February 12, 2024 • 19 mins
In this episode of the Travel and Adventure Photography School Podcast, discover how to turn your travel photography into a profitable venture. Host Robert Massey shares seven practical strategies for monetizing your travel photos, from selling prints to landing corporate contracts.
Tune in for insider tips and actionable advice to take your photography business to new heights. Subscribe now and start earning from your travels!
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Website: robertmasseyphotography.ca
Instagram: @robertmasseyphotography
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
How's it going everybody welcomeback to the Travel and Adventure
Photography School podcast,where we explore the world of
adventure and travel photographyto help you elevate the work you
create in the great outdoors.
As always I'm your host, RobertMassey.
And in today's episode, we'rediving into the exciting topic
of monetizing your travelphotography.
Many of us dream of turning ourpassion for photography into a
(00:24):
sustainable source of income,whether you're a seasoned
professional, looking to expandyour revenue streams, or just a
budding enthusiastic, eager toexplore those possibilities.
This is the episode for you.
So we are going to be exploringthe ways you can make money
while you are on the road.
Or from work you've alreadyproduced while traveling and to
try and get jobs that will allowyou to go to destinations that
(00:45):
you've always wanted to visit.
All right.
Let's get right into this.
Our first stop on the journey tomonetizing your travel
photography is an oldie, but aclassic and still good today.
Stock photography platforms.
These platforms likeShutterstock, Adobe stock and
Getty images, offer a convenientway to sell your images to
global audiences.
(01:06):
To get started.
Simply create an account, uploadyour best travel photos and add
relevant keywords to make themdiscoverable.
That sounds a lot simpler thanit actually is.
That's because the key tosuccess in stock photography is
quantity and diversity.
You need to aim to build adiverse portfolio, covering
various themes, destinations,locations, places, people,
(01:26):
everything to attract a widerange of buyers.
Because buyers, aren't going totypically be coming back to you
over and over again, to buy thesame work from you.
They're just looking for thebest image to represent what
they're looking for.
Now stock photography is gettingmore difficult to make money
from.
With AI image generators, morefree options, and just that
over-saturation of the market ofpeople doing this, it's a lot
(01:48):
more difficult, but it honestlystill is possible.
But to be very clear, it's notas simple as just pulling old
images off your hard drive anduploading them unless they are.
World shattering.
That may be a good way to make atiny bit of extra money, like an
extra coffee or two a month.
But with some learnings andunderstandings of what people
need from their stock travelphotography, you can make income
(02:10):
from this.
To do that.
You're going to have to learn alot about what people are
looking for right now from theirstock photography in the travel
world, what they need more ofand what isn't already being
oversaturated.
A great example from Banff isit's really easy to find a
really nice stock photo ofMoraine Lake.
You adding another one?
It's probably not going to standout to people.
(02:31):
It's not something that peoplereally need right now, unless
that is super unique.
You need to go find those nichesand those places for what people
are really looking for and whatisn't already oversaturated in
the stock photography market.
Now.
To really get to a point whereyou could be making a few
hundred dollars a month.
You'll need about 6,000 highquality images uploaded to your
chosen stock platforms likeAdobe stock, Getty images.
(02:55):
I stock Shutterstock, et cetera.
And that's just according tosome estimates on the market.
Now go check out one of thosestock photography agencies.
They can give you a lot moreinformation on how to get going
and what they're looking forright now.
All right on to number two.
Another oldie, but a goodieselling prints of your travel
photography.
Whether that's through an onlinemarketplace like Etsy, print on
(03:16):
demand services, your own onlinestore, selling prints can be a
lucrative avenue for showcasingyour work and connecting with
art enthusiasts.
Now when selling printspresentation is key.
You want to invest in highquality printing materials and
offer a variety of print sizeand finishes to cater to
different preferences.
And to the audience that you aretargeting.
Additionally, don't forget topromote your prints through
(03:38):
social media, your website,local art fairs, to reach a
wider audience than just peoplewho might stumble across your
website or stumble across it onEtsy.
One of the best ways to sellprints is through your own
website.
That's because you control thatplatform.
You control how those images areshown and you control everything
about how people get that print.
(04:00):
So look for a website thatallows customers to see your
images in their best format,whatever way you think that
looks like.
And it gives them options forordering different kinds of
prints or reaching out to you ifthey're looking for something
really specific.
Some websites also allow peopleto see what a print would look
like above standard householditems like couches and tables,
which helps them envisiondifferent sizes and might
(04:20):
actually convince them that thateight by 10, they were thinking
would look really big up abovetheir couch.
Is going to look super tiny andthey actually want.
The 36 by 24, because that'sgoing to look better in their
space.
