I Want To Be A Travel Photographer

[Imagebuffet]

I would like to spend my days traveling around the country and the world photographing locations. I would like to hear suggestions for how I might make this work.

[AndrewCCM]

Me 2.

Actually, I think I'd like to be a PGA Tour photographer. Travel year round to the nicest resorts in the nicest times of the year... Ah.. I would so love that.

[photosteve]

Win the lotto

[nastytrucker]

I want to photograph NHRA drag racing, any ideas on how I could accomplish this? Oh and I want to be paid to do it too.

[PhotoByLeal]

Originally Posted by AndrewCCM

Me 2.

Actually, I think I'd like to be a PGA Tour photographer. Travel year round to the nicest resorts in the nicest times of the year... Ah.. I would so love that.

Me 3!
I guess I am going to have to Pimp myself out with camera equipment!
Like the show, Pimp My Ride.... I can see it now,
I will be standing on a corner with a sign that says I will work to take Photos!

later,
angel m. leal jr.

[toverman]

Sell everything you own, book a bunch of trips and don't forget your camera equipment (hopefully you didn't sell that).

Seriously, one way to break in (I've seen it happen) is to go somewhere so bizarre and unheard of, mingle with the locals for about a month and submit an article and photos to as many travel mags as you can think of. You might have to do it on spec at first, but if your work stands out there's a chance you'll be dispatched somewhere else. Bad thing is it's not going to be Cancun, it's going to be stepping through penguin dung on a lonely outpost near Antarctica.

[amathews99]

Originally Posted by AndrewCCM

Me 2.

Actually, I think I'd like to be a PGA Tour photographer. Travel year round to the nicest resorts in the nicest times of the year... Ah.. I would so love that.

I think my husband would like for me to be a PGA tour photographer! I'd do all the work and he'd get to enjoy the tournaments! :)

[David_3]

Yeah well, traveling for a living is overrated. It's only fun for the first 15 or 20 years. After that, it gets a little old.

[Imagebuffet]

Originally Posted by toverman

Sell everything you own, book a bunch of trips and don't forget your camera equipment (hopefully you didn't sell that).

Well, that's enough to cover lunch.

Originally Posted by toverman

Seriously, one way to break in (I've seen it happen) is to go somewhere so bizarre and unheard of, mingle with the locals for about a month and submit an article and photos to as many travel mags as you can think of. You might have to do it on spec at first, but if your work stands out there's a chance you'll be dispatched somewhere else. Bad thing is it's not going to be Cancun, it's going to be stepping through penguin dung on a lonely outpost near Antarctica.

I don't mind that. I'm ready to travel anywhere.

[cooltouch]

As a person who freelanced for several years, and never made enough off of it to call a living, all I can say is it takes a lot of tenacity, willingness to go the extra mile, and an almost innate ability to be different from the crowd of bazillions of others who want to do what you do, but who are willing to work for less -- or even free. It's a tough row to hoe, and while it may end up being rewarding someday, you can count on one thing for sure: paying your dues (as we call it in the music biz, but it's applicable to photography as well) for quite a while where you'll make little or nothing at it.

IOW, don't quit your day job.

If you have writing skills, this can be a big plus, cuz then you can submit articles along with photos to the travel mags. But even then, you'll be doing it all on spec (out of pocket, that is), hoping that if your work is accepted for publication, it'll at least cover your expenses. And then, after all that, hopefully you won't sit and wait for that check in the mail that never comes. DAMHIK.

Best,

Michael

[Imagebuffet]

Originally Posted by cooltouch

As a person who freelanced for several years, and never made enough off of it to call a living, all I can say is it takes a lot of tenacity, willingness to go the extra mile, and an almost innate ability to be different from the crowd of bazillions of others who want to do what you do, but who are willing to work for less -- or even free. It's a tough row to hoe, and while it may end up being rewarding someday, you can count on one thing for sure: paying your dues (as we call it in the music biz, but it's applicable to photography as well) for quite a while where you'll make little or nothing at it.

IOW, don't quit your day job.

If you have writing skills, this can be a big plus, cuz then you can submit articles along with photos to the travel mags. But even then, you'll be doing it all on spec (out of pocket, that is), hoping that if your work is accepted for publication, it'll at least cover your expenses. And then, after all that, hopefully you won't sit and wait for that check in the mail that never comes. DAMHIK.

Best,

Michael

Thanks for the insight. I understand that is the nature of all varieties of photography.

If I could photograph beautiful, nude women every day for a living, I would. But, I'm more of a travel photographer, and that's how I want to equip myself. A studio would be nice, but not really where my main interests are.

[Tom]

You and everyone else wants to be a travel photographer. The best way to do it is finance it yourself and be a pest. But you will likely never make money at it.

[Dobick]

A friend of mine lives in a fifth wheel trailer. He hits up the bed and breakfast spots in the town that he is in. He sells his ability to take amazing photos of thier rooms, so that they can use them on their websites and brochures. He's got a decent business model going, and makes a decent living from that, and covers the cost of his travel. He is also a photo instructor on the semester at sea cruise program for four months of the year.

That's one way to travel for a living...

What's your plan?

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Like they said!

You will need to build your portfolio up!!

Go to out of the way places, can even be here in the lower 48, and do human interest stories and of course shoot all styles of photography while you are at the remote location. ie, PJ, human interest, landscape, etc (you never know if you will be there again and you have different magazines to submit too with each style-that is until you get established as a specific type of photographer. Nice thing with digital is that you won't be burning through hundreds of $$ of film and development costs.)

Also get the BEST equipment that you can afford, no editor wants to see something shot from an old digital camera (like 10 year old canons/nikons) that has a small file size.

So start out by shooting your own town/area, and then try to market it to overseas magazines. TEXAS does have a cache about it all over the world. BTW DALLAS the TV show is still in syndication all over the world and you would be suprised how many people love the show and the characters-just look at the fiasco that happened at South Fork a couple months back where people flew in from all over the planet to rub shoulders with the cast.

[Teddington]

The best way to be a travel photographer/writer is to first be a traveler. It's a tough way to make a living but great if you end up one of the few successes. Seriously, start where you live, work where you're going anyway and look for the different angle. There is training and online newsletters available but I suspect training other people to be a travel photographer is the best way to make real money.