Becoming a professional travel photographer. Valid career option?

[synn]

Ok, so has anyone seen this website?

http://www.stuckincustoms.com/

If you're too lazy or unsure about clicking the link, maybe this'd change your mind:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2445/3799557655_9145560409.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/3799557655/sizes/m/)


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2511/3783448039_feb9077938.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/3783448039/sizes/m/)

Seeing the pictures that he has clicked over the years made me realize that sitting in an air conditioned room and earning a steady paycheck while doing something that's well within one's comfort zone (Yes, even in the creative industry that I work in) is one of the worst ways to waste this precious gift called life.

...and that got me thinking.

Why not become a professional travel photographer? Professional as in go on expeditions for the sole purpose of taking pictures that you intend to sell, get published and generally use to promote yourself. Not the usual go somewhere on a weekend, take 300 pics, upload 10 and post them in the forum of your choice (No offense meant towards and fora; especially the PIN).

Yes, take pictures from around the world that makes you happy AND help you pay the bills. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but just as soon as I am free of commitments (monetary and otherwise) and have enough saved up to fund the initial phase where no one that counts could give a flying duck about what you've clicked or where. Now how hard can this be?

No seriously, that's not rhetoric. How hard can this actually be? What are the steps one needs to take towards achieving this goal? Anyone got any ideas? Personal experience or weblinks are welcome. Let's build a discussion on this topic, shall we?





...coz I sure as hell know that way down the line, when my grandkid wonders what grandpa did for a living, I don't wanna answer "Clicked a mouse for 8 hours everyday".

[KrishnenduKes]

Discussion Approved

Start taking pictures, build a network, start having exhibitions, work up your network further and start selling. It is VERY tough initially. But you will get by. Provided you are willing to take the risks.

Ps; You click your mouse just 8hours a day!

[synn]

Ps; You click your mouse just 8hours a day!

Officially, yes. :p

Could you elaborate a bit further on the exhibitions part? I literally have no clue how to hold one!

Also, I've seen that pro travel photographers are represented by firms such as Getty images. How do they achieve this? Do they present their portfolio and request their services or do they get asked by the companies as they get famous?

[KrishnenduKes]

Even I do not know much. Holding an exhibition would be like getting a very visible space and putting up your photographs to showcase your work. Then from your networking, invite the who's who of art and photography to attend your show. This will add in building your portfolio.

As for Getty or places like Magnum, yes you have to send your portfolio and wait. Go to the Magnum site and they will tell you how to send your portfolio. Magnum is arguably one of the most prestigious agencies to be with.

[KrishnenduKes]

Go to Magnumphotos.com look for about Magnum wherein you will find submissions and they tell you the format and other details about submitting your portfolio. You can have a look at the photographers' section to see the list of the photographers who work for them.

[Bibudesh]

.... and have enough saved up to fund the initial phase where no one that counts could give a flying duck about what you've clicked or where. Now how hard can this be?

No seriously, that's not rhetoric. How hard can this actually be? What are the steps one needs to take towards achieving this goal? Anyone got any ideas? Personal experience or weblinks are welcome. Let's build a discussion on this topic, shall we?

...coz I sure as hell know that way down the line, when my grandkid wonders what grandpa did for a living, I don't wanna answer "Clicked a mouse for 8 hours everyday".

@Synn- I am cruising the same boat as yours. Every minutes of the day I keep on thinking the same thing. How to be a pro travelling/automobile photographer.
As the saving part is concerned, I have been hearing the same thing from everyone who r good at giving advices. They say save up so that u can survive for a year without any paycheck.
Well honestly I dont know if that time will come anyday before my retirement ! .. You grow your responsibilities grows.
I feel u'll succeed only when u are in trouble then u'll give your best.

I am getting inspirations from Sunny after he organised his exhibition. A strong network is really important otherwise who will come to see your photos?

Sitting in an AC office and making a comfortable living and smart money is actually stopping us back. I dont know where to give it a start.

Discussion Approved

Start taking pictures, build a network, start having exhibitions, work up your network further and start selling. It is VERY tough initially. But you will get by. Provided you are willing to take the risks.

Ps; You click your mouse just 8hours a day!

I really need to understand about building networks. Bcoz I believe the network has to be built among non-photographers. How approach the art-admirers and show them our work?

[synn]

Go to Magnumphotos.com look for about Magnum wherein you will find submissions and they tell you the format and other details about submitting your portfolio. You can have a look at the photographers' section to see the list of the photographers who work for them.

Thanks a Ton! Currently doing this and I AM BREATHLESS!

I really need to understand about building networks. Bcoz I believe the network has to be built among non-photographers. How approach the art-admirers and show them our work?

I have this exact same question as well. For a born introvert like me, this looks like a very difficult task!