People don't tend to understandsizing the same way that we do,
who are really involved inphotography and printing and
thinking about those aspectratios and dimensions all the
(04:42):
time.
And so making it really easy forpeople to see.
What those sizes actually mean,means that you are more likely
to sell a print and you'rehonestly more likely to sell the
bigger print.
Now there's also some otherplatforms that allow people to
upload their own images of theirliving rooms, their kitchen,
wherever they want to put thisprint and superimpose your print
above the spot where they arethinking of placing that
(05:04):
artwork.
And that can be huge becauseagain, people can actually see
your artwork in the space withthe color of their walls, the
color of their cabinets, allthose kinds of pieces.
And it's those little toucheslike this that can honestly help
you sell way more artwork,especially when you are getting
into that high end art worldwhere you're selling prints for
a thousand,$2,000,$3,000dollars.
(05:26):
Now for selling prints, thereare a variety of monetization
styles that you could look into,including entering the luxury
art world, where you makelimited copies of your print.
Even 10 20, I've seen somephotographers go as high as 250
These are typically pricedhigher because you're limiting
that print run.
And once that print one is done,you are making basically a legal
obligation to not sell thatprint anymore.
(05:47):
And you need to offer thesekinds of prints on more luxury
services like archival andtextured papers, mounting them
in really high-end frames andusing things like glare free
glass.
Now, all of these are expensiveupgrades that separate your
artwork from others.
And they're pieces that show.
That you want that artwork tonot just become something they
(06:07):
have up in their home for, youknow, a year or two years, like
a poster.
You want them to hand it down totheir kids and their grandkids.
And this becomes an heirloompiece that people want to have
up on their walls forgenerations.
Now you could also actually gowith the mass selling route,
which is the total opposite ofwhat we were just talking about
and sell as many prints atvolume as you can of a single
(06:29):
image, don't put a limit on it,just sell it as many times as
you possibly can.
Now you want to keep your costslow here.
And for example, use things likelower quality papers, frames,
and printing methods, becauseyou are wanting to turn over
those prints really quickly.
Keep your margin a lot smaller.
So you're not aiming to coveroff like a thousand dollars in
one print.
(06:49):
You're aiming to sell a printfor.
$50,$60, something like that,where your margin is a lot
lower.
But you're wanting to turn themover really quickly.
And finally, you could also dodrop shipping prints.
This is actually where you don'thave a website that people buy
your work through.
This isn't my favorite, but itdoes actually reduce your costs
a little bit.
It doesn't mean you have tomanage a website or sales or
(07:10):
customers, or if there'sanything wrong with the prints
or anything like that.
But it takes control of yourartwork out of your hands.
So, you don't host your ownartwork, but you send it off to
a service like Red Bubble andthey take care of hosting it.
They take care of selling it,they ship it, they print it.
They do everything.
All you do is you provide thatartwork file and they deal with
everything else.
And to do that, they typicallytake a percentage of your
(07:34):
earnings to do so.
It's super variable depending onthe website.
I've seen that number go as highas 25 to 30% from some of those
places, but that could be wellworth it.
If it means that you don't haveto do any other work whatsoever.
Selling prints is becomingincreasingly popular as well.
I'm seeing a lot ofphotographers popping up at
farmer's markets and craftfairs.
And.
(07:54):
Just honestly having galleriespop up around town and a few
other places.
But that shouldn't scare you offfrom doing this because a few
standout prints targeted at theright audience can become
massive sales.
For example, there's a localBanff photographer here who has
started focusing on nighttimephotography of popular
locations.
So he is bringing people a printof a location they've likely
(08:14):
fell in love with while they'rehere at a time of day, where
they likely would never actuallysee it.
We're talking like 3:00 AM withthe Milky way.
And that mesmerizing beauty,along with the fact that they
fell in love with that locationmakes it easier for him to sell
that print to people and tostand out from people because
he's doing a lot of work andhe's putting a lot more effort
(08:35):
in than a lot of otherphotographers are, especially
those ones who are just going atthe same time of day as that
person who showed up with theircell phone and snapped a photo
off on their cell phone.
They're like, Hey, I got a photothat looks kind of like that.
I don't really need to spend.
50 a hundred thousand dollars ona print.
Whereas he's going at a time ofday where they never would have
seen it.
And that can just be mindblowing for people.
(08:55):
So that helps him stand out aswell.
All right.
Let's jump into the world offreelance assignments for travel
photographers.
Freelance assignments withtravel magazines, websites, and
brands.
Offer an exciting opportunity toshowcase your photography skills
and earn income while exploringa destination.
To land freelance assignments,you're going to start by
(09:15):
building a strong portfolio,showing your best travel
photography work, network witheditors and brands.
