Top Tips for Earning a Living as a Travel Photographer

The world of photography has evolved to a great extent over the past years. Although the rise of digital media and social media has questioned the legitimacy of photography as a career, it has also opened more doors for opportunities. If you are passionate about travel photography, you can explore ways of making it a source of income.

Getting published in books, magazines, or websites is the most common stream of income that comes to mind for travel photographers. However, there are so many other options:

Selling prints

Social media content creation

Published work in magazines

Creating image libraries for marketing

Collaboration with hotels, tourism brands, tour operators, and more

Destination weddings

Commercial campaigns

Resort and tour photography

Business branding and headshots for tourism companies

Rental property and Airbnb p[photography

To make a living as a travel photographer, street photographer, photojournalist or any other kind of photographer is not about selling your photo online. You will need to be more creative and amass several skills to stand out. Learn how to shoot videos, write, edit videos, set up a website, and promote and market your work.

You will be amazed to learn the number of people who want to learn everything about photography. You will not be teaching just about taking nice photos, but also how to edit and make a business from that. For instance, you can create an online course, write an e-book, or even host webinars about your photography skills and your journey in this field. You can sell these creations on Amazon, your website, or other platforms.

As a travel photographer, you get to experience the best of the two worlds. You travel and at the same time take really nice photos. Adding a travel blog to the equation can bolster your earning potential. People can read about your travel, see your photography journey, and become a part of your small community.

A blog offers a perfect place to start writing about your passion and share it with the world. It can also expand your opportunity for making more money, such as gaining the attention of clients looking for photographers or brands approaching you to write for them.

Many travel photographers still make money by selling their work online. Several websites allow you to upload your photos and earn royalties from their sale. Some will even take care of the printing and shipping of the photography, and send your share of the revenue generated. Although the percentage paid to the photographer can vary greatly, websites such as Society6 and Saatchi Art are quite popular.

Although selling photography online may sound easy, it requires a lot of effort. People must know about your work or you as a photographer to buy your creativity. While the website will sell the photos for you, most of the marketing will need to be done by you. Building a fan base and directing the traffic to your photography page to make the purchase may probably be the most challenging bit when starting.

In addition to selling your travel photography, there are countless ways to make money online with your creativity. With affiliate marketing, you can sell photography products on your website, social media pages, or even a YouTube channel. Products such as eBooks, guides, prints., guided photography, or speaking can be a great income channel by setting up affiliate marketing.

Another easy way to earn money from your travel photography is to start a Patreon page. This is dedicated to people who are interested in creative work. By signing up for your Patreon, they gain access to exclusive content and updates. Although each patron will contribute as little as $1 per month, the more patrons you gain, the more income you will generate.

All these strategies listed above will work in one way or another. However, building a brand is perhaps the most important thing in earning a living from travel photography. When you build a brand, it is easier to get your name out there and make people interested in your work. People can instantly associate your photos with you and follow your work. You can do this by building a website, starting a blog, or building a community on social media.

Despite all the changes that have happened with digital media, a career as a travel photographer is still worth it. Although it is difficult to start earning money in the early stages, with the right strategy and course of action, you can create multiple streams of income from your passion. It is not just about traveling and taking nice photos, but building a business around what you love doing.