EPIX Studio photography at Beaches Resorts

It started when The K Man was in my belly — our first family photo shoot.

We did the same for Miss Q and they both had newborn shoots done before they turned 10 days old. At least every year or two, we’ve continued booking photo shoots. Mostly because unless I pay someone to take the pics, I rarely end up in them.

We had the opportunity to try EPIX Studio at Beaches Negril this year, and it wasn’t just another photo shoot.

It was so much more.

The photographer treated my kids like old friends and they instantly warmed to him. He played nice music in the background. And he made us laugh and snuggle — and just be us. Goofy, sappy, joyful, loving.

And then the unexpected happened.

As I held my daughter in my arms mid-shoot, with a lovey-dovey song whispering sweet nothings in our ears, she grabbed me tightly, saying “I love you, mama.”

That was it. I was done.

Even as I write this two weeks later, my nose starts to tingle before tears roll down my cheeks.

There was no staging. No cajoling. No bribery.

It was just the two of us in a pure embrace, swimming in each other’s love. And that photographer — unobtrusively — captured one real moment after the next.

The session, which itself is free, lasted about 30 minutes and an hour later, our custom slideshow (also set to lovey-dovey music that elicited more tears) was ready to view. I would have taken home 98 per cent of the images if I could have afforded it.

But this kind of beauty obviously doesn’t come without a price tag that reflects the quality and artistry behind it. And at US$195 per digital image, I had to be selective. I chose my two favourites, which then went into post-production editing to reach the kind of perfection one expects with true professional photography.

They arrived at my doorstep on a USB stick like this about seven business days later:

And they were everything I hoped they would be; plus they come with re-printing and social media-sharing rights, so now I can do whatever I want with them.

Here’s the first:

And here’s the second:

I should mention that the alternative is US$195 for an 8″x10″ print, and I was very impressed by the way the print is delivered and presented in a lovely black box. It’s printed on really thick, excellent-quality cardstock — ready to be matted and framed. But I thought the digital image was a better deal by far.

The more you order, the cheaper the digital print, too, with the first price break coming at four digital images when the cost-per-print drops dramatically and then continues to fall as the quantity increases.

I wanted to be able to show you more of what we had taken, and Beaches graciously agreed to send me some additional proofs from our shoot. Can you believe these haven’t even gone through editing?

(Note that some of the cropping here is mine because of the collage. Shot by shot, EPIX cropped every photo perfectly.)

Are they spendy? Yes. Are they worth it? Absolutely.

If you just can’t swing nearly 200 bucks a pop, consider the other option you have at every Beaches Resort: SnapShots. We love those, too. Just…not quite as much.

EPIX Studio wins the photo game at Beaches — by a landslide.

About EPIX: “Created by renowned photographer Joe Craig, EPIX Studio is a unique portrait experience, which focuses on the simple and subtle beauty of moments and connections.” For more information, visit Beaches Resorts online or chat with someone onsite in the EPIX Studio.