Get to know what they're lookingfor, the type of work that
they're looking for right now.
What means that you're going toseparate yourself from other
photographers and othercreatives?
And then pitch them unique storyideas and especially unique
photo story ideas.
Really that's what you'rebringing to the table versus
somebody with just an iPhone.
(09:36):
Who's just wandering around.
You're helping them tell a storyof the destination.
Bring that unique story idea andthen be persistent.
And showcasing your value as aphotographer to them.
Now remember buildingrelationships and delivering
quality work here are key tosecuring ongoing freelancing
gigs.
If you want to continuously workwith the same.
Resources and the same peoplethey've got to like that first
(09:59):
round you did.
And that second round you get inthat third round, you did, and
you have to build up that trustand expectation that you will
deliver when you pitch.
Now, if you can also pitchadditional written content, you
are going to double your chancesof getting hired for these
typical kind of media pieces andthat's because they're almost
always looking for writtencontent to be included as well,
especially if you want to beworking for some of those bigger
(10:21):
travel brands and we're talkinglike Conde Nast.
Travel and leisure, those kindsof places.
Now the really great thing aboutthis is that you don't actually
need a large social mediafollowing.
As you aren't advertising adestination to an audience that
you've built up.
You're not using your clout toadvertise a place.
Instead the work is going out onthat media companies, socials
(10:41):
magazine, website, whatever theywant to put it out in.
And they're using their audiencethat they have built up.
You are just the one creatingthat work and then handing it
off to them.
All right.
Onto number four, our nextavenue for monetizing your
travel photography is licensingyour images for commercial and
editorial use.
So licensing your images forcommercial purposes, such as
advertising campaigns andmarketing materials and
(11:03):
editorial content like magazinesand travel websites.
Can provide a steady stream ofincome while allowing your work
to reach a wider audience.
When licensing your images, it'simportant to understand
licensing agreements, pricingmodels, and usage rights, as
well as model releases, locationreleases, and a few other things
that need to come into when youare selling commercial work.
(11:26):
Consider partnering withagencies or platforms
specializing in commerciallicensing to streamline this
process and maximize yourearning potential.
You can also get hired to shootimages specifically for
commercial use in campaigns, butthat is harder to land jobs in
places where you want to begoing.
So selling images for commercialor editorial use one-off through
especially agency work who arepitching your work to people and
(11:48):
pitching your image galleries.
Is a great way to add anadditional potential revenue
stream.
All right on to number five,where we have talked a lot about
this on here already.
Thanks to my role in workingwith freelancers and creatives
here in Banff.
And that's collaborating withtourism boards, hotels, resorts,
and travel brands to createcontent for their campaigns,
(12:08):
marketing efforts, social media,or basically any other delivery
channels.
So when you're pitchingcollaboration ideas to tourism
boards and brands, you reallywant to focus on highlighting
your unique storytellingabilities and the value you can
bring through authentic andengaging content.
This is really key to rememberhere.
When you are approaching thesekinds of organizations, you need
(12:29):
to approach them with solidideas of what you bring to the
table for them.
This pitch is not about youwanting to see the destination,
although do say how beautiful itis or how you've always wanted
to travel there.
Or your favorite part about ityour favorite memory if you've
been there before.
But point out what you can dofor them.
Make sure your pitch is entirelyfocused on that potential
(12:50):
client.
And what you are bringing to thetable for them, not what they
can bring to the table for you.
Keep it entirely client-focused.
And honestly be prepared forlots of ghosting.
Lots of no responses to yourreach-outs and honestly direct
nos.
You are going to seeing a lot ofdirect rejection with this path.
(13:10):
But it can lead to some greatconnections and great potential
for work in the future.
So stay positive, keep reachingout, keep coming up with new
ideas for places you want to go.
And.
Try reaching out to differenttypes of companies that you see
a connection with.
If you are a huge snowboarder.
Let's say just reaching out tosnowboard companies that are in
the area.
(13:31):
Is a great idea, but you couldalso be reaching out to the ski
hills.
You could also be reaching outto outdoor companies.
You could also be reaching outto companies that focus on
apres.
And seeing if there's any optionfor you to get involved there as
well.
Think not just about the thingthat you do and the thing that
you're interested in, but thinkabout.
Where you can diversify out inthe other pieces that are
tangentially related to what youlove to talk about.
(13:53):
All right, moving on to oursecond from last suggestion
here.
Let's discuss the power ofsocial media and influencer
marketing in monetizing yourtravel photography.
So platforms like Instagram,YouTube, Tik Tok, all offer
opportunities to grow your ownaudience, collaborate with
brands and earn income throughsponsored posts and affiliate
marketing.