[rio008]

@Synn- I am cruising the same boat as yours. Every minutes of the day I keep on thinking the same thing. How to be a pro travelling/automobile photographer.
As the saving part is concerned, I have been hearing the same thing from everyone who r good at giving advices. They say save up so that u can survive for a year without any paycheck.
Well honestly I dont know if that time will come anyday before my retirement ! .. You grow your responsibilities grows.
I feel u'll succeed only when u are in trouble then u'll give your best.


include me with you guys. even me use to think about it, why we waste our life in this beautiful world sitting in a chair doing the same things everyday.
But the problem is as you mentioned how we will survive without any paycheck. :D

[v_310]

One more here... am getting so frustrated with the regular work that I have no time to even click and post here...! Sure as hell feel the same about a career in photography!

One more question - most of the big news agencies (AFP i think?) have photos getting contibuted from many people throughout the world - is there a way we can part time?

Edit: Clicked on the link. If you like HDR, DO NOT miss the pics on that site! :)

[shutterbug]

Sandeep, travel photography is a life/career I fantasize about everyday! But somehow I am yet to summon the confidence/courage to do so! A thread like this which actually discusses how to go about it(roughly) would help a lot!

[anvancy-(macro analyst)]

what obstacles we will face if WE hold our OWN TPIN exhibition?OFFLINE.

i mean why cant WE a select few showcase our stuff??

anvancy

[synn]

That's an excellent idea.

Members can send in digital submissions and the money required to print/ exhibit etc. and one reliable member (I'm looking at you, Ken :p ) takes up the responsibility to host the event.

[hitanshu]

Dudes,

Get a reality check. The reason everyone does a regular job is because its the safer easier way out. There's gazillions of good guys out there and it isnt easy at all.

Yeah, either you don't fancy owning a fast car/house etc or you are THAT talented or have resources to rough it out - its not gonna happen.

More like, first learn to invest - then with financial freedom, pursue other goals. Plain enthusiasm is wildfire. Burns rather than warms the hearth.

My realist tuppence.

[synn]

My questions are well within the reality check, Tau. I'm prepared to take that plunge sometime in the future (Pretty sure I have mentioned clearly that this is not something I'm gonna do overnight). Just want to know HOW.

[hitanshu]

Bhai,

Apologies if the prev post sounded a bit harsh.

My peev was with this:
Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but just as soon as I am free of commitments (monetary and otherwise) and have enough saved up to fund the initial phase

Plan that - you can always operationalize the photography part comparatively easily. The above sentence is well nigh, easier said than done.

But yeah, I'd be excited to see you turn pro :)

[anvancy-(macro analyst)]

That's an excellent idea.

Members can send in digital submissions and the money required to print/ exhibit etc. and one reliable member (I'm looking at you, Ken :p ) takes up the responsibility to host the event.


agreed.

may be not one member but overall co-operation from all of us.
how young is this forum??we will complete one year in december right?
what better way than to publicise and expand our PIN horizon by organising an exhibition showcasing various talents from our amateurs and pros.(i though come in the first category)

money,prints,galleries,judging etc are part 2.part 1 should be whether this forum is interested in showcasing?we have added advantage since few are active here.that makes things easy.

granted we have busy schedules.but then dont brag that i cant improve photography.its either way.

KEN: time for you to think.

anvancy

[arijit]

same confusion here. though my environment is quite different but the problem is same. i cant put myself in the category of everyone here in the discussion as their work and experience is far superior than mine, i am a baby in this field. still the babies dream to become someday...i dream of a travel/fashion photographer!
many times i think to merge myself in this field than engineering i am pursuing. if i rate my engineering skills 3/10, i am confident to give myself 4.5/10 in photography and graphic design. if i am to improve as engineer, why dont i try improving as a photographer?
as i read in the discussions many are settled in life and planning to switch while i have to start. i face social limitations when i discuss about it with anyone. they might be right but i have a different perspective. i am unsure whether to rebel or submit. the choice is tough.
from the study i observed, that you need luck and social skills along with talent in any freelance work, let it be photography here. the risk we take can land us up in extremes...and one end is harsh!!!

may be i am going vague now, i come to the point. with the limited equipment, exposure and skills at present i have decided to give it a try. most of the free time i am trying to learn(i spl thank the PIN) and browse for some tips and pro works along with some graphic designing. i am working for 2 NGO's for designing posters. the work gets published sometimes...giving a boost. all this is side by side the regular graduation. i would do it till either i am tired of doing it or optimistically i am confident to switch over. it may take time...even 10 more years but somehow i believe i will have to strike a balance between my social limits and my dream. :)
will try to get a dslr asap and trying to get some more assignments from where ever possible.

