Flying Dress Photos in Santorini: Everything You Need To Know for a Dream Photoshoot

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Having a Santorini flying dress photoshoot is a luxury experience that lets you capture your visit to the island in a really unique and memorable way. Most travelers rave about Santorini’s stunning natural beauty without or without a flying dress in the frame.

But when you see photos with a lavish Santorini dress in front of such an incredible backdrop it’s an absolutely stunning sight.

So, it’s no wonder that flying dress photoshoots have become all the rage recently. They really are quite special, and choosing one will allow you to get some epic photos from a professional photographer.

If you’re thinking about having a photoshoot in Santorini anyway, then think about making it totally luscious with one of these amazing dresses.

Having a flying Santorini dress photoshoot isn’t cheap so you might like to book one for yourself or someone close to you as part of a special occasion. Say happy birthday to you, propose to the love of your life, celebrate your wedding anniversary, or get some really beautiful pregnancy photos.

I think anyone who has this kind of photoshoot in Santorini will feel like a superstar!

What Exactly is a Flying Dress Photoshoot?

A flying dress photoshoot is a photo shoot that’s taken with you wearing one of the beautiful flying dresses available. And what are these flying dresses?

Well, they’re beautiful bright coloured dresses with long tails that billow in the wind. Essentially, you’ll be dressed in a beautiful flowing dress and then photographed while your dress flies through the air.

All of which is set against a background of the whitewashed buildings of Oia village, the famous blue domes, the Aegean sea and other beautiful photo spots creating an ethereal and unforgettable experience.

How Does a Santorini Flying Dress Photoshoot Actually Work?

Initially, you’ll contact the photographer you want to work with and book your photo shoot date often paying a deposit to do so.

When you book the photoshoot it’s only your group that the photographer is working with, so it’s a totally private flying dress photoshoot. (Although you’ll still be out in public unless you choose to pay for a private venue.)

Next, you need to pick your dress so that it’s clean and available on the day you want. If you’d like to see the dresses in person before deciding then see the dress section below. You can sometimes try dresses on a few days before your shoot.

On the day of your photos, you’ll want to get glammed up. Again, we talk about packages below. But you’ll either have to do your own hair and makeup before your session. Or, the photographer’s stylists will arrange to do that for you (most likely at your hotel).

Once you’re ready you’ll go to your shooting location. The photographer brings the flying dress you chose so that you can get changed into it.

Your photoshoot will start with a short chat about what will happen and then you’ll be right into it. The photographer will give you artistic direction for posing and the assistant will help.

But it’s good to practise a bit beforehand if you’re not really used to having professional photos taken. Search for web images or on social media like Instagram for example poses to try out.

Unless you’re having a mini-session your photographer will take you around some other locations to get a variety of backgrounds. If you’ve paid for more than one dress you’ll get the chance to change outfits and have a batch of photos taken in each dress.

Once you’ve been round all the great photo spots and had a load of gorgeous pictures taken your photographer will wrap up the shoot. If you haven’t made the full payment then the balance will be due now. Check whether your photographer takes cards or if it’s cash-only.

After your photo shoot your photographer will get to work editing your web images and any other photos that were agreed as part of your package. The agreement you have will also dictate when they’ll be delivered to you. Usually, the more you pay the sooner you’ll get the photos back.

How Much Is a Flying Dress Photoshoot?

Santorini dress photoshoot prices vary depending on the length of the shoot and the specific package you choose. But expect to pay from around €300 for a mini photo shoot up to well over 1000 euros for a longer photo shoot and more than one style/colour of flying dress.

It’s normal to pay at least a deposit in advance to secure your photo shoot time and date. You’re usually able to get a full refund up to about 48 hours before if your travel plans change.

Do I Need to Pay for the Photographer’s Personal Assistant?

Your professional photographer will often work with a personal assistant. The assistant will make all the adjustments needed to make your dress look perfect in the photos. They’ll also throw the dress to get it to blow lavishly against your perfect backdrop!

However, the assistant isn’t always included in the photo shoot package. If they’re classed as an extra in the one you choose you’ll need to decide whether to take that add-on. If you have a travelling companion they might take great pleasure in joining you at the photo shoot to do the assistant’s job.

Depending on the weather and your location you might find that the ocean breeze lifts your dress enough for it to fly without someone else there to help.

Obviously, the idea for most people having a flying dress photoshoot is the “flying dress”. But some of the dresses I’ve seen don’t have long trains so they don’t need to be thrown. And even the ones that do can look just as nice draped beautifully over the whitewashed buildings.

So decided what’s important to you and what works with your budget.

What’s Included in The Flying Dress Photo Shoot Package?

You’ll need to check with the company you’re booking with as packages and what’s included in the dress photoshoot will vary.

Basic Packages normally include something like:

• a one-hour dress photoshoot
• flying dress rental (one dress)
• colour edited photos
• small number of web images (for web screen resolution, the amount can vary so check what you get)

Adds-on or things included in bigger packages could be:

• additional dress rental (ie another dress in a different colour)
• an extra person (couples are usually classed as one person)
• personal assistant
• hair and make-up stylists
• retouched and colour edited photos
• transportation drop-off and pick up from the shoot location
• additional time for extra edited photos
• videographer there recording throughout

When Do the Photoshoots Take Place?

