Snapped: My Favorite New Photography Service

*This post is sponsored – but the thoughts and feelings are our own, and we only work with businesses we believe to be reputable and resourceful to our readers.

I got the chance to try out Snapped for my daughter’s third birthday party, and it might just be my new favorite thing for its convenience and value. It’s one of those ideas that makes you say, “This is so simple. Why didn’t I think of this?”

Snapped connects anyone who is looking for a professional photographer with an experienced, vetted professional who will show up wherever you are to take pictures. Photographers are available for same day events, as well as advanced bookings for any function you can imagine: birthdays, showers, anniversaries, company events, heads shots, family pictures, engagements photos, you name it. Snapped started in New York about six months ago with great success and began offering services in San Francisco in early June. By the smoothness of their start-to-finish process, I would never have guessed how young this company actually is.

It took me about a minute to book the photographer online, and I got a confirmation email right away. The photographer texted me the day before the event to confirm and showed up right on time. I asked for a few formal shots of my family and then candids of the event and guests. She wasted no time snapping away, even though we gave her less than ideal conditions in which to work. The outside lighting was bright with large shadows casting across the main areas of the backyard. Inside, lots of people were gathered around one table, making it hard for her to maneuver around them, and her primary subjects were always-moving children often bouncing on a trampoline. Given all of this, she did a great job taking pictures of everyone and moving back and forth from inside to outside.

I received an email before the end of the party with a link to all five hundred (500!) pictures that she took, so I could share them in real time with guests (a great party favor) and on social media. With that many pictures, not every one was perfect, but how could they be? Viewing each image gave me a better appreciation for how photographers actually do their job. I could see how she adjusted the exposure and lenses as she went, depending on where she was and what she was shooting.

I never thought to use a professional photographer for a kid’s birthday party, but it was such a treat. The quality of the photos, especially the action shots, was better than I could accomplish on my phone. I was more in the moment of the party, instead of attempting to capture each memory, and I actually got to be in some of the pictures for a change.

The service is a flat fee of $179, which includes the 45 minute session (they can accommodate longer session, too), ownership of all digital images (all 500 prints are mine with no watermarks!), and four touched-up prints of my choosing. I received the prints in two business days, and they were a great quality, printed using a long-lasting C-Type method that would typically retail for around eight dollars a print. Anyone who has searched for photographers knows their sitting fees alone will probably run you at least $250, plus the cost of digital images and prints, so this was an excellent value.

The other thing I like about this service is that it’s not competing with freelance photographers. It’s actually another outlet for them to get work. Because Snapped takes care of all the backend administration, photographers just have to show up, take their best shots and hand over the files for processing. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

With Snapped, I got peace of mind that I would have a skilled, experienced photographer capturing my party and didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg to make it happen. Plus, it was quick and easy to set up and didn’t require a lot of advanced planning. Give Snapped a try for your next event. I know I’m hooked.

Snapped is offering SFMB readers a %15 discount for their first booking!  Enter promo code 15 at checkout!