Work Abroad

These days everyone is a travel photographer it seems. But how do you make a living from it?

These days everyone is a travel photographer it seems. Cheap digital cameras that record thousands of images (no more paying for getting films developed) has meant that the average backpacker comes home armed with enough travel photos to annoy everyone on his emailing list for years afterwards.

"Yeah. Its my latest called 'Me at the Eiffel Tower'" http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcdemoura/

Travelers take photos for many reasons – some, to prove to their friends and family that, yes, that me standing by the Eiffel Tower, others will want to record the memories of places and people that changed their lives, and yet others will want to interpret what they see into an art, a paying one at that.

As a result, travel photography is an extremely crowded and competitive field, but like any other one, can be mastered with the right amount of practice, patience and know-how. It may take a long time to make a living at it but when your first cheque does come in, there are few better jobs.

Yet remember that it’s an art before it’s a business. On the road you’ll be seeing your environment through new eyes and constantly be interpreting what you see through the eyes of a lens. Your camera may well be the only window to distant worlds that most people get to see. Your eyes will be theirs.

In a word, it’s subjectivity. Anyone can press a button but with a chunk of expensive metal between you and your environment, it’s all about finding your perspective on the world.

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