Have you ever imagined traveling the world and recording your adventures for all to see? Maybe you have that wanderlust and want to visit tropical reefs, soaring high mountains and windswept tundra. Perhaps the idea of becoming a travel photographer and sharing your journeys professionally is your dream career.
Being a travel photographer is not as far-fetched as it seems. Globetrotting photographers are always needed, as ad agencies and other companies are looking for those once-in-a-lifetime photographs to make their campaigns memorable and successful.
Also, with the popularity of destination weddings rising, you can use your travel photography skills to tell the story of a wedding in a tropical location.
You could also be employed by cruise ships and vacation resorts, to take photos of the sights and make memories for travelers that will last a lifetime.
How do I become a travel photographer?
If you’re wondering how to become a travel photographer, know that you’ll need great interpersonal skills. You’ll need to be able to talk to people, from subjects of your photographs to potential clients you are trying to sell your services to.
You’ll need great technical skills, as the technology in your camera and in the programs you’ll use to process your photograph is always changing.
And you’ll also need the drive to leave for a job at a moment’s notice. The life of a travel photographer is vey unpredictable.
If you aspire to become a travel photographer, then you’re in luck. In this article, we’ll go through the 5 steps to become a travel photographer. We’ll let you in on all of those help tips that will make or break your career. We’ll give you the knowledge you need to start a successful career or embark on exciting gig work.
And it’s no use becoming a sought-after travel photographer if you’re not getting paid. So, we’ll show you how you can make sure those funds keep coming in.
Read on for some all-important tips for following your dream about how to become a travel photographer!
5 Steps to Becoming a Travel Photographer
1) Learn your craft.
When you’re looking into how to become a travel photographer, your first step should be to find online photography courses, either online or in-person, that specializes in travel photography.
Also, keep in mind that some jobs, such as photojournalism, require a 4-year degree. While studying for a photography degree, you’ll learn about the different types of photography, lighting, how to use all of the features on your camera, computer programs used to enhance your work, and much more. You’ll also learn about the business side of photography, including how to market yourself and find travel photography gigs.
Once you’ve taken a course, it’s imperative that you practice your craft. Take your camera with you everywhere. Use all of the techniques you’ve learned to hone your skills. Show your photographs to others and get feedback. Just keeping practicing!
And we’ll talk about this in the next step, but your photography program will also teach you how to build and maintain an online portfolio or even a website, so that you can direct potential clients to your work.
2) Build an online portfolio/website.
To easily showcase your work for potential clients, you’ll need an easy-to-build online portfolio. Now that photography portfolios are generally online, you will be able to update as needed, and highlight different photographs for different clients at the touch of button.
And, if you use your personal website as a portfolio, a place to sell your work and a place where people can contact you, you could also see ads on the site, which will give you extra income.
See this article to learn how to create a travel blog site!
3) Grow your confidence to market yourself pitch ideas.
Learn how to talk to people, because you’ll find, as a travel photographer, you’ll be talking to a lot of people from different aspects of your job.
Talking with locals
When you are traveling, to get those great photographs of unique locations, you’ll have to form relationships with people in the vicinity. Talk to people and find out what’s beautiful and interesting in their region. You’ll learn about their culture, which will allow you to understand why the location is one-of-a-kind and why you should document it in your photography.
Talking with business partners and clients
Being able to clearly and adeptly speak to partners and clients is imperative as a photographer. You may be working with retouchers, finishers, printers, etc., and you need to confidently be able to tell them exactly what you are looking for. You’re paying them so you need to be sure that they will do the work to your satisfaction.
And that confidence will go far when you are pitching or trying to get paid from clients. You may have a great idea for a photo shoot that would be perfect for a prospective client. You will need to be able to convey the importance of the photos, how these photos will benefit your client’s business.
Then, once you’ve sold the idea to your client and have delivered the photographs, you’ll have to make sure you are direct enough to request payment. It can be awkward to ask someone to pay you directly for your work, but if you’re a gig worker, you’ll need to do this. Frequently. You’ll need to keep on top of your finances and speak to the client about any unpaid invoices. With practice, it will definitely get easier to market yourself and protect yourself so that you get paid. It may not come naturally to you, but if you work hard, you’ll do fine.
