How To Make Money As Travel Photographer

How to Make Money as a Travel Photographer

Do you enjoy traveling and want to monetize your passion? There are many ways to make money while traveling, and taking photos is one of them. Travel photography does not require expensive equipment at the beginning – a decent camera would suffice and can generate a good steady income. Just imagine, you can explore new cultures, meet new interesting people, and make money from it.

If you think that you need to be a successful professional photographer to launch your business, think again. There are many ways to make living from taking traveling pictures, and this article will cover some of them.

1. Sell Photos on Stock Photography Platforms

If you have never heard of stock photography, it is time to change it. Shutterstock is the most prominent stock photography website that offers images to private users as well as businesses that they can use for any purpose. In exchange, a small fee will be charged, and photographers will receive their royalties. Once a decent number of your images goes online, you will receive a passive income even when you stop uploading new pictures.

How to Make Money as a Travel Photographer

In order to obtain steady passive income from stock photography platforms, you need to be consistent and upload at least a hundred good quality pictures every month. The platform will select the best ones and put them on their web page. Furthermore, don't forget to use proper tags and try to pick the perfect ones for your images, so that users will find the exact image they need.

There will always be a need for breathtaking views, incredible landscapes as well as professional portraits for all kinds of purposes: advertisements, blogging, marketing, e-books, and many more.

2. Take Portraits and Set Up Photoshoots

Taking portraits and making photoshoots is perfect for an outgoing and open person. Next time you travel somewhere, talk to the receptionist and offer your services to take pictures of tourists and capture their happy moments of vacations and honeymoons. Don't forget to bring a compelling portfolio with you to make a great impression.

How to Make Money as a Travel Photographer

You should have a great selection of portraits in your portfolio, so go ahead and start taking them as often as you can. For post-processing, use PhotoDiva portrait editor – a great program to enhance the quality of your photos, retouch small blemishes, fix makeup, and turn a good portrait into professional shots.

On top of that, talk to local tourist boards and offer them your services. Maybe they have a tour to the nearest forest or lake that you can capture and present in the most appealing way. Or perhaps, they organize excursions to museums and galleries, where you can capture the amazing sculptures from Renaissance times. Tourist agents are always looking to update their brochures and make them more professional to attract new clients.

3. Write for Photography Websites

Have you been a photographer for a while and gained tons of experience? Would you like to share your wisdom and bring up a new generation of professionals? There are platforms that need your help! Digital Photography School is one of such online platforms with a great selection of helpful tips for both aspiring and professional photographers, courses on nature and night photography, a huge variety on field-related e-books as well as useful gear reviews.

How to Make Money as a Travel Photographer

Throughout the years of being a photographer, you have probably collected many "how-tos", reviews and lifehacks on how to make your life easier as a photographer. Maybe you are a know-it-all in the field of lighting, or maybe you are an expert in portraiture, or perhaps in underwater photography. Either way, put your wisdom in a roughly 650-word post and get your work published on one of the most popular photography related websites.

4. Pursue Blogging

Nowadays, everyone can be a blogger. However, if you actually have extensive knowledge of something and can cover a unique niche, you will find your audience.

One of the most popular blogging platforms is YouTube. The best thing about YouTube is that if you cover a certain topic consistently and professionally, you will eventually build a successful videoblog. Do not try to please everyone, just do what you like to do and what you are good at, and magic will happen.

How to Make Money as a Travel Photographer

Shoot videos while traveling and share your experience on YouTube and Instagram. No need to be a professional photo editor, just take amazing photos and shoot interesting videos. It wouldn't hurt to be a good storyteller and have an ability to share your thoughts, jokes, and surprising facts about the country of the destination in a fun and entertaining way.

In fact, there are many ways to earn money while traveling and living your best life. However, if you are only starting out, consider the tips above to ensure a stable income.