… have warm weather and similar beaches in their own countries: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and other countries.
And it is not surprising that many great people wrote only good things about the Dominican Republic:
Christopher Columbus wrote after his first voyage to the Dominican Republic: “Here are mountains of extraordinary size and beauty, vast plains, groves, and fertile fields”
And his most famous phrase about the Dominican Republic: “This is the most beautiful land ever seen by human eyes”
Pedro Mir, in a way, expressed his love for this island in his poem “Hay un país en el mundo” which the country’s Ministry of Education calls “an anthem of national hope” He wrote, “There is a country in this world that rests in the very path of the sun”
And Julia Alvarez explained that her Dominican roots inspired the beginning of her writing career after moving to the United States, and she called literature “the homeland of the imagination.”
I was not born here, and my home is very far away. The country where I was born is very unstable, cold, and sometimes harsh… Maybe that is why I fell in love with the friendly Dominican Republic so much ❤️ After living here for many years, I consider this island my second home! I love this fresh salty air with a touch of palm trees, I love the people who sincerely smile even while doing hard work, and here I feel peace of mind, balance, and calm… Oh, I think I got a little carried away, so I’m turning off the romance and let’s get to the main point 😎
Love Story on Bavaro Beach
This time I will tell you about a wonderful couple, Santiago and Mili, who came from Brazil! We were lucky to catch a time when Bavaro Beach was completely empty. So our photoshoot on a public beach turned out just as beautiful as a photoshoot on a private beach 😉
The couple stayed at one of the hotels near Arena Blanca Beach. There used to be a hotel here called Paradisus Punta Cana Resort, but it closed, and the area remained empty for a long time. Sometimes I do photoshoots there because the beach is wide, there are beautiful palm trees, and some props from the former hotel are still there. Now the owner has changed, and very soon this area will be cleared to build a new hotel!
How a Love Story photoshoot works
In my opinion, a couples photoshoot is one of the easiest types of photography both for the couple and for the photographer. Why? Because love is already beautiful 😍 Two people in love naturally interact with each other, and the photographer simply captures these moments. You can walk holding hands, stop, look at each other, kiss, hug, sit on the sand, watch the beautiful waves, joke, laugh — and just like that, you already have around a hundred photos.
“But what about posing? We don’t know how to pose beautifully!” you might say… And my question to you is — “Do you pose in real life when you are walking with the person you love? Do you kiss by following instructions?” Of course not! That is why most posing will look unnatural. Why do we need unnatural photos? Throw them away… we will create real, beautiful, natural photos of your love 😉
Why did we choose Bavaro Beach?
Santiago and Mili stayed at Punta Cana Princess, which is located near a beach where we can do a photoshoot. Sometimes, when you are traveling, you do not have much time and every hour counts. “But it’s only a one-hour photoshoot, right?” you might say, but it is not that simple. And in this case, I can’t help but do a little math 🤓 And show you mathematically why Bavaro Beach, in certain situations, is a better choice than other beaches. Sorry in advance for being a little boring!!!
First of all, it is about time! A trip to Macao Beach, the private Amor Beach, or other beaches will take much more time.
- 10-20 minutes — Meeting at the hotel reception
- 40-80 minutes — Transfer to and from the beach (and these are the closest beaches, for beaches farther away the round trip can take 1-3 hours)
- 10-20 minutes — Getting ready for the photoshoot at the beach
So in total, it can take 1-2 hours, and that is if everything goes according to plan. If there are any delays or complications, it can take 1.5-2.5 hours. And if we add the photoshoot itself — 1 hour — we get a total of 2.5-3.5 hours for an off-site photoshoot.
You should also keep in mind that photographers usually include transportation for photoshoots of 1 hour or more, but at Bavaro Beach you can also do a quick 30-minute photoshoot. At least, I have this mini package available.
If your hotel is located close to one of the spots where you can do a photoshoot on Bavaro Beach, it is much faster, more affordable, and easier.
- 0 minutes — Meeting with the photographer
- 10-20 minutes — Walking along the beach to the meeting point
- 0 minutes — Getting ready for the photoshoot
So, 10-20 minutes versus 1.5-2.5 hours! 🤓 If you are coming for a short vacation (5-6 days), a photoshoot on Bavaro Beach is a great option. However, this is only possible for certain hotels. If it takes 1 hour to walk from your hotel to the meeting point, then it is clearly not a good option. I wrote a very detailed article about Bavaro Beach with all the necessary information and photoshoot locations.
Best places for a Love Story photoshoot on Bavaro beach
I will never get tired of repeating the same phrase — what matters most is not WHERE, but WHO you are with. Although this does not work so well for an individual photoshoot, because there is only one person 😁 But then we can say — what matters most is WHO you are with — which photographer? 😁 In any case, the topic of our article is a couples photoshoot, so here it really is about WHO you are with. Because the photographer focuses on the people and their love, while the beautiful nature is only the background.
I’ll be honest, for me, the Dominican Republic is beautiful everywhere. And as a professional photographer, I can say that someone who knows their craft will find beautiful locations absolutely anywhere. It can be the most popular beaches for a photoshoot, like Bavaro Beach, Macao Beach, or Amor Beach, the mountains, or simply the colorful Dominican atmosphere with the bright homes of local people.
