How to Get Paid to Travel and Take Photos and Much More

 

If your dream is to get paid to travel and take photos of beautiful landscapes, then you are in luck. There have never been so many opportunities to learn photography techniques from experts all over the world.  It’s important to do research before becoming a travel photographer. Keep reading to learn how to get paid to travel and take photos in this travel photography guide.

Travel. Photograph. Make Money

Can you make a living by selling photographs of beautiful places? The answer is yes. The stock photography industry is expected to be worth over $4 billion by the end of 2023. If it has been your dream to pack your camera in your bag and set off on an adventure of a lifetime, taking photos along your journey, there has never been a better time.

How can you get paid to travel and take photos? How can you learn to be a professional photographer? Why not follow our article to find out the answers to these questions.

1. What Kind of Photos?

 

There is a universe of things to photograph. If you do not determine what your passion is early on, you may find yourself spreading yourself too thin. This could result in becoming reasonably good at shooting many things. However, you may not master the art of photography in one particular genre.

What is your ultimate goal? Or simply stock photo sites? Or perhaps you would like to open your own gallery?

Set your goals early on and stick with them until you become a master.

2. Learn From the Experts

If you want to learn to become a professional photographer where do you start? Hardware? Camera Theory? Photo editing? Photography is a complex skill and it can be difficult to know where to start. For this reason, it can be beneficial to enroll in a photography course. Depending on the length of the course, you can learn the basics of photography and editing within a reasonably short period of time. The advantage is that your teacher will be an expert in their field. Teaching yourself is possible. But this will save you time and give you valuable insights into the first from a professional.

3. Specialize

Photography is an art form. This means that every photographer has their own form of expression and preference regarding technique. If you are looking to build up a portfolio that you can sell, it will pay to define your own personal artistic signature early on. This will include subject matter. Perhaps you want to focus on nature, landscapes, and animals. Or you want to master long-exposure sky and city shots. In any case, it will take time and effort. Pick your avenue early on and learn to be a professional in that field.

4. Take Photographs All the Time

Practice, practice, and practice some more. Having your camera with you constantly and taking every opportunity to take photos is the only way to seriously improve your skills. As you take photos, you will learn not only how to take better photos, but you will also identify what you do not like. Of course, taking lots of photos means that you will have a lot of images on your memory card. However, as you take the time to find duplicate photos and discard those that don’t meet your standard, you will see your progress.

5. Follow the Experts

Who is your favorite photographer? Why? Often a person looking at photographs may not be able to identify exactly why an image evokes a particular emotion. However, as a photographer, it is your job to provide that emotional reaction. How can you do this? You should study the portfolios of famous photographers, such as Blake Gordon, that work in the same genre as you. As you do so you will be able to piece together the technique and conditions that they used to create an evocative image. Over time you will learn to mimic their styles. Who knows, maybe one day someone will look to mimic your individual signature technique.

6. Choose Your Destinations

If you want to be a travel photographer, you need to start planning your shooting locations as you learn your trade. You can no doubt think of some spectacular locations around the world that you identify as great photo opportunities. However, if you are just starting out and are spending your budget on gear, this may not be realistic. If this is true, look for locations that are closer to home before you start renting a car in Iceland to photograph the beautiful town of Reykjavik.

The capital city of your country will definitely have some locations to start shooting. New York, London, and Paris remain on the list of most popular cities in the world. Simply set your imagination free and start planning your first destinations.

7. Sell Your Prints

After you have built up some experience as a photographer its time to start cashing in on your hard work. Who will buy your photographs?

Your Own Website

Building a personal portfolio website has never been easier. You can learn to construct the site yourself using WordPress or a similar service. Hosting is cheap, especially during the first year. After this, you can literally set up your site according to your own preference. As your portfolio grows you can further develop it. You can also link to it from your social media accounts. This is the portfolio that you can send to potential buyers.

Stock Image Sellers

If you have made significant progress, you may be able to start selling to stock photo sites like iStock, Shutterstock, and Adobe Stock. They have high standards, however, they will pay you for your photos. There is a possibility of organic growth. You will receive cash as your photos are purchased over time. This means that you may receive more than just a single purchase payment.

Travel Guides

This is the ultimate goal for most travel photographers. Not only is it one of the highest paying jobs in travel photography, but it is also a statement of success. Being able to boast that your images are used in wanderlust or National Geographic is an accolade that every photographer would like to put on their portfolio.

Travel Blog Sites

There are many sites that will pay for individuals to tell about their travel experiences and adventure. If you can accompany these stories with high-quality images, you can earn significant money. Simple search the web for travel sites that are looking for stories or check out freelancing sites like Upwork to find potential employers.

Marketing Agencies

The bottom line is that beautiful pictures sell. If you are fortunate to be in a location where you can take pictures of breathtaking landscapes or vibrant cities, you can cash in on it. Marketing companies may hire you to take images of their products in these locations.

 

I hope that you have enjoyed this article and it has proven to be of some help to you. Tune in next time for another great article from Tricia’s-List!