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How to Become a Travel Photographer

Those who have had to travel a lot; may have noticed the wonderful scenery that abound. Hence, if you love traveling, and are a photographer or you just love capturing pictures, then this might just be an indicator that you can make a living by becoming a travel photographer. Travel photography is a niche of photography that involves traveling and documenting in pictures landscapes, people, places, customs and cultures et al.

Travel photography is one aspect of photography business that is less competitive because photographers find it difficult to cope with the stress involved in shooting pictures under a condition where they may not be in control of the lighting or even the ambience. The fact that travel photographers sometimes spend hours or even weeks to capture just a shot, is part of what some photographer don’t want to be subjected to.

It is no doubt that becoming a successful travel photographer might be a difficult task, but that does not rule out the fact that it is indeed a money-making venture to go into. There are loads of clients that are willing to pay for the pictures of interesting places or events that can be covered. Aside from the income that you stand to generate from this as a travel photographer, you will also be exposed to different cultures and people all over the globe.

Now let us quickly consider 7 surefire tips that will help you become a travel photographer;

Becoming a Travel Photographer – A Beginner’s Guide

1. Research on Travel Photography

If you are not sure whether becoming a travel photographer is the right career path to follow or not, then spending time to research about it is your best option. When you research about a subject, you build a broader knowledge and you will be able to make informed decisions.

When you research on travel photography or study the career life of any travel photographer, you will be able to know if it is indeed a lifestyle or career path that will suit the life you want to live. The truth is that travel photographers are subjected to the good, the bad and the ugly in the process of covering people and places in different parts of the world. Here’s a sample photography business plan template you can use for FREE.

2. Acquire the Required Skill

Even though you know how to take good shots, it is still very important to learn all that you need to learn if you want to become a travel photographer. Sure, you will be required to master the art of taking unique pictures of people and places and also in most cases you will be required to learn foreign languages if you truly want to become a successful travel photographer.

Although, you have the options of working with an interpreter, but it is more advantageous when you can communicate in the language of the people you are to relate with. Here’s a guide on how to become a professional photographer.

3. Join any Relevant Association or Team of Travel Photographer

If you go online to search for relevant association or team of travel photographers in your country or city, I am sure you will come across a good number. So, part of what you need to do if you want to become a travel photographer who truly wants to succeed in the profession, is that you need to join any available relevant travel photography association in your country or even a team of travel photographers who from time to time travel to places in groups to cover people, events and places.

4. Get the Necessary Traveling Document and Photography Kit

The fact that you are a travel photographer means that you are required to travel within your country and outside your country. So, what is expected of you to do is to ensure that you apply and obtain valid travel documents that will give you access to the countries and places you intend traveling to. You are also required to buy a complete photography kit.

5. Start Covering Tourist Sites in Your Country

The only way to learn how to swim is to jump into the swimming pool and start practicing; you can not learn how to swim outside the swimming pool. So, if you want to become a travel photographer, then you should start taking pictures of places, people, and events. You can start with tourist sites in your country. They say practice makes perfect and this just a typical example of it. You can only perfect your photography skills when you taking pictures.

6. Source for Clients to Sell Your Pictures / Collections to

Once you are able to gather good collections of pictures that can be used for post cards, artworks and designs ,et al, then your next step should be to source for clients to sell the pictures to. This is why we created a sample photography marketing plan template for you.

Being a travel photographer is not just for the fun alone, but for profit making. You can only make profits when you sell your collections to clients. You can market your collections to travel magazines, documentary companies, historians and other people that you know would need your picture collections.

7. Leverage on Any Opportunity to Exhibit Your Collections

One of the ways traveling photographer make money is by attending exhibitions to exhibit their collections. The truth is that some of your biggest clients as a travel photographer are those you will meet in exhibitions. So, ensure that you look out for any related expo around you to exhibit your picture collections. Although, you will meet other travel photographer during exhibitions, what you should do is to make sure you learn from them; there are a lot to learn from people around you and you must be humble enough to learn if you truly want to go far in your career.

Becoming a travel photographer is sure filled with adventures and excitement, but that does not rule out the fact that it is quite demanding and in most cases it will take you away from your family and friends for the better part of your career and you must brace up for that.