Developing trend

"Now, online and offline orders are almost 50-50," said Ma Yizhen, 35, a freelance photographer in Dalian, Liaoning province. "For tourists from other cities in Northeast China, Dalian's ocean scenery is most attractive. Usually, I undertake no fewer than 20 assignments every month from April to October."

Ma started shooting engagement pictures in 2009. He once flew to Xiamen, Fujian province, to take photos for a couple at their invitation in 2011. Since then, he has shuttled between the two coastal cities for summer and winter every year.

"Reservations for the next three months are already all taken," he said, adding that the customers are mainly young people taking wedding photos or recording their travels.

Sanya, in the southern island province of Hainan, is listed as one of the top destinations for travel photography, according to many platforms.

Last month, searches for "wedding photos" and "travel photos" in Sanya rose by 35 percent year-on-year, according to on-demand service platform Meituan. It also said that many shooting bases in the city's scenic spots have set up comprehensive makeup service areas that can accommodate nearly 200 customers simultaneously.

Data from online travel platform Ctrip show that this May Day holiday, the total number of travel orders for Hainan has risen by 411 percent from the same period last year.

In Hainan, a photo trip can take different styles — oceanic, pastoral, athletic, retro or ethnic. Guided by the photographers, couples in wedding dress wear big smiles, leaving a happy moment in the vows of eternal love; young tourists pose in the pool surrounded by coconut trees, ready to fill their WeChat moments with holiday photos; meanwhile, families wear ethnic clothing and walk in a tropical rainforest, hoping to record the beautiful memory.

The biggest advantage of Hainan's travel photography market is the island's tropical climate and natural scenery, according to Yuan Wei, senior director of operations management at Fosun Holiday, a tourism group that provides travel photography services.

"Tourists, especially those who come to Sanya for the first time, may have a strong desire for photographs when they see the beautiful sea and sand, and breathe the fresh air," he said.

In Sanya, travel photography customers mainly come from Beijing and Shanghai, as well as Guangdong, Zhejiang and Sichuan provinces.

Meanwhile, families from Russia, France and South Korea opt for the little mermaid and underwater mermaid shooting services, for example, at the Atlantis Sanya Resort, Yuan said.

Customization and quality are two keywords of travel photography in Hainan. "It takes hours or even more than a day to meet the shooting needs of our guests," Yuan said. "We often communicate with them until 1 or 2 am before the shoot, as they are very excited and want to get more information and the best service during their vacation."

Now, those who want to take travel photos will look at the trending styles on the internet and put forward their customized requirements, including clothing, makeup, scenery and props. They hope to be fashionable and look unique in their travel photos and videos, he added.

He Si, founder of Natural Nobleman, a high-end travel photography brand, said: "I think it is really worth traveling to Hainan. The province is the first-choice seaside tourist destination for most people in China. Travel photography is part of your public image. Posting travel photos and videos can be a way to socialize. When you capture precious moments from your trip with beautiful photos and share them on your WeChat moments, it can bring attention and interaction."

While Natural Nobleman relies on WeChat and previous customers to attract new guests, Fosun Holiday uses its own hotel channel and a WeChat public account. It has also widened exposure of its products via social media platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu.