If you’re wondering whether the Cooperstown All Star Village photo package is worth the cost, you’re definitely not the only one. I knew before we even arrived that I wanted professional action shots from the week. As parents, it’s almost impossible to capture every big play while also cheering, watching the game, and simply enjoying the experience.

After spending a week at Cooperstown All Star Village, I can honestly say the photo package ended up being one of the best optional purchases we made.

We came home with around 350 action photos, a large team picture, and images from moments we never would have been able to capture ourselves. Looking back, there are a few things I wish I had known before buying it, but I’d still purchase it again without hesitation.

In this review, I’ll explain exactly how the Cooperstown All Star Village photo package works, what we received, what it cost, and whether I think it’s worth adding to your tournament budget.

If you’re planning your own tournament trip, be sure to browse my Cooperstown Baseball guides for everything from packing lists and tournament costs to things to do around town. You’ll also find more practical advice in my Travel Tournament Tips section, where I share what we’ve learned from years of traveling for youth sports. 

What Is the Cooperstown All Star Village Photo Package?

If you’re trying to decide whether the All Star Village Glossy Finish photo package is worth it, the first thing to know is that there are several different options. Some are purchased by individual families, while others only make sense if enough families on the team want to participate.

Individual Action Photos

This is the package we purchased, and it’s the one I’ll focus on throughout this review. Professional photographers follow one player during tournament games, and you’ll receive action photos to download throughout the week.

Team Action Photos

Teams can also purchase a team action package that covers the entire roster instead of just one player. For our team, it only made financial sense if just about every family wanted to participate. Since only about half of our families planned to buy photos, we all ended up purchasing individual action packages instead.

Team Panorama

Every team has a panoramic team photo created using individual player photos taken during check-in. Families can purchase the finished panorama, but we were told at least eight families from the team had to order one before they would print it. Fortunately, enough of our families bought one, and I’m really glad we did because it’s one of my favorite keepsakes from Cooperstown.

Individual Player Portraits

If you like the traditional posed sports portraits, those are available too. Glossy Finish Photography also offers plaques, posters, magnets, and other photo gifts if you’re looking for something beyond digital downloads.

Why I Chose the Individual Action Photo Package

I knew as soon as I found out Cooperstown offered professional action photos that I wanted to buy the package. If you’ve read much of my website, you’ve probably noticed that I love pictures, especially action shots. I almost always buy professional photo packages when they’re available, whether we’re ziplining, climbing Dunn’s River Falls, visiting Blue Hole, spending the day at Disney, or watching my son play baseball.

Of course, I took plenty of pictures myself throughout the week, but I also wanted to put my phone down, cheer for my son, and simply enjoy watching him play. It’s almost impossible to capture every great play while also being fully present in the moment.

Our team looked into the team action package, but since only about half of our families planned to purchase photos, it didn’t make financial sense for us. Instead, those of us who wanted professional pictures each purchased the individual action package before we arrived.

It ended up being one of the best optional purchases we made. Some of my favorite photos from the entire week are moments I never could have captured myself. The photographers caught diving catches in center field, slides into home, close-up batting shots, dugout moments, and celebrations with teammates while I was simply enjoying the game.

I also loved that I didn’t have to choose between taking pictures and watching baseball. I came home with hundreds of professional action shots and still got to experience every game as a parent instead of looking through a camera lens.

How the Cooperstown All Star Village Photo Package Works

Once I purchased the individual action package before our trip, the process was pretty straightforward.

During check-in, I stopped at the Glossy Finish Photography booth to finish the registration process. They asked for a few details about my son, including his Cooperstown jersey number. That’s important because many players wear a different number at Cooperstown than they do with their regular travel teams, so make sure you use the tournament number.

I also explain how registration, skills competitions, and the rest of arrival day fit together in my post on the first day at Cooperstown All Star Village.

After we finished registering, my son was given a bright orange identification band to attach to his shoe. That’s how the photographers knew which player to follow during the games. We left it attached to his turf shoe for the entire week, so we never had to think about it again.

Each evening, I received a text message letting me know that a new gallery was available. Logging in each night to see the latest action shots quickly became one of my favorite parts of the trip.

The individual action package guaranteed photos from two games, but we actually received photos from three games during our week. I don’t know if that’s typical, but it was a nice surprise.

One thing I learned is that if your player is pitching, you’ll want to call the pitcher hotline before the game. That lets the photographers know they’ll be on the mound so they can make sure to capture those moments too.

Quick Tip: Leave the orange identification band attached to your player’s shoe for the entire week. We never took ours off, which meant there was no chance of forgetting it before a game.

The Quality of the Cooperstown All Star Village Photo Package

I purchased the Cooperstown All Star Village photo package because I wanted high-quality action photos, and that’s exactly what I got.

From the first gallery that showed up on my phone, I could tell these weren’t just snapshots of the game. The photographers captured crisp, close-up action shots throughout the week that I never could have taken from the stands.