There are a few good times of day for a photoshoot in Santorini. Because the light is different throughout the day you can choose the type of effect you’d like.

Early Morning around 8am is a popular time for photoshoots in Santorini. It’s a bit cooler at this time of day and the light is soft. There are also fewer people about so you don’t have to queue for so long at the popular spots.

Late-Morning – Early Afternoon – the sun is obviously brighter at this time of day. You can get some really stunning shots in your Santorini dress because the colours are really vibrant including the deep blue sky.

The downside is that it’s hotter and busier, plus the sun is really bright. So if, like me, you don’t tolerate bright light well you will need to consider your poses. Shots with your back to the camera work well or pictures with your eyes purposefully closed.

Late afternoon – when the sun starts to get a bit lower in the sky it’s gentler on your eyes. The light is softer again and it’s more like the early morning shoots.

The downside is that it’s usually hotter and busier than in the morning. You might spend more of your booked time queuing to get to the popular places like in front of these blue domes in Oia.

Sunset photoshoots are obviously an opportunity to get some truly stunning photos. It goes without saying that the colours you’ll get at sunset are quite different to photos taken in the middle of the day.

So have a look at some other flying dress photoshoot pictures for inspiration and decide what kind of look you’re going for.

If you’re a cruise ship traveler then your schedule might dictate which time slot you have to take.

Where Are the Photoshoot Locations?

There are numerous locations around the island with stunning views that are perfect for a flying Santorini dress photoshoot.

Your professional photographer knows all the famous spots. Let them know if you want to request a particular photoshoot location. They’ll likely work with your vision to create the look you’re after.

With some packages you’ll visit Oia village to walk around the streets, whitewashed buildings and the city’s famous blue domes. With others, you’ll be based in the beautiful Imerovigli village, which is more spacious but has the same style of church and jaw-dropping caldera views.

How Does Hiring a Dress Work?

For the flying Santorini dress photoshoot, the dresses are normally included as part of the package. This is different to what I saw in Turkey, for example. But in Santorini, you don’t usually need to hire a flying dress to take along with you.

Your photographer will have photos of their available dresses so you can choose the colour and style you like best. Many photographers have dresses with adjustable corsets that fit all sizes from small up to an XXL. Others are “transformer” dresses that are size adjustable so you can make one fit perfectly.

Some places have longsleeved flying dress options that include a matching headscarf if you need a modest dress.

You can get a flying dress in neutral colours like white, taupe and black. But most of them are vibrant colours that pop and really stand out against the whitewashed buildings. Popular colours are things like:

• red
• gold
• emerald green
• sky blue
• yellow
• all kinds of beautiful purple and berry shades

Have a look at the following companies offering the flying Santorini dress photoshoot:

• Santorini Dress
• Flying Dress Photo
• Check out flying dress photoshoot offers on Viator
• Or the flying dress photos shoot list on Airbnb Experiences

Can I Bring My Own Dress?

If you would prefer to bring your own outfit discuss it with the photographer who’s doing your photo shoot. Dress rental is often part of the package cost so you may not get a discount if you decide not to use that part of the offer. However, some do offer packages that are the photo shoot only without the dress charge.

Can I Try on the Flying Dresses Before Choosing One?

Some companies will let you try on a few of the flying dresses before your photo shoot. You can choose a few to be delivered to your hotel room and then you can decide which flying dress you like the best. There will be an extra cost to have these delivered and you can normally only do it a couple of days in advance of your photo shoot.

Can I Pay For Dress Rental Only?

I’m not aware of anywhere in Santorini that lets you do dress rental only so that you can take photos yourself.

Please Be Respectful to Residents

As a final note, please be respectful if you’re having any kind of photoshoot in Santorini. If you’ve ever seen a Santorini flying dress photo it might well have been taken on a church roof. I’ve seen this happen a lot and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Yes, the photos look beautiful but it feels disrespectful. And in an Orthodox country, it seems even worse. There are signs all around the popular areas reminding tourists that people live here and they specifically ask visitors not to climb on their house/church roofs. Some are more subtle than others!

But people just ignore the messages. All they care about is getting a great shot of themselves. I know all the Insta stars do it and there’s no one there policing it.

And your photographer may direct you to do it too. But there are so many amazing spots to get fabulous pictures that don’t require you to stand on the roof of a spiritual building so please avoid it.

Remember Your Amazing Experience Forever

In all, I really do think it’s an amazing experience to have photos taken of you in a famous flying Santorini dress. Photoshoot locations are second to none and the background will always be stunning whether you choose traditional buildings or the Aegean Sea.

If it’s out of budget this time but you really love the idea of having a flying dress photoshoot like this then perhaps put it on your dream board for your next trip. Some photographers will let you pay via a payment plan so you could start saving or paying now.

In the meantime, if you look for a normal photoshoot in Santorini you can find something cheaper and still have a wonderful experience. There are plenty of small group photoshoots that will take you around some of the most famous spots and get you some great edited photos.

If you’re visiting with a friend and can’t stretch to any kind of professional photoshoot then just go round the Insta spots together and get your own pictures.

The ocean breeze is always free and you’ll have so much fun posing and acting like Greek goddesses. You really can get some really great holiday / vacation photos even on your mobile phone.