So to monetize your social mediapresence effectively focused on
(14:15):
creating, engaging content thatresonates with your audience and
aligns with your brand.
Build relationships with brandsthat share your values and
authenticity and exploreopportunities for sponsored
content that adds value to youraudience well generating income
for you.
This is when the key things toremember for you.
You don't want to go out andjust partner with a company
because they're throwing tons ofmoney at you.
You want to make sure that thatcompany is bringing real value
(14:38):
to your audience.
This is the people who trustyou.
This is the people who trustyour voice.
And you need to make sure thatwhat you are showing to them and
the things that you areadvertising to them.
Actually resonate with them andwon't break their trust with
you.
Now influencer marketing rangesacross the board from offering
photos and videos to doingstories, channel takeovers,
collab, sponsored content,pretty much anything you can
(15:00):
think of doing on social, youcan pitch doing as part of a
influencer marketing campaignwith an organization.
When you were pitching thesestories.
Make sure to include youraudience size demographics,
engagement numbers, and whattypes of content perform best
for you and tailor that responseto the audience you think that
organization is targeting orthat organization should be
(15:21):
targeting with a campaign likethis.
And finally, honestly, thisisn't actually all about social
media anymore.
This is a new change, but intoday's world marketing teams
are actually looking to havetheir influencer dollars spread
a little bit further.
Because a social post is greatand it's beautiful and might get
a little bit of engagement.
But it'll fall down that list ofpeople being able to discover it
(15:44):
very quickly and it won't comeback up again without throwing
extra money behind it or withouta little bit of luck.
So marketing teams are actuallylooking for people that have an
engaged, social media following.
And some form of long-termcontent platform where the
content that they create can getengagement for weeks, months, or
even years down the line.
So think a blog, YouTube or apodcast.
(16:06):
This is because they want theirinvestment to pay off for a lot
longer than for a couple ofminutes or hours that a piece on
social media really does performfor.
So if they want that socialmedia influencer, They want that
chance to have your audience andengage with that audience on a
short shot.
But then they also want toengage with that audience.
Weeks and years down the line aswell.
(16:27):
So they remember thatdestination that they're trying
to drive people to, or thatproduct or anything like that.
All right.
Last one for today.
Let's talk about the importanceof diversifying income streams
and building a sustainablecareer as a travel photographer.
While monetizing your travelphotography offers really
exciting opportunities.
It's honestly.
Essential to diversify yourincome streams to ensure
(16:49):
long-term stability.
Consider exploring additionalrevenue streams, like teaching
photography, workshops, sellingphotography courses or eBooks.
Offering photography services,like running a studio in the
location that you live in ormonetizing your blog or website
through things like affiliatemarketing and more sponsored
content.
So by diversifying your incomestreams, you can build a
(17:09):
resilient photography businessthat thrives in the long run.
One of the best pieces of advicethat I've heard is to really
ensure that you have diversifiedincome streams is to make sure
that you are bringing in revenuefrom seven different income
streams.
And that is so that you canensure that if one, two or even
three of those drop off, youstill have some money coming in.
So you can pay bills.
(17:29):
You can get food, you can do allthe things that you need to do
while you rebuild those other.
Income streams.
And then while you arediversifying that income stream
and looking at that long-termsustainability of your business,
you also need to make sure thatyou're setting aside some of
your income for retirement,those quiet time savings,
because you won't always befinding these kinds of gigs.
And investing a little bit, andthat ensures that you're
(17:49):
prepared for times when youcan't be out shooting.
And when you just can't find thework that you need.
And there you have it.
Those are seven of the best waysto monetize your travel
photography.
And this is just the beginning.
There's so many ways you canfind to monetize your travels.
These are just the ones thatdon't really require you to be
set up in a specific location.
There are also location specificexamples, like setting up your
(18:10):
own adventure, photographystudio, running a creative team
to create marketing collateralfor local businesses and
participating in localgalleries, art shows and
markets.
Really the opportunities arekind of endless for adventure
photographers looking to turntheir passion into a profit.
You just have to get a littlebit creative and see where you
can fit in your photography andthe work that you create.
(18:31):
All right.
And that's it for today.
Thank you so much for joining meon the episode today.
If you found this valuable,definitely give it a subscribe
so you can listen to the otherepisodes as they come up.
And I'd love to hear from you.
I love talking to people aboutphotography.
That's why I do this.
I love hearing from people and Ilove just hearing more ideas
about things that I could talkabout on here, but just what
other people do as well, becausethat helps me learn and grow as
(18:54):
a photographer and as a creativeas well.
So if you've got an idea, reachout to me.
