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Jessica Grace Coleman

Welcome to The Travel Transformation Podcast, where we talk all things travel and all things transformation. Today I have a special guest, Domi from London, and she actually contacted me on Instagram because she thought that her message and her service would be of interest to my listeners. And I'm so glad she contacted me because this is something I've been meaning to do for myself for a while now – and I also know how important it is when you are travelling to have this service. She is a photographer and she has lots of different packages, but she specialises in solo female traveller photography in London. 

And I love this idea because I can't tell you the number of times I've been solo travelling, been somewhere really cool, like Paris and the Eiffel Tower, and wanted to take an amazing photo of myself. And guess what? I took. Shittest selfie ever. I don't think I even posted it because I just looked awful. Could not get the angle right. Couldn't get the Eiffel Tower in the background. And you know when you're in somewhere like Paris, where I'm sure there are lots of nice people are around, but there are just so many tourists everywhere and you don't know who you can trust? Obviously, you would like to think you can trust people, but sadly, that's not always the case. So I never feel comfortable asking someone to take my photo in places like that, where it's really, really busy, where it’s just rammed with tourists and who knows what other kind of dodgy characters. So I never ask people to do it.

Same thing for a tripod. You have to put it on the tripod, walk away… I get paranoid about people stealing my phone and the tripod, and selfies just don't quite cut it. Even if you're with a group of friends, you know, sometimes you just want a nice picture of all of you in front of the Eiffel Tower or something, and it can be really difficult.

I can totally, totally understand why people hire photographers to take pictures of them, especially when you are solo travelling. So that is the service Domi offers. We go into all of her packages, and what you can expect from a photo shoot. I'm gonna be doing one with her soon when I go to London, which I can't wait for, and I'll be doing a follow-up episode after that. 

So, let's get straight to the episode.

Hi Domi, welcome to The Travel Transformation Podcast. Thank you for coming on. How are you doing? 

Domi

Thank you for having me. Hello everyone. I'm very good. I just finished my photo shoot, so I just jumped to have the podcast with you guys. So thank you so much for having me. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Yeah, of course! So please, can you tell our listeners who you are, where you're from, and what you do for a living?

Domi

My name is Domi. I'm originally from Poland and I'm living in London. So my main thing is taking pictures for solo travellers. I opened my business here in London – I'm a photographer – and when I was travelling solo around the world, I visited around 40 countries. And then I was like, wow. I always miss having friends.

I love travelling solo. Travelling solo is amazing and makes me always stronger, more confident, like I can do anything. I don't need anyone. But about photos, I was always struggling because I was asking strangers like, oh, can you take pictures of me? And I was always like, the picture was not good. I was not happy with the quality. 

And I was taking photos before, but they were more pictures for advertisements, more like business to business. But then, after my experience in Sydney – when I couldn't find anyone to take good photos of me – when I moved to London, I was like, okay, maybe I can take pictures of solo travellers to London.

So this is how I opened my business five years ago, and today it is very successful. So I'm very happy I can help for solo travellers taking photos. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Yes, I love this so much because I’ve been there myself. And like you say… well, first of all, you don't know if you can trust people. You hope you can trust the people to take your photo and not steal your phone, but there are bad people out there that, you know, they might run off with your phone. So that's always a concern for me. 

And then obviously it's if they take terrible photos… but even if they don't take terrible photos… like a lot of the time I find I blink a lot, and my friends know to take 10,000 photos of me because at least one of them I won't be blinking in. But a stranger might not know that. They might take one and then be like, is that okay? And then you feel a bit awkward going, oh, can you take 10 more? Can you do it from different angles? Can you just wait while I do different poses?

You know, it's that kind of awkward thing and you don't want to take too much of people's time up either. So I totally get it. And I love the service you offer. I think it's so great, especially in London where there are so many great landmarks and noticeable places that you can take really iconic photos.

Domi

And so many people, when they start travelling, especially women, when you travel solo to other countries, when they don't speak English, you might stress more. But when you are travelling to London, I have so many American clients, they feel much more safe because in case something happened, they can speak English.

