The Photography Industry has changed greatly in the past decade. Smartphones, mobile devices, and tablets have affected the photography world. Thousands of social network profiles are now filled with photos from every corner of the Earth. You may just draw from the Internet every picture you want. Due to this, it may seem there is no call for many travel photographers in their traditional form. Is it really so? Actually, your job might include taking images of destination hotels and resorts, sightseeing attractions, outdoor adventures, specific events, and customs. Thus, such images are used for advertising and print sales. Portraiture, landscape, architectural and event photography are needed disciplines for such marketing aims. Many travel photographers have now become corporate photographers. You should realize that there is a lot of competition out there in the travel photography industry. Your absolute focus as a photographer will be on taking photos. Boredom, hunger, tiredness, and time with loved ones will be sacrificed while you are on the road. As a result, you can maximize your time, and achieve the best possible snapshots.
Take your time! Before you even think about boarding a flight to Amsterdam or Singapore, consider if a career in travel photography is really a right fit for you. If you have ever wanted to travel the world with your camera and had the idea of starting a photography business, take our advice in form of 5 simple tips. Let’s get started and thrive in travel photography.
№1 Specify Your Style
Curiously enough, the richest travel photographers in the world nowadays are not necessarily the most professional photographers, but the ones who are the best at marketing themselves. The truth about travel photography nowadays is that the person that take the pictures is generally more important than the quality of the pictures produced. You should be at hard work on your own brand name. All tourism boards, restaurants, and hotel chains are always vying for big-name personalities to visit their destinations, eat their food, and stay at their hotels and are paying good money for such advertisement.
If you are a beginner photographer it is necessary to pay great attention to basic photography tips and tutorials for beginners. There will be no time for learning while taking pictures far away from your home. Before starting your traveling you should know what exact idea you want to put into life. The fact is that a stunning picture is not enough. It needs to be original. There must be hundreds of great shots of the Eiffel Tower. But what will make yours stand out?
№2 Start A Travel Blog
Starting a travel blog doesn’t have to be complicated. You can do it in under an hour with some basic knowledge. At first make your travel blog domain name relatively short, easy to type, easy to spell, memorable, and easy to share. Use the method of brainstorming – write down a bunch of words you think will best describe your future blog. Adventure? Cruise? Foreign Cuisine? Culture? Australia? Capital Cities? What do you want to write about? What is your passion? Who are you? Actually, when you first start your travel blog, no one will know you exist. A forceful way to change that is to write guest posts on other popular blogs with thousands of followers.
The next important point is about creating useful content. Your images should be organically connected with the information you provide. You can’t separate words from snapshots as they complement each other. It comes as no surprise that most popular travel photographers are writers as well. For instance, writing a diary of your trips for family and friends is easy, but other than them, no one else cares. Add budget travel tips, food recommendations, and details on what to do or where to stay and reinforce all these things with photography inspiration. Yes, you should always “follow your passion.” Otherwise, you won’t enjoy what you’re doing. What are people searching for? Try to specify what questions related to travel are being asked in online forums, Reddit, and Quora. Your aim is to advertise your snapshots by using a right traveling blog. If writing is not a piece of cake for you, use essay website for completing your blog.
№3 Plan Every Trip
As a travel photographer, you don’t always have the luxury of time. Obviously, you need to plan your trip in as much detail as possible to give you the best possible chance of capturing everything you need to. Plan carefully for the length of time you are going to be at your destination. If you’ve got a big travel dream, book a Round-the-World ticket. It will save you real money.
By learning as much as possible about the place you want to visit, you will avoid missing nice opportunities and regretting it later. If you have a digital camera, you will surely need to recharge its batteries or download and clear off memory cards. When you choose your accommodation, always keep photo opportunities in mind. It might be great to stay in the city center, where you can easily take pictures of the area. On the other hand, an inn located at the edge of the city can give you breathtaking landscape shots.
№4 Catch the Light!
Photography can be described as “drawing with light.” As a travel photographer, you should plan to rise early each morning to take advantage of the light. Then structure the rest of the day to capture that golden hour just before sunset. By structuring your day around an area’s lighting, you’ll always ensure you’re in the right place at the right time. Control the amount, intensity and duration of light required to create the picture. Be patient when it is needed. Moreover, you will also need lightning quick reflexes to capture a fleeting moment that presents itself. You need a good understanding of the technical elements of photography. Can you cope with lighting, shutter speed, and depth of field? The only way to achieve professionalism is to practice. But remember that probably you visit the particular place only one time. It is important not to miss the perfect moment. Every little detail that you can pre-plan will enable your time to be used more efficiently while you are away.
№5 Be Brave!
Generally, travel photography is a lonely and solitary occupation. Remember that you can be far away from communication and civilization. In pursuit of the perfect snapshot of wild nature somewhere far from people, you may lose your way or have some technical problems. Weather forecasters are not always 100% accurate. Are you ready for unexpected weather?
In addition, travel photography is about capturing different cultures. The reflection of every culture is connected with its people. Even if you don’t speak their language, you need to be able to move beyond any shyness and build connections with people quickly. It takes a great deal of effort to capture a shot that tells a story. Embrace different possibilities, opportunities, people, suggestions and interests. Ask questions. You don’t have to agree, but you may be surprised what you’ll learn. Nothing is impossible. If you are having trouble going somewhere or doing something, don’t give up. Don’t listen to those who say it can’t be done!
Karl Wittgenstein: I am a freelance writer currently based in London. Solving students career and university problems. Having the interest in marketing and business.
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