4) Keep up on advancements in equipment and technology.
The competition is really heating up in travel photography because of all of the technology.
New travel cameras are coming out each year with more and more great features, allowing photographers to easily delve into 3D and 360-degree photography.
GPS on cameras is very helpful to travel photographers as you’ll never be grappling to remember where you took that great shot.
And Wi-Fi-enabled cameras will allow you to upload your cameras instantly.
Oh, and don’t forget about drones. You’ll now be able to take travel photographs like never before and show the world sites that have never yet been seen.
But besides educating yourself on new equipment, you’ll also need to make sure you’ve got the latest photographic processing software. It seems like almost every year, the popular photo editing software is undergoing an update. And you’ll need to keep up with those changes and refreshes because they could impact your photography and how it is seen.
You need to remember, though, that all the fancy equipment and software in the world doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t practice and learn your craft.
5) Be flexible
Being a travel photographer means that you need to be flexible. Opportunities may come up at the very last minute to hop on a plane to fly to a far-off location and shoot some great photos.
And you may already be on a shoot but find out that there’s a better location nearby, and you have to move fast. This is not a job for someone who likes to follow a set 9-5 schedule.
Plus, you’ll need to be flexible in other aspects of your work. Clients may change their idea of what they want you to shoot, and you’ll have to be able to cope with new direction.
How do travel photographers get paid?
Gig working can be tough, but if you pound the pavement, there are plenty of ways to make a living as you’re looking into how to become a travel photographer. As a travel photographer, there are many avenues for you to embark upon, and some you may not have even thought of.
Here are a few of the ways you can make money as a travel photographer:
- Assignments from different media outlets and advertising and marketing firms
- Full-time job with a travel magazine
- Full-time job in a resort or on a cruise ship
- Teaching online courses and workshops
- Selling prints
- Selling stock photography
You may find that one of two of these ideas work for you. And you can concentrate on one or two of them, in order to make a living. For instance you may travel the world on assignment for a variety of magazines. But you may also spend your off season travel around the world teaching workshops in remote locations. Passing on their travel photography knowledge is quite common for many travel photographers.
Or you may want to work full-time on a cruise ship. That way, you can see the world, but you’ll have steady pay.
And there’s nothing like the feeling of selling prints of the adventures you’ve had. There are some very prestigious art shows throughout the world that you could sell your work at.
Looking to enhance your photography skills? Explore our comprehensive selection of travel photography courses online to capture stunning images on your next adventure.
Wrapping up
As we’ve shown, travel photography is a wide and varied career. It’s also exciting and unexpected. You may find yourself globe-trotting one week and teaching a photography seminar in the woods the next week. There’s never a lack of freshness and change in travel photography. So, if the always-on-the-go lifestyle sounds attractive to you, then there’s no better time then now to embark on a new career as a travel photographer.
As we mentioned above, it will take hard work to achieve your dream, and it may not happen overnight, but if you follow our 5 Steps to Becoming a Travel Photographer, you’ll be well on your way to greatness. Learn and practice your craft. Keep up to date on the latest software and the newest technological breakthroughs in photography. Get your photography out there for people to see, with an online portfolio and a branded website. Polish up your interpersonal skills and remember to be flexible. You may have with a shot list and an itinerary that your client changes completely, forcing you to turn on a dime and replan everything, from location, to the types of things they want you to shoot, and so on. There are many other things you need to learn to be a successful travel photography. But, if you follow these five tips, your life and your career will be a lot easier to manage.
And, of course, we gave you a list of some of the popular ways travel photographers get paid, from selling your prints to taking assignments to teaching workshops. But think outside the box; there may be even more ways you could make money as a travel photographer.
It’s an exciting career that knows no bounds. But the most important advice we can give you when you’re wondering how to become a travel photographer: Don’t forget to get out there and starting shooting!
For travelers seeking reliable recommendations and inspiring stories, exploring some of the best travel magazines out there can be a great source of valuable insights and wanderlust-inducing articles