So London is an amazing place to visit, and especially how we have Big Ben, Tower Bridge… so everyone wants to have photos with this and there are so many people around. So sometimes I see them, my solo travellers, when I pass Tower Bridge, they have like a tripod and a string to take photos.

And I'm like, oh my God, just be careful – because it's so easy. You walk to the spot and you don't see what is happening with your phone and someone just takes it, and what is going to happen? Like, you don't have your phone. You don't have anything now. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Exactly, yeah. And that's why I've sort of never done the whole tripod thing. I just get really paranoid about someone taking it. So I usually end up doing just a really rubbish selfie. Like that's my go-to. And that's not great for anyone. So yeah, I really, really like what you offer.

Domi

Especially when you’re travelling to London, you already invested so much money for the trip. You know, like hotel, travel, airplane. So it's like, why not just invest a little bit more for the photo shoot and just have beautiful photos? And you meet someone local like me. And I have always a Zoom call with my clients. It's like, okay, I'm not just your photographer, I'm your Insta friend.

Jessica Grace Coleman

Oh, I love that. 

Domi

Like, do you have any questions as well about London? You want to know how to travel? I can always share this kind of tip, so you can feel more safe when you have someone in the city. So in case, I'm here for you; if you have any questions or if something happens to you, I'm here. Like you're not alone. So I always dream to be this kind of full-time Insta friend.

Jessica Grace Coleman

I love that. And that’s what I do when I go to new places as a solo traveller; I kind of gather contacts of people. So I know I have people in my phone that I can contact, like the owner of the Airbnb, or if I go on a group tour and the group tour guide messages me on WhatsApp or whatever; you've got their number. 

And like you meet someone at the cafe and you exchange Instagram profiles and you've got their details, and like you say, you are a local, you know places, you know where to go, and I think just having someone there that you know that you can contact if you get in trouble, or if you need help or if you've lost something, or you don’t know what to do if you're from a different country and things like that.

That alone is worth its weight in gold, let alone this amazing photo shoot you're going to have. The experience itself I imagine is really fun. And then you get these amazing photos at the end. I think it's so great, and I’m going to be coming and doing one with you, which I'm really excited about.

So, I have lots of questions about how the whole thing works, mainly for me, but also so other people can find out. So you mentioned a Zoom call there. So what happens when someone first finds you online and decides to book with you? What's the first step?

Domi

So I have so many different packages, but if something doesn’t suit you or you want something else, you can always send me a message and then I can create something.

But there are so many packages. You can choose which package you want. You can fill out the form, like name, your email, choose the date, and you can make the payments. You can pay a deposit or the full amount, and then if you pay a deposit, after photoshoot you can just pay the rest. Everything is online, so you don't have to even bring the cash.

If you have any questions, you can always contact me. I'm almost 24 hours online. I reply very quickly.

Jessica Grace Coleman

Great. And then you do a Zoom call? Is that for everyone or just if they want extra packages?

Domi

I think only the basic package, which is for 30 minutes, is not including the call, but the rest of the packages are including Zoom calls. So as long as you're going to book the photo shoot, you're going to get a welcome email with the guide, for example, of what to do in London, how to prepare for the photo shoot – this is included already.

And then the second one is to choose the day where you want to have the Zoom call. I suggest to everyone before you are travelling to London because as well as some tips about London weather, I'm trying to share most of the information – like how to travel from the airport to the city so you don't overpay, for example, for a black taxi. I just try to avoid any additional costs.

For example, this is for free. Oh, you can do this cheaper. So I share this kind of information as well as share how you should prepare for the photo shoot, so which kind of outfits you can bring. So it's going to give you time to think about this, buy maybe new stuff. And then after the Zoom call, we always stay in touch. You have my WhatsApp number, and if you have any questions like, ‘Oh, Domi, what about this? What do you think, should I do the London Eye?’ And I’m like, oh, not really. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

As you can tell, we are not sponsored by the London Eye!

Domi

Yeah, we're not, but I'm going to give you my honest opinion. What is working for me for my five years of clients. I don’t know how many, I think it's like 5,000 clients I’ve had. So I always listen to my clients, what they are talking about, what is their experience. I always show my opinion, so I'm going to give you an honest opinion. Even if this is not the one you were expecting to hear. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Oh, wow. So you're like a tour guide as well?

