Review - "Black Label" Portrait Sessions (Nieuw Amsterdam)

[ThatLever]

Just got back from the Aug 24 Nieuw Amsterdam 7-day Inside Passage and wanted to give a shout out to our portrait photographer, Melinda.  Melinda is one of the two "Black Label" portrait experts on the Nieuw Amsterdam and we (DW, DD, and myself) decided to sit for a session with her.  Melinda was a delight to work with and captured some of the best portrait photographs we've ever had taken of us.  Even DD, who was convinced that B&W photos are dumb and has the normal body issues of a 15yo, loved the results.  Yes, the prints and/or digital files are expensive, but we were so pleased with the results that we ordered the digital files for nine of the images.  It added up to a lot, but now we have plans for holiday presents for the grandparents, so that's good .

 

So, if you're on the Nieuw Amsterdam and thinking about getting a portrait done, ask for Melinda!

[cabinluvn]

We had them take our portraits in 2013 on our 25th anniversary. They were the best pictures of us EVER taken. Worth every penny, and they were not cheap. I have heard bad things about this photography service on HAL cruises, but we had nothing but a great experience

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad to hear that you both had positive results with the Black and White photos.

[detroit70]

5 hours ago, cabinluvn said:

We had them take our portraits in 2013 on our 25th anniversary. They were the best pictures of us EVER taken. Worth every penny, and they were not cheap. I have heard bad things about this photography service on HAL cruises, but we had nothing but a great experience

I have to agree!  In 2011, a Black and White photographer overcame our somewhat strenuous resistance and we gave in to let her take our pictures.  We had a great time with her as she shot what seemed like endless pictures and, as we prepared to view the proofs a day or two later, we decided we might spend $50 for a picture if we liked one of them.  We saw the proofs, commented that no one had ever made us look that good, and put $500 on our credit card for 5 full size shots plus a disc with more than 50 proofs, and I don't regret it ever.  They have often served as our FaceBook profile pictures but, far more important to me, one shot of the two of us is on our family room wall and one solo shot of my dear spouse was the picture in his memorial service worship folder just 4 years later.  Friends who visited recently and who were looking at the family room picture commented on how great it is that I have the photo as a warm and wonderful memory.  I wish I could remember the name of the photographer but, despite criticism I've read here about this company, I'll never regret the experience and the money we spent.

[ski ww]

Glad you had a positive experience, I've head a lot of negative things about them, including how expensive they are. We have found that the ships photographers do a very good job for our family portraits. 

[ThatLever]

To be fair, the Black Label prints (or digital files) are pretty expensive, certainly when compared to the photo sessions at a local Target or a mall photo shop, so I can see some people getting put off by that.  But the resulting photos were really far better than anything we've had done elsewhere - particularly the photos of our daughter, which are truly spectacular. 

Given how much the cruise lines constantly promote expensive jewelry and watches at us, which I have zero interest in, I'm much happier with splurging on this purchase.  This is something we've encountered on previous cruises. DW & I like to buy art when we travel -- not the "fine art" from the ship, but craft objects or prints/paintings from local artists at small galleries.  There was one cruise I remember, when we were talking about a painting we bought from an artist in Key West for something like $500, and the couple were were talking to were shocked that we would spend that much for something to put on the wall.  My unspoken thoughts were: 1) "Don't tell them that that was just one of the things we bought, and not the most expensive one either." and 2) "Didn't you just tell me that you spent more than that on drinks at the martini bar on the ship last night?"  To each their own, I guess.

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

It's amazing what a real professional can do.