I loved the variety, too. The galleries included batting, fielding, baserunning, diving plays, celebrations with teammates, and even some quieter moments in the dugout. Going through the photos now, they tell the story of the entire week instead of just documenting the games.

That’s one of the reasons they ended up being one of our favorite Cooperstown souvenirs long after tournament week was over.

One thing that really stood out was the perspective. The photographers are allowed in areas where parents can’t go, so they were able to capture angles that simply aren’t possible from the bleachers.

Some of my favorite images are the ones I didn’t even realize someone was capturing at the time. Instead of spending the week looking through a camera lens, I was able to enjoy the games knowing those moments were being photographed for me.

What We Received with the Cooperstown All Star Village Photo Package

The Cooperstown All Star Village photo package guaranteed action photos from two games, but we ended up receiving photos from three games during our tournament week. By the end of the week, I had around 350 high-resolution images to download.

What impressed me most wasn’t just the number of photos, it was the variety. The galleries included batting, fielding, baserunning, diving catches, celebrations, dugout moments, and plenty of candid shots between plays. Instead of coming home with dozens of nearly identical pictures, I have unique images that capture the entire experience.

Another thing I appreciated was that the galleries were available throughout the week instead of all at once after the tournament ended. Each evening, I’d get a text letting me know a new gallery was ready, and it quickly became part of our nightly routine to sit down and look through the latest photos.

If your child plays multiple positions, you’ll probably end up with a nice mix of action shots from around the field. Since my son played center field, I especially loved the diving catches, running plays in the outfield, and close-up batting photos that I never could have captured from the stands.

One of the biggest reasons I wanted these photos was because I knew this would likely be my son’s only trip to Cooperstown. If you’re still planning your week, my Cooperstown bucket list shares the experiences I wouldn’t want to miss while you’re there.

Is the Cooperstown Team Panorama Worth Buying?

While the action photos were easily my favorite part of the Cooperstown All Star Village photo package, I’m still really glad we purchased the team panorama.

During check-in, every player has an individual photo taken. Those photos are later combined into one panoramic team picture that families can purchase. It’s a nice keepsake from the week and a fun way to remember the entire team.

The panorama is only printed if enough families on the team order one. For our week, we were told at least eight families needed to purchase it before it would be printed. Fortunately, enough of our families ordered one, so we were able to bring ours home.

We also purchased the Cooperstown photo mat. Instead of hanging just the panorama, we had all of the boys sign the black mat with a silver Sharpie before we left Cooperstown.

Now it’s hanging in my son’s room, and every time we look at it, we’re reminded not only of the tournament but also of the teammates he shared the experience with.

A Few Things I Wish I’d Known

Overall, I’d absolutely purchase the Cooperstown All Star Village photo package again, but there are a few things I’d want other families to know before they buy it.

Even if you purchase your package before arriving, you’ll still need to stop at the Glossy Finish Photography booth during check-in to finish your registration. We waited in line longer than I expected, so I’d plan a little extra time into your arrival.

The photographers also stop shooting around 9:00 p.m. Our team had a 10:00 p.m. game that didn’t end until around midnight, so we didn’t receive any professional photos from that game. It wasn’t a huge deal for us, but I would have loved to have had photos under the lights.

I also wish I had known to check the additional galleries after our tournament. Although we didn’t receive photos from Opening Ceremonies or my son’s Skills Competition, Glossy Finish later let me know they also photograph Opening Ceremonies, Team Check-In, and the Skills Finals, with additional images available in the Miscellaneous galleries. Coverage varies depending on the event, so it’s worth taking a few extra minutes to look through those galleries before your download period expires.

One last tip is to make sure you register using your player’s Cooperstown jersey number, not the number they normally wear with their travel team. Many players are assigned different numbers for the tournament.

If you’re deciding which optional extras are worth paying for, I also break down the Cooperstown team extras we thought were actually worth it, including pins, banners, upgraded hats, and other purchases our team made.

Is the Cooperstown All Star Village Photo Package Worth It?

For our family, the answer is an easy yes.

The action photos are some of my favorite memories from Cooperstown. They captured moments I never could have photographed myself while sitting in the stands, and I love that I was able to be fully present during the games instead of constantly looking through a camera lens.

If you’re someone who loves photos as much as I do, I think you’ll be glad you invested in it. Years from now, I probably won’t remember every score or every inning, but I’ll always have hundreds of professional photos that bring me right back to one of the most memorable weeks of my son’s baseball career.

If you’re still planning your trip, don’t miss my guide to what to expect at Cooperstown All Star Village so you know exactly what the week is really like before you arrive.

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Photography Disclosure: Professional action photos of our son courtesy of Glossy Finish and used with permission. All other family photos were captured by Stack the Miles unless otherwise noted. Select scenic and landmark images are courtesy of trusted stock sources and tourism archives.

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