Domi

Basically, that's what I am, because I don't like it sometimes when you travel to some place and they're using the tourists; they like to sell you something. Like a tuk-tuk bike, sometimes they charge you like, for 50 minutes, 200 pounds. So I don't want people to have any bad experiences with London. That's why I like to share this kind of tip. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Yeah, that's really cool. And then, yeah, if they like their experience, they might come back and do another photo shoot. So it's win-win. Great! Okay. So, when people book, do they need to have an idea of where they want to shoot? What kind of style or tone they're going for? Or do you go through all that with them? How does it work?

Domi

So, when you book the photo shoot, you have also a small form to fill where you can choose where you want to take the pictures, if you have any special suggestions or requests. For example, this is your birthday photo shoot, or a special breakup photo shoot, to show your ex how happy you are without him.

Jessica Grace Coleman

Oh my God, is that thing? I want to know!

Domi

Yes, it's happening, and I'm very happy – I'm going, ‘Let's go, girl!’ So you're going to fill in the form. You say where you want to go, if you have special requests… then we have a Zoom call and we can discuss where you want to meet.

So, like, do you have any special requests? And she’s like, oh, this is my first time in London. Just choose whatever. So then we choose this. Which is the location, which is the outfits. will tell you like, okay, it's for Tower Bridge. You should wear these kinds of colours; they work for you. It's also about your skin tone, because everyone looks good with different stuff. So I'm going to share these kinds of tips with you. 

And, of course, you are the boss. You’re going to choose where you want to go, but as well, if you don't have any special requests, if you don't know London, I'm happy to organise everything.

Jessica Grace Coleman

Wow. Okay. So I'm still fixed on the breakup photo shoot. I did not know that was a thing, that's amazing. So I guess it's kind of like the same vibe as a divorce party or something. Like you're celebrating your freedom; that's so cool. Okay, so do you have any personal preferences, like your favourite places to shoot in London, with the backdrops and things?

Domi

First, let's focus on people who have never been to London. I really like Tower Bridge, London Bridge, and the red phone box. Those are the main things I really like to visit and take photos of, because when we take photos and you add pictures on your social media, everyone knows where you are and they're jealous that they didn't travel with you. So that's the main thing.

But as well, when you see, for example, your third time in London, I really like these kind of street photos. Like show the London vibe, the red phone box, red buses, black taxi in the background. This looks so cool as well. And if you like more pinky colours, Notting Hill is also a great place.

Jessica Grace Coleman

Oh yeah, I can imagine Notting Hill is a great place for a photo shoot. Interesting. 

Domi

Yes. We can go there, yeah.

Jessica Grace Coleman

Okay, so you mentioned that you give advice on certain clothes and colours and things to wear. What about hair and makeup? Do you suggest that people go and get that done before they shoot?

Domi

So I have one person with who I corporate, she's great. So she travels to my client's hotel and then she does the makeup. Hair, she can like straighten it or something, but basic stuff. But makeup she's doing, so she's travelling to the hotel. But usually my clients stay more focused on their outfits. If you want, if you have any special requests, you can always ask me.

I have people to recommend. I have also one person, but really for the five years, maybe like 50 or 60 people were asking for the makeup. But, always, if you have something you don't like and you want me to remove, I can do that.

Jessica Grace Coleman

Do you do any photo shoots with props? Say, because I'm an author, would I be able to have shots with me holding my book or things like that? Do you incorporate those kinds of things in? 

Domi

Yes, I always advise to bring something extra with you, like to show your personality, because then the photos are just much more interesting.

And, for example, when we have a photo shoot for three hours, I don't want you to have the same outfits and it's all the same. Like, I want you to change the outfits. Bring most of these props like hats, sunglasses, books, exactly. For example, if you are musical, you can bring a guitar with you if you like to do that.

I have many people that are business focused. So you can bring your computer and we can sit in some coffee shop or restaurant and have the background of Tower Bridge. So it's great as well to use these photos for your business portfolio. If you have some business in London and you want to attract more clients this way, that is a great way to do it.

