I spend a lot of time behind the camera.
I spend considerably less time in front of it, though I make a point of getting in front of one annually for our family’s photos.
So when my husband, Gerard, and I decided to take a pretty monumental anniversary trip to Costa Rica, I knew I wanted to do something I encourage my own clients to do all the time:
Document it.
This trip was the beginning of our 20th year of marriage. We were celebrating our 19th anniversary and heading into our twentieth year together, and it felt like a milestone worth remembering.
It was also a pretty big deal for another reason.
We hadn’t been away from our children for seven years.
And even before that, our only time away had been two nights at a conference for graduate credit. The last big trip we had taken together was Italy in 2010—before we had children.
So Costa Rica wasn’t just a vacation.
It was a chance to step away from our normal life, reconnect with each other, and celebrate nearly two decades of marriage.
And I wanted photographs to remember it.
First, I Had to Figure Out What I Was Wearing
Naturally, the photographer in me started planning.
I borrowed a dress from a photographer friend who has a client closet. She knew my coloring (I’m an Autumn), and there was a knockout dress hanging in her closet that was absolutely perfect.
The best part? We figured out how to get it into a vacuum seal bag so I could pack it in my backpack.
That might sound like overkill, but I had a very specific thought:
What if our flight gets delayed? What if our luggage gets lost?
There was no way I was going to let a lost suitcase derail the one thing I knew I wanted to document.
So, the dress stayed with me.
Gerard did the same with his outfit, and just like that, we were prepared.
Then I Started Shopping for a Photographer
Here’s where things got really interesting for me as a photographer.
Before we ever left for Costa Rica, I started looking at photographers in the area where we were staying. We were staying near Papagayo in Guanacaste, just outside of Liberia, so I started searching for Guanacaste photographers.
And that’s how I found Sylvia Guardia Photography. Her work immediately caught my attention. I noticed the way she posed her couples and bridal clients because it felt familiar to me. Her posing style was similar to how I pose my own clients—guided and intentional, but still allowing people to interact naturally. I also loved the look of her photographs. She has a true-to-color approach, but with a lighter, brighter feel.
Sound familiar?
That’s very much how I approach my own work. But there was another thing that made me feel comfortable choosing her.
She has a team.
I knew that if something happened and she couldn’t photograph our session, there were other photographers on her team who could step in and create work that was consistent with her style. When you’re traveling internationally for a once-in-a-lifetime trip, that’s a pretty comforting thing to know.
I Was Looking for More Than Pretty Pictures
Her instagram and website were a huge part of my decision. And not just because of the finished photographs. I paid attention to her Stories. She was regularly showing behind-the-scenes footage of her team photographing weddings—and then showing the finished images from those same weddings.
That mattered to me!
I could see how they worked, not just what the final photographs looked like. I could watch the photographers interact with their clients. I could see the process. And then I could see the results. That gave me confidence. Her website and portfolio reinforced that confidence, but the behind-the-scenes content made the experience feel real. I wasn’t just hiring a photographer based on a handful of pretty pictures. I was getting a glimpse of what it would actually be like to be her client. And that is something I think about a lot in my own business.
Then She Educated Me.
Once we booked, we had to figure out when to actually photograph our session. This was a little more complicated than choosing a pretty evening in Iowa.
Costa Rica has tides.
Costa Rica also has a completely different sunset schedule than Iowa.
And we were traveling during the transition into the rainy season.
Sylvia recommended that we photograph at 7:00 a.m. or 5:00pm, but the 5:00pm option had a higher risk of rain and thus reschedule/delay. My risk-averse self went for the 7:00am option. The tide would be low, giving us more beach to work with, and the morning light would be softer and more forgiving.
She wasn’t just saying, “What time works for you?” She was educating me about the location. She understood the light. She understood the tide. She understood the weather patterns. And she explained all of it clearly and kindly.
That was another moment where I thought:
Yep. I trust this person.
And that’s what I want my clients to feel when they’re working with me. They don’t have to know exactly where the best light is. They don’t have to know how to pose. They don’t have to know what time of day will work best. That’s my job!
And Then I Got to Be the Client
We met Sylvia’s associate photographer, Josue, and his cousin Joshua, on the beach just before 7:00 a.m. They were already there and ready for us. We had communicated through WhatsApp, so we knew exactly where to meet and what to expect.
And then…
I got to experience my own business from the other side of the camera.
They posed Gerard and me in ways that were very familiar to me because they were the same kinds of things I ask my own clients to do during engagement sessions and portraits! They used the entire beach. They found beautiful pockets of light and compositions. They incorporated a gorgeous tree with vibrant orange flowers—a color that happened to look absolutely fantastic against my dress. They photographed us both horizontally and vertically, giving us lots of variety and options.
And they guided us through the entire thing.
I knew exactly what it felt like to be on the other side of the camera. It was all a really good reminder. I photograph myself every year, but usually I hire someone I already know.
This was different.
I was traveling to another country and hiring someone I had never met. I had to trust her based on her website. Her Instagram. Her Stories. Her portfolio. Her communication. Her knowledge. Her process. And ultimately, her ability to take care of us.
That experience made me think even more deeply about my own clients. If you’ve never met me before, you’re making a decision based on the same things. You’re looking at my photographs. You’re reading my website. You’re watching what I share on social media. You’re looking at behind-the-scenes images and videos. You’re paying attention to how I communicate.You’re trying to decide whether I’m someone you can trust with something important to you.
And I don’t take that lightly.
So, What Should You Look For When Hiring a Photographer?
My Costa Rica experience reinforced a few things I already believed:
Look beyond the pretty pictures.
Make sure you like the finished work, but also pay attention to how the photographer works with people.
Look for consistency.
Their website, Instagram, Stories, and portfolio should give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect.
Pay attention to communication.
Do they answer your questions? Do they educate you? Do they make you feel confident about the plan?
Look for someone who knows their craft.
You shouldn’t have to figure out the lighting, location, timing, posing, or logistics. That’s what you’re hiring your photographer to do.
And most importantly, find someone you trust.
Because you’re not just hiring someone to take pictures.
You’re trusting someone to document something you can’t recreate.
For me, this session in Costa Rica was a fantastic experience from beginning to end. If I lived in Costa Rica, I would hire Sylvia and her team again and again without hesitation.
And I’m so thankful we made the decision to document this special year of our marriage because someday, we’ll look back at these photographs and remember not just what Costa Rica looked like and the adventure of doing new things throughout that week, but what it felt like to be there together, some bloopers included, celebrating 20 years.