If you just want to talk to me,reach out to me.
You can reach out to me oninstagram at
robertmasseyphotography or on mywebsite at
robertmasseyphotography.ca.
All right.
Until next time everybody letsadventure.
Bye for now.
How's it going everybody welcomeback to the Travel and Adventure
Photography School podcast,where we explore the world of
adventure and travel photographyto help you elevate the work you
create in the great outdoors.
As always I'm your host, RobertMassey.
And in today's episode, we'rediving into the exciting topic
of monetizing your travelphotography.
Many of us dream of turning ourpassion for photography into a
(00:24):
sustainable source of income,whether you're a seasoned
professional, looking to expandyour revenue streams, or just a
budding enthusiastic, eager toexplore those possibilities.
This is the episode for you.
So we are going to be exploringthe ways you can make money
while you are on the road.
Or from work you've alreadyproduced while traveling and to
try and get jobs that will allowyou to go to destinations that
(00:45):
you've always wanted to visit.
All right.
Let's get right into this.
Our first stop on the journey tomonetizing your travel
photography is an oldie, but aclassic and still good today.
Stock photography platforms.
These platforms likeShutterstock, Adobe stock and
Getty images, offer a convenientway to sell your images to
global audiences.
(01:06):
To get started.
Simply create an account, uploadyour best travel photos and add
relevant keywords to make themdiscoverable.
That sounds a lot simpler thanit actually is.
That's because the key tosuccess in stock photography is
quantity and diversity.
You need to aim to build adiverse portfolio, covering
various themes, destinations,locations, places, people,
(01:26):
everything to attract a widerange of buyers.
Because buyers, aren't going totypically be coming back to you
over and over again, to buy thesame work from you.
They're just looking for thebest image to represent what
they're looking for.
Now stock photography is gettingmore difficult to make money
from.
With AI image generators, morefree options, and just that
over-saturation of the market ofpeople doing this, it's a lot
(01:48):
more difficult, but it honestlystill is possible.
But to be very clear, it's notas simple as just pulling old
images off your hard drive anduploading them unless they are.
World shattering.
That may be a good way to make atiny bit of extra money, like an
extra coffee or two a month.
But with some learnings andunderstandings of what people
need from their stock travelphotography, you can make income
(02:10):
from this.
To do that.
You're going to have to learn alot about what people are
looking for right now from theirstock photography in the travel
world, what they need more ofand what isn't already being
oversaturated.
A great example from Banff isit's really easy to find a
really nice stock photo ofMoraine Lake.
You adding another one?
It's probably not going to standout to people.
(02:31):
It's not something that peoplereally need right now, unless
that is super unique.
You need to go find those nichesand those places for what people
are really looking for and whatisn't already oversaturated in
the stock photography market.
Now.
To really get to a point whereyou could be making a few
hundred dollars a month.
You'll need about 6,000 highquality images uploaded to your
chosen stock platforms likeAdobe stock, Getty images.
(02:55):
I stock Shutterstock, et cetera.
And that's just according tosome estimates on the market.
Now go check out one of thosestock photography agencies.
They can give you a lot moreinformation on how to get going
and what they're looking forright now.
All right on to number two.
Another oldie, but a goodieselling prints of your travel
photography.
Whether that's through an onlinemarketplace like Etsy, print on
(03:16):
demand services, your own onlinestore, selling prints can be a
lucrative avenue for showcasingyour work and connecting with
art enthusiasts.
Now when selling printspresentation is key.
You want to invest in highquality printing materials and
offer a variety of print sizeand finishes to cater to
different preferences.
And to the audience that you aretargeting.
Additionally, don't forget topromote your prints through
(03:38):
social media, your website,local art fairs, to reach a
wider audience than just peoplewho might stumble across your
website or stumble across it onEtsy.
One of the best ways to sellprints is through your own
website.
That's because you control thatplatform.
You control how those images areshown and you control everything
about how people get that print.
(04:00):
So look for a website thatallows customers to see your
images in their best format,whatever way you think that
looks like.
And it gives them options forordering different kinds of
prints or reaching out to you ifthey're looking for something
really specific.
Some websites also allow peopleto see what a print would look
like above standard householditems like couches and tables,
which helps them envisiondifferent sizes and might
(04:20):
actually convince them that thateight by 10, they were thinking
would look really big up abovetheir couch.
Is going to look super tiny andthey actually want.
The 36 by 24, because that'sgoing to look better in their
space.
People don't tend to understandsizing the same way that we do,
who are really involved inphotography and printing and
thinking about those aspectratios and dimensions all the
(04:42):
time.
And so making it really easy forpeople to see.