You can as well bring another jacket with you, because it's easy to change and it is going to give you a different vibe and a different look. And, as well, what I always advise my clients is like, we want to look sexy on the photos and have long legs with their heels. You can bring your heels, but as well bring some comfortable shoes when we walk from one spot to another.

Because London is a big city and usually, from like Big Ben to the London Eye, it's just easier to walk than waiting for a taxi because the taxi is going to take so much longer. So it’s better to walk for five, seven minutes and we reach the next spot. When we go to the next spot, we switch to the slippers or comfortable shoes. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Yeah, that's a really great point. Because I love heels, but I cannot walk in them anymore. I'm too old for that, so I would have to bring other shoes. 

Domi

Heel is just for look, not for walking! 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Yes, exactly. Okay. I have questions about people who are super awkward in front of the camera… like me. Do you have any tips for this? Like, hands are a weird thing. It's like, what do you do with your hands when you get your photo taken? It's that kind of thing, isn't it? You don’t know what to do. So do you have any tips on how to look more natural and do you tell people how to stand, how to pose, how to walk, that kind of thing? 

Domi

Yes, I do it. And even when I'm taking pictures, I'm always saying like, ‘Oh, smile, look there, look there, more straight.’ So I'm always giving this kind of advice. But as well, if you are camera shy, and you don't want people to look at you, I always advise people to meet in the morning at like 8:00 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. because there are less people around and you’re going to feel much more comfortable, because like, we’ve never met face to face. So you’ll be like, ‘Oh, who is this strange girl?’ And then, you know, it's like you’re already stressed because you're meeting someone you’ve never met before. So I understand. 

And later, when we start talking, you start feeling more comfortable. But I need first like five, 10 minutes, to be comfortable. So I always advise people to meet in the morning or always start someplace quiet. When you feel more relaxed, and everything is fine, I will guide you on what to do.

And, for example, that's why I say to bring props with you. I say that you can hold your sunglasses in case you don't know what to do with your hands. And then you look left, right. You walk to me, you do some action photos, so it's much more natural.

Jessica Grace Coleman

Yeah, definitely. The hands are always my issue, so if you can hold something, yeah, that helps a lot. Okay, so they’ve met up with you, they've done the photo shoot… what happens after that? When will they get the photos? How do you send the photos to them? How does it all work?

Domi

After the photo shoot, we can go for coffee – if you're free. I always like to go for coffee because, as I say, I'm not just your photographer. I want to be your friend, so I’m always happy to go for coffee. And then – after the photo shoot and after the coffee – when sending the photos, I have two options. The standard option is if you want to have the edited option, and I'm sending photos within seven days. And then the other option is you can choose the raw pictures, not edited, and I'm sending them within 24 hours. Because I have so many influencers, and they have their own style of editing. So I don't want to bother them with my style, and I just send all the photos within 24 hours.

I will not delete any photos. So usually within one hour, I take around 300 photos. I'm always saying on my offer it's 120, but it's 300. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Nice. And you mentioned earlier the weather, the famous British weather. So what do you do if it's literally pouring it down all day? Do you just have to cancel it and hope that they're sticking around for a few days and can come back?

Domi

Yeah, that's a very good question. I love this, and there are so many options. So the first thing, when you're coming into London, I will advise you to book the photo shoot in your first days.

Like, for example, you come on the 10th of June. We can meet on the 11th of June or the 12th of June because then, in case the weather is so bad on the 11th or 12th, we can meet on the 13th; we can schedule for another day. If you're going to book for your last few days in London, I don't mind taking pictures during the rain. It just might not feel comfortable for you, so I always advise to meet on your earlier days, in case it's rainy. Then I don't mind to reschedule, and it’s free of charge. I understand it is London. It's not like California or Miami. So I understand this. 

And then sometimes this happens during our photo shoot: it is raining, but usually this is rain for five minutes and then it's finished. So usually we just go to grab a coffee, we sit, wait a little bit, and then later we continue taking photos. 