a poster and logo i designed for a blood camp "just 300 ml"...just the poster, the orientation of the sponsors was planned by the printer!
http://images.orkut.com/orkut/photos/OgAAABtNHp7y6TVFYX2QrRqDh3WO5YjA0Dch7AbFo7iUbkg0Db du1IeTdfL_yVg1UA2i8uUEvF74n8ZlBtiv2vFY4iAAm1T1UApd GutcjP6PNEqtRV8rcNJ0nTjZ.jpg

a sample poster for submission to a client. made it in less than an hour coz of limitation of time.
http://images.orkut.com/orkut/photos/OgAAAHIwRFz2VCmieTSVR4jvT_1EaDGMKMiP3pHwm_N2fDRVME pBB6hNbKX8wOx1PdRC9DmSrnPKCLMNBd2uvAiolZQAm1T1UPpf mA5Q8Rw51quJFMX7oBxGcFkk.jpg

another sample
http://images.orkut.com/orkut/photos/OgAAABKEJakULW13XkRPonXIHTkbcaiLHFl1YsN7UGqs1yfiXI 9egnfpaza83hxyIXLIVKcCCyVZY31PDIuIsmQHWIgAm1T1UNwF _btXVg9wjw2qpbFfhVsU8Ttk.jpg

when i will be confident to have a bag full enough to exhibit, i will be applying my engineering to design a complete exhibition website for my work...
"long way to go but start is one single step"...as written below almost all diary pages...
i add "after the first step its your endurance" heheh :)

[powerslave]

I don't know what countries they work with but alamy.com is one of the better places to sell your images at.

I was toying with the idea quite a bit but gave up when I realized the amount of work required is equal to a full time job.

[Sunny]

@Sandeep: So you realize what you have been missing all these days. Viewing a website and getting inspired is one thing and going out there and doing it is altogether a different ball game. I know plenty people who have been photographing for umpteen years and yet they cant click anything worthwhile considering their experience. I also know people who have clicked stunning images in the very first few times they have been given a SLR camera.

It is something like many of the young boys feel after seeing Arnold Schwarznegger, "I want to be like him, I will do 4 hours of exercise daily.". First three days of getting up early and its over.

Questions:

1. Are you ready to give up your snug career and salary (i am not sayings its not hard work).

2. Are you an inherent risk taker in life?

3. Can you be in the same job, doing the same thing for more than 6 months without getting mad(if yes then traveling is not for you!).

4. Ask yourself Question 1 again.

5. Can you click good pictures. How do you intend to take the level of pictures one level up everytime you click or go out.

6. Can you network very well? Can you get your photos printed in newspapers, publications. get them to be hung in important people's offices?


Dont be under the impression that travel photography is easy job. You will be competing against many of upcoming and established photographers. If you are Flickr you hmight be having a faint idea of what you are up against.

Who will finance your travels? You have to build up a portfolio of excellent images first and then think of getting any worthwhile assignments or you will be only clicking for the local newspaper at best.

Also 9 out of 10 people cannot earn enough out of just photography. You have to be really really good and well known to earn in respectable figures.

Take Raghu Rai for example, he is just reaping the benefits of the name that he made long time back. There are hundreds of photographers who are better than him today. Old Fox's friend (Malkiat Singh) is one of them. You should see his book on Sikhism, it will blow your mind, and Raghu Rai doesnt hold a candle to him. But where is he today? Hardly any people know that guy compared to Raghu Rai.

You should also be honest to yourself. Do you click good enough? Does it come naturally to you or you have try hard to compose etc. Clicking a few noteworthy pictures wont take you anywhere. Like I said there are many people I know who are in the false perception that they can click good photos. They have the best equipments, have years of experience, they know technical stuff about cameras, BUt they cant click! Surprising isnt it?

Not quiet, you can know each and every camera in the market, you can know which is the sharpest aperture value for a lens, but what good is it if you cannot compose, capture moments ?

You have to know when to stop, you have to know if you are quality material as far as photography is concerned.

I know graphic designers who know a software inside out but cannot create a decent design using creativity. It is a sad fact tat many people chose to ignore in their lives because they are so 'into' their dreams of becoming a great photographer or a designer some day.

I realized I cannot go into 3D animation because i wasnt patient enough. This was in 2005 when I left my very prestigious job in Crest Communications, Mumbai. It was after that I started working on xBhp, the roadtrips etc.

Today I consider myself at 5% of what I have to be. Two months down the line when I look at my photos that I clicked, I detest them because I am evolving. To tell you the truth I have clicked very few pictures which I am happy with when I see them some months down the line.

Then there is the age limit although there are exceptions. You have to know when to start. If you gotta be a maestro you need to start early? Why?

Malcolm Gladwell did research in his book 'Outliers'. This book traces the reasons why some people are so good in their professions. One of the main reasons is the number of hours of practice they out in their work. To become someone like Mozart, Beatles etc you have to put in 10,000 hours of practice in your field. That is a LOT of hours and most people cannot reach anywhere near level if they dont start early enough in life.

So evaluate yourself and live reality. You can do it if you set all your mind and energy into it. Just dont expect things to roll for you if you dont treat it seriously enough.

But nevertheless there are exceptions, but as far as I am concerned, these exceptions are born talented and LUCKY.

So the magic formula is:

Risk + Hard Work + Natural Talent + Luck + Networking + technical Knowledge

And this applies for any career, specially creative ones.

Hope this helps, and best of luck.