What those sizes actually mean,means that you are more likely
to sell a print and you'rehonestly more likely to sell the
bigger print.
Now there's also some otherplatforms that allow people to
upload their own images of theirliving rooms, their kitchen,
wherever they want to put thisprint and superimpose your print
above the spot where they arethinking of placing that
(05:04):
artwork.
And that can be huge becauseagain, people can actually see
your artwork in the space withthe color of their walls, the
color of their cabinets, allthose kinds of pieces.
And it's those little toucheslike this that can honestly help
you sell way more artwork,especially when you are getting
into that high end art worldwhere you're selling prints for
a thousand,$2,000,$3,000dollars.
(05:26):
Now for selling prints, thereare a variety of monetization
styles that you could look into,including entering the luxury
art world, where you makelimited copies of your print.
Even 10 20, I've seen somephotographers go as high as 250
These are typically pricedhigher because you're limiting
that print run.
And once that print one is done,you are making basically a legal
obligation to not sell thatprint anymore.
(05:47):
And you need to offer thesekinds of prints on more luxury
services like archival andtextured papers, mounting them
in really high-end frames andusing things like glare free
glass.
Now, all of these are expensiveupgrades that separate your
artwork from others.
And they're pieces that show.
That you want that artwork tonot just become something they
(06:07):
have up in their home for, youknow, a year or two years, like
a poster.
You want them to hand it down totheir kids and their grandkids.
And this becomes an heirloompiece that people want to have
up on their walls forgenerations.
Now you could also actually gowith the mass selling route,
which is the total opposite ofwhat we were just talking about
and sell as many prints atvolume as you can of a single
(06:29):
image, don't put a limit on it,just sell it as many times as
you possibly can.
Now you want to keep your costslow here.
And for example, use things likelower quality papers, frames,
and printing methods, becauseyou are wanting to turn over
those prints really quickly.
Keep your margin a lot smaller.
So you're not aiming to coveroff like a thousand dollars in
one print.
(06:49):
You're aiming to sell a printfor.
$50,$60, something like that,where your margin is a lot
lower.
But you're wanting to turn themover really quickly.
And finally, you could also dodrop shipping prints.
This is actually where you don'thave a website that people buy
your work through.
This isn't my favorite, but itdoes actually reduce your costs
a little bit.
It doesn't mean you have tomanage a website or sales or
(07:10):
customers, or if there'sanything wrong with the prints
or anything like that.
But it takes control of yourartwork out of your hands.
So, you don't host your ownartwork, but you send it off to
a service like Red Bubble andthey take care of hosting it.
They take care of selling it,they ship it, they print it.
They do everything.
All you do is you provide thatartwork file and they deal with
everything else.
And to do that, they typicallytake a percentage of your
(07:34):
earnings to do so.
It's super variable depending onthe website.
I've seen that number go as highas 25 to 30% from some of those
places, but that could be wellworth it.
If it means that you don't haveto do any other work whatsoever.
Selling prints is becomingincreasingly popular as well.
I'm seeing a lot ofphotographers popping up at
farmer's markets and craftfairs.
And.
(07:54):
Just honestly having galleriespop up around town and a few
other places.
But that shouldn't scare you offfrom doing this because a few
standout prints targeted at theright audience can become
massive sales.
For example, there's a localBanff photographer here who has
started focusing on nighttimephotography of popular
locations.
So he is bringing people a printof a location they've likely
(08:14):
fell in love with while they'rehere at a time of day, where
they likely would never actuallysee it.
We're talking like 3:00 AM withthe Milky way.
And that mesmerizing beauty,along with the fact that they
fell in love with that locationmakes it easier for him to sell
that print to people and tostand out from people because
he's doing a lot of work andhe's putting a lot more effort
(08:35):
in than a lot of otherphotographers are, especially
those ones who are just going atthe same time of day as that
person who showed up with theircell phone and snapped a photo
off on their cell phone.
They're like, Hey, I got a photothat looks kind of like that.
I don't really need to spend.
50 a hundred thousand dollars ona print.
Whereas he's going at a time ofday where they never would have
seen it.
And that can just be mindblowing for people.
(08:55):
So that helps him stand out aswell.
All right.
Let's jump into the world offreelance assignments for travel
photographers.
Freelance assignments withtravel magazines, websites, and
brands.
Offer an exciting opportunity toshowcase your photography skills
and earn income while exploringa destination.
To land freelance assignments,you're going to start by
(09:15):
building a strong portfolio,showing your best travel
photography work, network witheditors and brands.
Get to know what they're lookingfor, the type of work that
they're looking for right now.
What means that you're going toseparate yourself from other
photographers and othercreatives?