But even when you go on Google and check London weather, what is going to be the weather on the 10th of June – oh, it's so sunny. And then, the day before, oh, it's going to rain. And then the day of the photo shoot, oh, it's sunny. So even Google cannot expect what is going to happen in London. So I advise to meet as soon as possible. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Yeah, that's really good. Okay. When I was looking at the packages on your website – we'll mention your website in a minute and I'll put it in the show notes as well – but I noticed you do online dating app photo shoots. And I am so intrigued by this. So how does this differ from your other packages? Do you take different kinds of photos? Do you tell people to do certain poses? I want to know all about it. I'm so intrigued. 

Domi

So this is my second favourite package, I love it. Because, during Covid, I didn't have my tourists with me, so I was on my dating apps like Bumble and Tinder, and I was swiping, and it's like, oh my god, guys… like I believe you have a nice personality, but why do you have, like, a picture with your mom, why a picture with your friends? It's like, no one wants to know this. And so I was like, I need to do something about this. So I talked with dating coaches and I was like, okay, maybe we could do some packages together.

So then I start creating this, and the photo shoot is different from the locations where we go usually, because when you are living in London and you want to attract people from London, you don't necessarily have a picture with big vendors. So we do street photos, and many people will be like, oh, where is their location? Because many people, they don't know these kinds of places. 

Another thing we want to show is your personality. So who you really are. Like if you are an entrepreneur, we can go to take some pictures in a coffee shop with you working, for example. Or if you like more of the hippy style, we can go to a Shoreditch and take pictures with graffiti. We take different kinds of photos, different locations. You as well can bring different kinds of outfits, so you can bring one formal outfit and more casual outfits.

So, I'm always saying to my clients: think of the first hour of the photo shoot being like a first date. How would you show up? And then, later, how would you show up on the fifth date and 10th dates? So this is the kind of outfit you're going to wear. And then later, they get a dating guide, what you should add on the bio, which kind of photos you should add… these kinds of tips. And it’s very nice and very helpful – especially after Covid time, when many people divorced. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Okay. So that is included in your package? You do the bio and everything. 

Domi

Yes. So when you book the photo shoot, you're going to get a dating guide and all the information is included in that. 

Wow, that’s really cool. Okay. I also wanted to ask about the flying dresses. Because I am in so many solo female traveller Facebook groups and everything online, and everyone's obsessed with these flying dress photo shoots. And I can see why, because they look awesome. So, for people who don’t know what they are, could you explain what they are? And then can you explain how the flying part actually works? Because I can't figure it out!

Domi

The most work is for the assistant, because my client is just standing there, looking pretty. I am just free to run and fly the dress. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

So you have to fly the end of the dress and take the photo? 

Domi

No. So I am the photographer, so I'm standing and doing that. You have an assistant. I have one, or if you want, you can bring your friends to help you; it’s up to you. You can choose my assistant or your friend to feel more comfortable. And then, the flying dress is like… you have to get ready because it's such a long dress. So you have to cut so much material and then it's free to fly up to the sky.

And it's so much work for the assistant because you have to run away from the spot. Like sometimes I catch so many funny situations when the assistant is trying to run. It's super fun and a funny photo shoot. But yeah, it's a lot of work. And if you want to book the photo shoot right now – like I have seven people – it's January, February, it's very cold and it is like a summer dress. So you're going to be cold, but then you are excited when you see the photos. Like, ‘Oh, I look so good!’

Jessica Grace Coleman

Yeah, they always look so good. I just love the idea that there's someone who is an assistant and their only job is to do the dress. Like, in my mind, that's their full-time job and it would be amazing. So, for people who don't know, it's quite a glamorous look, isn't it? It's like a very formal summer dress, like you say, but it's got the huge train and you do it with an amazing backdrop and it just looks really glamorous, and people are usually wearing heels and, you know, it just looks really, really great.

Do you provide the dresses then? How does that bit work? 

