute Sandals photo session is a no-brainer. Even if you think you won’t buy any pictures, you might be surprised at how much you love them once you see them all. Plus, with photographers snapping pics around the resort all week, you’ll have plenty to choose from when you’re ready to decide.
Do it for future you — the one who will thank you when you’re looking back at your trip and not relying on that one blurry selfie to remember how incredible it was.
And if you’re still deciding where to stay, you can’t go wrong with Sandals Antigua — stunning beaches, unbelievable sunsets, and some of the best resort photographers we’ve met.
A hotel that’s also a free 24-hour contemporary art museum penguins included. We booked a Corner Suite at 21c and it was massive: separate bedroom, living room, dining area, 699 square feet to spread out in. The bathroom alone had a double vanity and custom Rookwood Pottery tile that made getting ready weirdly entertaining.
The location is downtown, two minutes from Fountain Square, walkable to Boca for dinner, and close enough to hop the free streetcar into Over-the-Rhine. If OTR is where most of your plans are, you might want to stay closer to that neighborhood instead downtown worked for us, but we spent more time in OTR than we expected to.
And yes, there’s a recycled-plastic penguin sculpture that will absolutely scare you the first time you open your door and forget it’s there. Link in bio for the full review rooms, parking, walkability, and everything else before you book 🎨
Three neighborhoods, one streetcar, and more Cincinnati specialties than I could finish in one afternoon.
We hit a goetta breakfast sandwich, chocolate chip ice cream from a shop that’s been at it since 1870, a Liège waffle that earned its Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives spot, and Cincinnati chili the way it’s actually meant to be eaten... over a hot dog, buried in shredded cheddar.
$75 got us three and a half hours, a local guide, free streetcar rides, and a genuinely full stomach. Don’t eat breakfast before this one, the portions add up fast.
My third Secret Food Tour in my third city, and it’s still undefeated.
Link in bio for the full review cost, route, parking, and every stop we hit 🥟🌶️
13 creek crossings, a canyon that keeps closing in around you, and a hike I’d genuinely put back on my itinerary, West Fork Trail was the one.
We got to Call of the Canyon at 7:15am and the lot was barely a quarter full. By 12:30 it was 85% full, so if there’s one tip that matters most, it’s this: go early.
The maintained trail is 6.6 miles round trip, mostly flat, mostly shaded, but I kept my regular tennis shoes dry the whole way by hopping across the rocks at each crossing. It’s rated moderate, and honestly that’s about the distance, not the terrain.
Here’s what nobody tells you though ✨ the maintained trail isn’t the end. We changed into water shoes at the official endpoint and kept going another mile straight through the creek, canyon walls narrowing around us the whole time. That extra mile ended up being my favorite part of the entire hike.
5/5 for me. I’d bring the water shoes again in a heartbeat.
Link in bio for the full guide parking, timing, what to pack, and everything I wish I knew before I went 🥾
Two hours, zero regrets. The Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour is hands down one of the most fun things we did in Sedona.
Open-air Jeeps crawling over slickrock, backcountry views you can’t reach on your own, and the famous Road of No Return, steep, thrilling, and somehow completely safe the whole way down.
If you’re picking one paid activity in Sedona, make it this one.
You have to do @pinkjeeptours 🌵🚙 Link in bio for the full review.
Dinner beside Oak Creek at Cress, and yes, it’s a splurge, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.🤍
Candlelit tables under the trees, the creek running right beside us, a menu that mixes Arizona ingredients with French technique. We ordered a little of everything: the squash and beet salad, milk rolls with three different butters, sweet potato gnocchi that somehow felt light instead of heavy. Then two desserts because we couldn’t decide. The Vanilla Crème Caramel with Manchego cheese completely stole the show, salty and sweet in a way that sounds strange until you taste it.
Plan on $100–250 for two depending on what you order, and this isn’t the spot for a quick casual dinner, it’s slow, intentional, and worth every minute. Book ahead and ask for a creekside table if you can.
If you’re looking for one unforgettable meal in Sedona, this is it. Link in bio for the full review 🍽️
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