The more important question to ask is — What do you want to see in the background? And any professional photographer in Punta Cana can show you all the possible locations. By the way, I wrote about the best places for a photoshoot on Bavaro Beach in another article. And if you ask me to recommend a good photographer in Punta Cana, I can only recommend myself 🙂 Actually, I am a very modest person, but I want your trip to be captured 100%, and that is something I can only trust myself to do 😁
Best time for a Love Story photoshoot
The most romantic time for a couples photoshoot is sunrise. The light can be challenging, and not every photographer can handle it well, but if you know how to work with it, the photoshoot can be incredibly beautiful!
In our case, we chose a different time, a few hours after sunrise, around 9-10 AM. At this time, the light is strong but still soft enough, the colors are very rich, the shadows are not too harsh, and the angle of the sun is just right.
In my opinion, if you want the most colorful, bright, and beautiful photoshoot on Bavaro Beach, then 9-10 AM is the best time. Evening sun — 2-3 hours before sunset — is already very different because the angle of the sun is different and there are many more people on the beach!
How long does a Love Story photoshoot take?
Usually, one hour is enough for a Love Story photoshoot if we are shooting in one location. If you want to create a complete love story in different locations, then we need more time, around 2-3 hours. For many couples, even 30 minutes is enough because they feel completely relaxed, are not nervous, and simply want 20-30 good photos. When you are together and act naturally — walking hand in hand, hugging, and kissing — everything feels easy and natural. These photos look real and beautiful.
By the way, our photoshoot lasted exactly 30 minutes, and as you can see, we got plenty of great photos.
Preparing for a photoshoot
There are a few rules that are important to follow before a photoshoot!
- A few days before the photoshoot, protect yourself from too much sun. Of course, any professional photographer in Punta Cana can reduce skin redness when editing the photos… But the problem is that your lips are also red, and you may also be wearing red clothes… If we change red tones to orange, your lips and clothes will also become orange. So you need to protect your skin 🤓
- Do not drink alcohol before the photoshoot just to “relax and feel more confident.” Alcohol will make you too relaxed, and you may look tired in the photos. Unfortunately, Photoshop cannot fix that 😁
- Do not eat too much at breakfast because it can also make you feel too relaxed or sleepy, and things can get even worse if the food is not very fresh! We definitely do not need problems like that 😁
- For girls, it is important not to wear too much makeup. Light, summer makeup is more than enough!
- Bring some props with you — hats, sunglasses, etc. We will have more options during the photoshoot!
Should you bring sunglasses to a Love Story photoshoot?!
- Guys will say: Of course, bring them, the sun is too bright!
- Girls will say: Of course not, we need to see the eyes!
And both are right in their own way, although the truth is somewhere in the middle. But here is what I will say — definitely bring them, and whether we use them or not will depend on the situation. Usually, girls find it easier not to squint, while guys often have more trouble with it. Or maybe the sun will not be so bright and there will be no problem at all, but we need to have the option to wear sunglasses! Because if you are squinting too much, Photoshop cannot fix it. And it is not only about the eyes, the whole shape of the face changes…
Frequently asked questions:
We don’t know how to pose, will you help us?
Of course! I have my own unique technique for natural posing! It is a technique I developed over many years. Don’t worry, even if this is your first photoshoot — I will help you with everything! Everything will be great!
What should we wear for the photoshoot?
For men — a light linen shirt or T-shirt on top, and light shorts or pants on the bottom. You don’t need shoes.
For women — a light dress or shorts and a blouse. You don’t need shoes either. Earrings, necklaces, and other beautiful accessories are welcome!
For colors — it is better to choose something light and summery — white, gray, or soft pastel colors. Sometimes bright colors can look great too, but never use 2 or more bright colors together, because it will look like a rainbow 😁
When is the best time for a photoshoot, sunrise or sunset?
A photoshoot on Bavaro Beach is better at sunrise because the angle of the light is much better than at sunset, and there are no people around. At sunset, there will be many more people on the beach, and the angle of the sun is not as good.
Should we bring sunglasses and other accessories?
Of course, bring them! We will decide during the photoshoot what we need and what we don’t 🙂
What if it rains?
The weather in the Dominican Republic is almost always beautiful and sunny. However, sometimes it can be cloudy, and it may even rain. For me — there is no such thing as bad weather. Every professional photographer knows how to shoot in different weather conditions. Rain — for me, it is a unique opportunity to create a truly emotional photoshoot that no one else has. But I also have a “bad weather” guarantee, so we can move the photoshoot to another time or another day 😎
What should we do with our hair because of the humidity?
Yes, this is a common question because the Dominican Republic is really very humid. You can especially feel the humidity at beachfront hotels. For your hair, use the strongest hair gel or hairspray you can find.
What should we do with makeup because of the heat?
In my opinion, beauty is all about looking natural, but light summer makeup that is almost invisible has never hurt anyone. Heavy makeup — it is definitely not for the Dominican Republic.
Can we do a photoshoot at our hotel?
Yes! But it all depends on the hotel and a few other factors. Send me a message and I can tell you exactly whether I personally work at your hotel or not.
I hope you enjoyed this photoshoot and that these tips will be useful for your future photoshoot 🙂 And if you want to do a photoshoot with me, contact me and we will arrange everything! In any case, I wish you not just a good vacation, but an amazing one 🙂