Domi

Yeah, so I have the dress. have one red dress that is very, very long, but in case you don't like the red dress, then don't worry. I can Photoshop this for another colour. So we don't have to change the dress to another colour; we can just stay with one. You can choose, you can just give me the code or you can just say more or less which colour you want – green or yellow or any another one. And then I will just do the Photoshop. And then we say, ‘Oh, it's different dress,’ when it’s the same. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Nice. I love this. We're getting all the behind-the-scenes juice, all the secrets. Yeah, I really like how they look; it just looks so magical. So, just before we go, you mentioned that you'd travelled to quite a lot of places, so I am intrigued. What are your favourite places you've been to and what are your favourite places you've been to, to take photos? Like where are the best places you've been that you can take amazing photos?

Domi

So my favourite, number one – when I got the idea – is Sydney. It’s always in my heart. This is where I was in 2015, when I was so desperate about not having Insta friends. And then in, 2018, I opened my business. So three years later, I opened my business, and then later I went back there in 2019 and I hired someone to take photos of me. So, yeah, Sydney is very beautiful. I love this place to take photos. 

I also like Asia. It's a very different place, so I always see new spots, like, oh wow, this is interesting. Oh wow, this is interesting. Korea is very beautiful… Japan… Thailand… And, as well, I'm going to now travel more often to America, the United States. So I have been there before, but now with my camera, I might like to take photos in San Francisco. New York City is also very photogenic, and of course London. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Yeah, I can imagine amazing photo shoots in New York – just as many if not more amazing landmarks and recognisable places. Yeah, really cool. So, when you travel now, even if you're not taking photos, have you always got that in your head? Like, are you always thinking, oh, this would be a great place to shoot? Can you ever switch it off?

Domi

Oh, it's so hard, because when you see someone trying to take the photos, I'm feeling so sorry. But now, when I travel, I just hire someone to take pictures of me. So I don't want to stress myself anymore to try to find a spot when I'm in a new city; I just came to relax and I already paid so much money, so I don't mind paying like 200, $300 more to just have the photo shoot and have peace of mind.

And I meet so many great photographers, and we exchange our experiences about photos. So yeah, it's hard to switch off, not taking them, and thinking, oh, this will be a good spot. But I also like just hiring photographers to take care of me. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Yeah, I love that. I love that you offer that service in London and then, when you go away, you do the same thing with the locals there and use their knowledge and everything. So that's really cool.

Okay, so we're going to put the links in the show notes, but for anyone listening, can you let us know, where's the best place to find you online and where's the best place if people want to message you or ask you any questions? 

Jessica Grace Coleman

So my Instagram is photowalk_in_london, and then the website is scalensstudio.com. So you can find all these packages as well. You can reach me on Instagram; I reply so quickly, to all the messages, so don't be shy. And there is no stupid question. You have the right to not know something about the city and I'll be happy to help you. 

Jessica Grace Coleman

Great, thank you, and I just want to say, I love your Instagram. I've seen some of your stories of behind the scenes where someone's been walking to the camera and you are shouting out instructions. It's so interesting. And it's really cool to see how you actually work and get those amazing shots. So yeah, definitely follow her on Instagram, and thank you so much for coming on and talking to us today.

I can't wait to come and do a photoshoot with you – it's going to be so cool – and once I’ve done that, then we'll have to do a follow-up episode where I talk about my experience. 

Domi

I'll be very interested in how you see this; I would love to hear the feedback from you when we meet. Finally, we are going to meet, and we are going to take pictures anywhere you want in London!

Jessica Grace Coleman

Yay! I’m excited. So yeah, we'll definitely do that. We'll do a follow-up episode and I will let you know my thoughts, but I'm really looking forward to it. So yeah, thank you so much for coming on today.

Domi

Thank you for having me, bye!

Jessica Grace Coleman

A big thank you to Domi for doing this episode and for contacting me in the first place. I can't wait to have my own photoshoot and let you all know how it went, and I just love the idea that she's not just a photographer, she's your Insta friend. I love that so much. As a solo traveller, gathering people like that, gathering contacts, people you know you can trust and contact if you get into trouble while you're in a foreign city or in a new place… is so important, as I say in the podcast.

So, definitely check her out at photowalk_in_london, and yeah, thank you for listening! Until next time, I'll catch you on the flip side, bye! 

Do you want to learn how you can use travel – and travel-related principles – to completely change your life?

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