And then pitch them unique storyideas and especially unique
photo story ideas.
Really that's what you'rebringing to the table versus
somebody with just an iPhone.
(09:36):
Who's just wandering around.
You're helping them tell a storyof the destination.
Bring that unique story idea andthen be persistent.
And showcasing your value as aphotographer to them.
Now remember buildingrelationships and delivering
quality work here are key tosecuring ongoing freelancing
gigs.
If you want to continuously workwith the same.
Resources and the same peoplethey've got to like that first
(09:59):
round you did.
And that second round you get inthat third round, you did, and
you have to build up that trustand expectation that you will
deliver when you pitch.
Now, if you can also pitchadditional written content, you
are going to double your chancesof getting hired for these
typical kind of media pieces andthat's because they're almost
always looking for writtencontent to be included as well,
especially if you want to beworking for some of those bigger
(10:21):
travel brands and we're talkinglike Conde Nast.
Travel and leisure, those kindsof places.
Now the really great thing aboutthis is that you don't actually
need a large social mediafollowing.
As you aren't advertising adestination to an audience that
you've built up.
You're not using your clout toadvertise a place.
Instead the work is going out onthat media companies, socials
(10:41):
magazine, website, whatever theywant to put it out in.
And they're using their audiencethat they have built up.
You are just the one creatingthat work and then handing it
off to them.
All right.
Onto number four, our nextavenue for monetizing your
travel photography is licensingyour images for commercial and
editorial use.
So licensing your images forcommercial purposes, such as
advertising campaigns andmarketing materials and
(11:03):
editorial content like magazinesand travel websites.
Can provide a steady stream ofincome while allowing your work
to reach a wider audience.
When licensing your images, it'simportant to understand
licensing agreements, pricingmodels, and usage rights, as
well as model releases, locationreleases, and a few other things
that need to come into when youare selling commercial work.
(11:26):
Consider partnering withagencies or platforms
specializing in commerciallicensing to streamline this
process and maximize yourearning potential.
You can also get hired to shootimages specifically for
commercial use in campaigns, butthat is harder to land jobs in
places where you want to begoing.
So selling images for commercialor editorial use one-off through
especially agency work who arepitching your work to people and
(11:48):
pitching your image galleries.
Is a great way to add anadditional potential revenue
stream.
All right on to number five,where we have talked a lot about
this on here already.
Thanks to my role in workingwith freelancers and creatives
here in Banff.
And that's collaborating withtourism boards, hotels, resorts,
and travel brands to createcontent for their campaigns,
(12:08):
marketing efforts, social media,or basically any other delivery
channels.
So when you're pitchingcollaboration ideas to tourism
boards and brands, you reallywant to focus on highlighting
your unique storytellingabilities and the value you can
bring through authentic andengaging content.
This is really key to rememberhere.
When you are approaching thesekinds of organizations, you need
(12:29):
to approach them with solidideas of what you bring to the
table for them.
This pitch is not about youwanting to see the destination,
although do say how beautiful itis or how you've always wanted
to travel there.
Or your favorite part about ityour favorite memory if you've
been there before.
But point out what you can dofor them.
Make sure your pitch is entirelyfocused on that potential
(12:50):
client.
And what you are bringing to thetable for them, not what they
can bring to the table for you.
Keep it entirely client-focused.
And honestly be prepared forlots of ghosting.
Lots of no responses to yourreach-outs and honestly direct
nos.
You are going to seeing a lot ofdirect rejection with this path.
(13:10):
But it can lead to some greatconnections and great potential
for work in the future.
So stay positive, keep reachingout, keep coming up with new
ideas for places you want to go.
And.
Try reaching out to differenttypes of companies that you see
a connection with.
If you are a huge snowboarder.
Let's say just reaching out tosnowboard companies that are in
the area.
(13:31):
Is a great idea, but you couldalso be reaching out to the ski
hills.
You could also be reaching outto outdoor companies.
You could also be reaching outto companies that focus on
apres.
And seeing if there's any optionfor you to get involved there as
well.
Think not just about the thingthat you do and the thing that
you're interested in, but thinkabout.
Where you can diversify out inthe other pieces that are
tangentially related to what youlove to talk about.
(13:53):
All right, moving on to oursecond from last suggestion
here.
Let's discuss the power ofsocial media and influencer
marketing in monetizing yourtravel photography.
So platforms like Instagram,YouTube, Tik Tok, all offer
opportunities to grow your ownaudience, collaborate with
brands and earn income throughsponsored posts and affiliate
marketing.
So to monetize your social mediapresence effectively focused on
(14:15):
creating, engaging content thatresonates with your audience and
aligns with your brand.
