Dancing the Streets of Barcelona: Europe's Cheapest Photoshoot for 16 EUR
I visited Barcelona, Spain, from July 9 - 11, 2025.
Barcelona is a city of dramatic spires and towering palm trees, practically daring you to capture the moment. Always looking to combine dance and travel, this cheap photoshoot was the best hack I found to gift myself a dance photoshoot in Barcelona's Old Town without the hassle and pomp.
Get Your Guide is a travel booking platform that offers everything from photo tours to concert tickets. Seven Billion Artists is the company behind the cheapest photoshoot in Europe, and they've amassed quite a following thanks to their affordability and public presence. Bear in mind, you'll most likely be sharing the shoot with strangers.
As a solo traveler, this photo tour made sense. By following the photographer's route, I hit up multiple attractions in an hour and a half and had some friendly conversation with other solo travelers and families in the group.
The following is my experience of the shoot, the photography route, and tips for how to dance in public and tailor the shoot to your own preferences, even in a group setting.
Plus, some warnings and how not to over-pay on inconsistent prices...
The advantages of a group photoshoot
Solo travel is a wonderful, magical choice of exploration and introspection, but even the best of solo travelers find themselves at a loss when there's no one to share a cup of tea with or help them take a photo on the gorgeous horizon.
That's where group activities – and particularly group photoshoots – come in handy if you're looking for high-quality, professional shots that don't require you to wrangle a tripod yourself.
And, if you need someone to relieve you of a bag or purse, you've got a whole cohort right there!
"But I won't know anyone!"
That's the point!
You won't know anyone, so you can present yourself however you want and pose however you'd like to pose. It's a fresh opportunity to (ironically) not be held back by the same embarrassments and expectations of people you know intimately.
Photos aside, it's a great chance to make new connections and find someone to share those tapas with because goodness knows you probably won't be able to finish a whole table of them by yourself (but no judgment if you do).
The shoot route
We started with our meetup point in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, near the Barcelona Cathedral.
The photographer explained the rules: take turns; email to receive the photos; stick together, etc. He'd also messaged everyone his phone number via WhatsApp the day before the shoot. Keep this handy because if you're late, they might just start! (I got a few extra minutes of shoot time because of this.)
Barcelona Cathedral (Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia)
It's impossible to miss the Cathedral. Its looming spires can be seen towering above the surrounding flats, and if its presence doesn't alert you, the people certainly will.
It's packed. In the thick of summer, tourists flock to Barcelona like flies (ahem, I mean, like moths to a flame).
Getting the perfect photo here is hard because not only do you have to find vantage points to cleverly avoid people in frame, you also might feel a bit awkward with so many eyes (supposedly) watching you.
However, travel photography is a major business in Barcelona, and people by the dozens are snapping away everywhere. The locals and tourists alike are more than accustomed to it.
Carrer de la Pietat (the back of the Cathedral)
This L-shaped back alley around the rear of the Cathedral is arguably the best spot to take photos in the Gothic Quarter. There's much less traffic flow, it's cool and airy, and the minimalist backdrop compared to the frontal grandeur of the Cathedral makes for very stunning shots.
I performed most of my dance poses here, as my entourage supported me from the side.
The best thing is, I would never have known to come here (or take photos here) if it weren't for the photographer. As they say, locals know best.
(I laughed to myself when I immediately recognized this spot featured in a Flytographer newsletter a few days ago. Guess it's not so secret after all :P)
An oasis in an otherwise hustle-and-bustle market.
Pont del Bisbe
Pont del Bisbe (a heritage bridge that connects two buildings), literally around the corner from Carrer de la Pietat, is one of those places that's so crowded with tourists, you have to even wonder... why?
But from a photographic angle, you do understand why. Its vertical eyelines make for very dramatic photos that reflect the neo-Gothic architecture, as long as you squeeze in fast enough for a few shots in the right spot.
This was my least favourite location of the route, to be honest; you'd have a better time going very early morning or very late night. It's nearly impossible to wait for an empty frame midday.
It's also not the best photo stop for anyone who likes minimalism, and the narrow alley does make for some awkward albeit funny moments.
Wait by the side, kick sandals off (if dancing), run in – pose! – run out.
Posing at the Cathedral is a breeze compared to this.
The World Comes to Life with Each Kiss
Also known as The World Begins with Every Kiss; The Kiss of Freedom; and El Món Neix en Cada Besada – from afar, it's a mural of two people locking lips in sensual passion. Up close, you'll see it's actually a clever photomosaic.
This mural pieced together of 4000+ individual photo tiles can be thought of as a tribute to freedom, love, and life, unveiled as a temporary exhibition in 2014 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the National Day of Catalonia and kept permanently after its resounding success. (Read more about the work here.)
The artist, Joan Fontcuberta, asked for photo submissions depicting a moment of "freedom." What he got were the personal snapshots of the best and most enduring moments of people's lives, from sunny beach days to newborn babies.
If you get the chance to truly look at each tile (it's hard to do with so many tourists in line for a photo, I understand), it's a marvelous and touching compilation of humanity – fans of The Giver will love this celebration of life.
To take your time here, I recommend coming early morning or late night.
"The sound of a kiss is not as loud as that of a cannon, but it’s echo lasts a great deal longer." – Oliver Wendall Holmes
By the way, you know those popular, old-timey vintage cameras (the ones that require a drape to create a blackout) that people are using in tourist sites? Someone took a shot of me, and now I'm on the "wanted" list.
Just kidding. The article explains the history of The Kiss and the city.
Final Thoughts
We ended the route at The Kiss and said goodbye to our photographer. Even though it'd only been 1.5 hours, the heat and insane crowds still took a toll, and the other solo woman who'd initially invited me to have a drink and tapas with her and her companion that evening took off without so much as a goodbye (oh, well).
That said, the photoshoot overall was a really great experience. Seeing as I hadn't done any research into Barcelona or the city attractions beforehand, this was a quick and compact way to hit up the major spots in one go (especially if you're time-crunched), leaving room to live more locally next time.
The photographer, having evidently done this a million times, had a whole arsenal of poses for singles and families ready to go. If you're not one for posing, fear not.
The caveat is that we didn't actually go into any of the attractions. I didn't see the interior of the Cathedral or the Pont del Bisbe buildings.
The value is still there; however, there are certain things you should be mindful of when purchasing a cheap package like this (including price differences!), as well as disadvantages to a group photoshoot if you're looking for a more exclusive experience.
