How to Make Money as a Travel Photographer

Being a travel photographer is a dream gig for many of us. The blend of adventure and creative freedom is hard to beat, and let’s be honest—it’s a pretty cool job.

But let's get the elephant out of the room straight off: making a full-time living from travel photography alone is challenging.

As a professional photographer and writer, I’ve worked hard over the last few years to diversify my income streams. Travel photography is just one part of what I do. I’ve taken on various commercial projects as well as creating digital products and teaching workshops, and it’s been a long road to get to where I am. In my 20's I spent 11 months travelling the world out of a backpack, learning about cultures and gaining valuable knowledge of how to navigate the up and down's of solo travel. And I didn't earn a cent, pound or any currency for that matter. That was then but if anything it's even harder now.

That said, don’t be discouraged! There are still plenty of ways to monetize your travel photography. Fast moving digital technology has made it easier than ever to travel light and still pack everything you need to document your travels and get paid for it. Here are five ways to make money as a travel photographer.

Stock Photography Sales

One of the most consistently profitable avenues for travel photographers is stock photography - with a caveat! If you’ve captured a stunning photo of a travel destination, there’s a good chance you can earn from it. In 2024 stock libraries are saturated with images of just about every conceivable subject like never before so it will take something special to make your image stand out, especially if it is of a familiar landmark or location. The caveat being that to succeed with stock now you will have to do some research of what images typically sell well in each location you plan to visit and increase your chances of selling.

There are three main types of stock agencies: premium stock sites like Getty and Alamy, microstock sites like Shutterstock and iStock and a more recent addition to the market - one click sites like Wirestock. If you’re just getting started, microstock and one click sites can be a more accessible entry point, though the royalties and payments for non-exclusive images tend to be lower. (Exclusivity means you’re selling an image through one site only, rather than multiple platforms.) I was on wirestock for several years and it's a real timesaver only having to upload my images once and they are distributed on all stock sites. Now though I only sell my photography through both Getty and Adobe.

Selling Prints

Another lucrative way to earn money as a travel photographer is by selling your images as prints. Chances are, you have some breathtaking shots of landscapes or travel destinations. How many times has someone admired your work and said, "I’d love to have that as a print"? Imagine being able to direct them straight to your online print store.

There are several options for selling photography prints, but keep in mind that if you're also selling your images through stock sites, you’ll need to ensure that the licensing agreements don’t conflict with your print sales.

Online Print Sales

Print on Demand is a feature available now on most website providers like Squarespace, Wix or Wordpress and can be set up fairly easily to allow you to automate your printing process. I make small but steady income from this but a word of advice - do some quality testing before you make your prints public. I ran into some issues with my POD chain that I would never have know about if I hadnt ordered prints for myself.

Magazines and Blogs

Yes, it's still possible to make money by selling your images directly to magazines and blogs. Many publications feature single-image spreads or full photo essays, which are often different from what you might sell as stock or prints since they’re focused on storytelling. To craft compelling photo stories you need to develop your skills as a writer. It helps to take notes or keep a journal while you’re travelling. Record details about how you captured the image, the experience of the location, and the people you photographed. Including names and specific details can also help you create richer captions that resonate with editors and readers.

Generally I prefer selling my photography through stock sites rather than pitching directly to magazines. However, when I do write an article, I often select a few images to accompany the piece and sell them as part of the package.

Books

If you are lucky enough to have spent years photographing a specific location, consider creating a photo book to sell online as well as in local tourist shops and bookstores. Even if you haven't stayed in one place for too long there is still potential to make a book that draws upon your own experiences. My own book ' The Travel Photographers Journal' is selling steadily on Amazon but it was created originally as a way to record all my own travels. After that I saw the potential in for others to do the same.

For self-publishing, you can easily create a print book directly from online sources like Blurb, Bookready or even Adobe InDesign. This allows you to maintain control over the design and distribution. If you’re aiming for a more traditional coffee table book, you’ll need to prepare a proposal and portfolio to submit to a publisher and of course a publisher will take a greater share of the profits in return for printing and marketing your book.

Working Commercially

While commercial assignments in the travel industry are rare, they’re not impossible to land. To find potential clients, think beyond the obvious—hotels, tour operators, and tourist attractions all need high-quality photography to market their services. For example, you could contact a hotel you plan to stay at and offer to do photos for them in return for staying at the hotel or for a small fee. Again, do your research here. A five star hotel is less likely to say yes to this approach but a smaller independent hotel may be more approachable. Either way if the images that are currently being used aren't amazing there's a opportunity provide your services.

Before approaching businesses, it’s crucial to have substantial professional experience and/or a strong social media following. Clients expect a polished, professional service, so you need to be an expert on set and capable of meeting their expectations. This is not something to try if you plan to roll up to your clients hotel wearing shorts and sandals.

Whether you succeed or not is not down to the camera gear or even the number of countries you visit. Travelling doesn't guarantee success and neither does travelling with a camera. It takes tenacity and imagination to stand out from the crowd of actual, and wannabe, travel photographers. And, even if you are just incredible at taking travel photos, having diversified income will allow you to continue from a place of freedom. And isn't that what travel is really about.

One final caveat to all that above which speaks a lot about the world we live in. The truth about travel photography in 2024 is that the quality of the images produced is often less important than the person that shot the images. Given the choice between two photographers, many clients will choose the one who appears most interesting so think about how you represent yourself, online and in person.

Until next time.