Build relationships with brandsthat share your values and
authenticity and exploreopportunities for sponsored
content that adds value to youraudience well generating income
for you.
This is when the key things toremember for you.
You don't want to go out andjust partner with a company
because they're throwing tons ofmoney at you.
You want to make sure that thatcompany is bringing real value
(14:38):
to your audience.
This is the people who trustyou.
This is the people who trustyour voice.
And you need to make sure thatwhat you are showing to them and
the things that you areadvertising to them.
Actually resonate with them andwon't break their trust with
you.
Now influencer marketing rangesacross the board from offering
photos and videos to doingstories, channel takeovers,
collab, sponsored content,pretty much anything you can
(15:00):
think of doing on social, youcan pitch doing as part of a
influencer marketing campaignwith an organization.
When you were pitching thesestories.
Make sure to include youraudience size demographics,
engagement numbers, and whattypes of content perform best
for you and tailor that responseto the audience you think that
organization is targeting orthat organization should be
(15:21):
targeting with a campaign likethis.
And finally, honestly, thisisn't actually all about social
media anymore.
This is a new change, but intoday's world marketing teams
are actually looking to havetheir influencer dollars spread
a little bit further.
Because a social post is greatand it's beautiful and might get
a little bit of engagement.
But it'll fall down that list ofpeople being able to discover it
(15:44):
very quickly and it won't comeback up again without throwing
extra money behind it or withouta little bit of luck.
So marketing teams are actuallylooking for people that have an
engaged, social media following.
And some form of long-termcontent platform where the
content that they create can getengagement for weeks, months, or
even years down the line.
So think a blog, YouTube or apodcast.
(16:06):
This is because they want theirinvestment to pay off for a lot
longer than for a couple ofminutes or hours that a piece on
social media really does performfor.
So if they want that socialmedia influencer, They want that
chance to have your audience andengage with that audience on a
short shot.
But then they also want toengage with that audience.
Weeks and years down the line aswell.
(16:27):
So they remember thatdestination that they're trying
to drive people to, or thatproduct or anything like that.
All right.
Last one for today.
Let's talk about the importanceof diversifying income streams
and building a sustainablecareer as a travel photographer.
While monetizing your travelphotography offers really
exciting opportunities.
It's honestly.
Essential to diversify yourincome streams to ensure
(16:49):
long-term stability.
Consider exploring additionalrevenue streams, like teaching
photography, workshops, sellingphotography courses or eBooks.
Offering photography services,like running a studio in the
location that you live in ormonetizing your blog or website
through things like affiliatemarketing and more sponsored
content.
So by diversifying your incomestreams, you can build a
(17:09):
resilient photography businessthat thrives in the long run.
One of the best pieces of advicethat I've heard is to really
ensure that you have diversifiedincome streams is to make sure
that you are bringing in revenuefrom seven different income
streams.
And that is so that you canensure that if one, two or even
three of those drop off, youstill have some money coming in.
So you can pay bills.
(17:29):
You can get food, you can do allthe things that you need to do
while you rebuild those other.
Income streams.
And then while you arediversifying that income stream
and looking at that long-termsustainability of your business,
you also need to make sure thatyou're setting aside some of
your income for retirement,those quiet time savings,
because you won't always befinding these kinds of gigs.
And investing a little bit, andthat ensures that you're
(17:49):
prepared for times when youcan't be out shooting.
And when you just can't find thework that you need.
And there you have it.
Those are seven of the best waysto monetize your travel
photography.
And this is just the beginning.
There's so many ways you canfind to monetize your travels.
These are just the ones thatdon't really require you to be
set up in a specific location.
There are also location specificexamples, like setting up your
(18:10):
own adventure, photographystudio, running a creative team
to create marketing collateralfor local businesses and
participating in localgalleries, art shows and
markets.
Really the opportunities arekind of endless for adventure
photographers looking to turntheir passion into a profit.
You just have to get a littlebit creative and see where you
can fit in your photography andthe work that you create.
(18:31):
All right.
And that's it for today.
Thank you so much for joining meon the episode today.
If you found this valuable,definitely give it a subscribe
so you can listen to the otherepisodes as they come up.
And I'd love to hear from you.
I love talking to people aboutphotography.
That's why I do this.
I love hearing from people and Ilove just hearing more ideas
about things that I could talkabout on here, but just what
other people do as well, becausethat helps me learn and grow as
(18:54):
a photographer and as a creativeas well.
So if you've got an idea, reachout to me.
If you just want to talk to me,reach out to me.
You can reach out to me oninstagram at
robertmasseyphotography or on mywebsite at
robertmasseyphotography.ca.
All right.
Until next time everybody letsadventure.
Bye for now.
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