Becs JPG

Overall I’d still recommend it, especially for photographers wanting a lot of variety for their portfolio in a short amount of time. The concepts felt creative and different from each other, and I appreciated that the retreat felt inclusive and welcoming rather than cliquey.

I think as they continue hosting more retreats and refining logistics a bit, they’ll only get better.

Overall, it was a good experience. There were six couples total which honestly felt like a really good value for the price. The concepts were varied and fun to shoot, which kept things interesting over the two content days. There was a nautical-inspired couple with seashell/starfish jewelry, a more fashion-forward editorial couple, a Calvin Klein-inspired bike shoot on the beach, etc. It didn’t feel repetitive.

I also appreciated the diversity of the couples and vendors involved. There were interracial couples, Black couples, a queer couple, and queer vendors as well. As someone who’s queer myself, it felt like a very safe and welcoming environment.

The hosts were friendly overall, and while you could tell they were maybe a little anxious or newer to hosting retreats, they clearly cared and put a lot of effort into everything. Everybody got their turn to shoot and the hosts kept things from staying in one spot for too long.

My main thing was the timing of the shoot at Hug Point on the second day. It was a VERY busy late Saturday morning, and I feel like the shoot could've been pushed earlier in the morning. For the more fashion-forward editorial shoot, I heard one of the models ask the hosts what the concept of the shoot was, so they apparently weren't briefed well ahead of time.