The demand for travel photographers was projected to remain static for most of the past decade. However, skills pertaining to digital photography are expanding arenas of opportunities for all professional photographers, and included in this bracket are travel photographers.
The reason it is crucial to start considering jobs outside of traditional wedding and portrait Photography Courses is made apparent by a case study conducted at the Chicago Sun-Times, wherein the organisation announced their decision to fire approximately 30 staff photographers. This extends to much of advertising and print publication as well, customarily making freelance travel photography more enticing as a career prospect.
As per “India today” a travel photographer can earn INR 2 lakh- 3.5 lakh per year as starting salary. Top travel photographers abroad earn $76,500 as per reports by Zippia.
A candidate with 50% marks in the 12th grade becomes eligible to pursue most travel photography courses, such as short-term Certificate Level Photography Courses, Diploma Courses, or online ones by Google, Coursera, UpGrad, or on Udemy.
Travel Photography Courses: Highlights
| Course Level | Diploma, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Basic, Advanced and Foundation |
| Popular Courses | Udemy, Skillshare, PhotographyCourse.net |
| Eligibility | High School Graduate |
| Admission Process | Through direct application at the colleges/Online through portals |
| Course Fee | Varied |
| Colleges/Institutes/Websites Providing the course (whichever applicable) | Delhi College of Photography, Light and Life Academy, Asian Academy of Film and Television,Sir JJ Institute of Applied Arts, National Institute of Photography, Pixel Institute of Photography |
| Job Prospects | Varied |
| Average Salary | 2.5- 3 Lakhs |
Travel Photography Courses After 12th
| Course Name | Duration | College/Institute | Course Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Diploma in Travel Photography | 1 year | Creative Hut Institute of Photography | INR 3,83,500 |
| Certificate Course in Nature and Wildlife Photography: An Introduction to Travel Photography | 4 weeks (Full time) | Delhi College of Photography | INR 17,500 |
| Certificate Course in Advanced Course in Travel Photography | 2 months (Part-time) | National Institute of Photography, Mumbai | INR 23,500 |
| Diploma in Travel and Nature Photography | 1 year (Full time) | Light and Life Academy, Ooty | INR 3.1 lakh |
| Bachelor of Fine Arts in Travel Photography | 4 years (Full time) | Sir J.J Institute of Applied Arts, Mumbai | INR 26,800 |
| Diploma in Travel Photography | 1 year (Full time) | Asian Academy of Film and Television, Noida | INR 20,500 |
| Travel Photography | 1 year (Full time) | Pixel Institute of Photography, Delhi | INR 17,300 |
Also Check:
Travel Photography Courses Online
| Course Name | Duration | College/Institute/Website | Course Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuts and Bolts of Travel Photography | 6 months (Part time) | Udemy(Online) | INR 3,200 |
| The Art of Travel Photography: Six Expert Lessons | 6 months (Part time) | Craftsy(Online) | INR 6,494 |
| Travel Photography: The Essential Guide | 6 months (Part time) | Udemy(Online) | INR 7,000 |
| Travel Photography: The Complete Guide | 6 months (Part time) | Craftsy(Online) | INR 3,724 |
| Travel Photography: Landscapes, Aerials, and Skylines | 6 months (Part time) | Craftsy(Online) | INR 4,000 |
| Travel Photography: Take Beautiful Photos of Your Adventures | 4.5 hours (Lecture videos) | Udemy(Online) | INR 676 |
| Becoming a Professional Travel Photographer | 1.5 hours (Lecture videos) | Udemy(Online) | INR 4,480 |
| Document your Adventures: How to Film a Travel Montage | 2 hours (Lecture videos) | Udemy(Online) | INR 4,480 |
Know More: Photography Courses Online
Travel Photography Courses: Eligibility Criteria
| Level of Course | Qualifications Necessary |
| Diploma | 10th or 12th Level Graduate |
| Undergraduate Degree | 12th Level Graduate with Minimum Cutoffs, different for every University |
| Postgraduate Degree | Undergraduate Diploma with Minimum Cutoffs |
| Certificate Courses | None |
Travel Photography Courses: Admission Process
- Owing to COVID-19 restrictions, all institutes mentioned above follow a primarily online process of admission for its UG, PG and diploma-level programmes.
- For online application, candidates can fill the form available on the official websites of the colleges, followed by online application fee payment. Those willing to apply offline can download the application form from the official website and submit it along with a DD of application fee.
- The process for applying for the online certificate courses is a similar one.
Skills Required to Pursue Travel Photography Courses
- Well versed with creative and digital processes related to photography and video production.
- Expert in taking photos and videos on DSLR and other cameras, in formats such as RED, Sony FS 7, Black Magic, etc.
- Should know how to develop visual content for socially and politically relevant campaigns.
- Knowledge of Adobe After Effects, Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator etc.
- 2-3 years’ experience in high end image retouching for print and digital media or magazines.
- Should be familiar with latest trends on social media, magazines, online travel guides and newspapers also aid in having fresh takes on destinations.
- Strong understanding of photography, lighting, shadows, environment, crops.
- Technical skills to be able to install updates in HTML code, plugins, SEO, checking domain names and server subscriptions.
- For courses that ideally lead directly into Photojournalism, some work experience, internships and having published work/features can be useful too.
- For courses that lead directly into Resort and Cruise Ship Photography, connections to acquire necessary VISAs and travel permits in time are necessary.
Scope of Travel Photography Courses
The scope of travel photography courses in various areas is described below:
Freelance Travel Photography
Entails not only organisation and determination, but also a decent amount of marketing, managing and research experience. This is due to the fact that running one’s own business means finding one’s work and clients on their own, but also continuing to produce high-standard content, and handling invoicing and payments.
Photojournalism
Associated with more commissioned work from publications and clients than freelance photography. Related to the coverage of an event, issue, subject or location that helps to shed light for newspapers, magazines, NGOs and online publications.
Destination Wedding Photography
Combining one’s skill set pertaining to capturing blink-and-miss wedding moments with a penchant for travelling. Allows professionals to travel to destinations such as Italy, France, New Zealand in order to combine their passion for travel and landscape photography with wedding and portrait photography.
Travel Blogging
Most commonly requires savvy and business-minded people for whom blogging is not a creative outlet but a full-time job. Can be used to publish serious political pieces about destinations affected by war, pieces to raise environmental awareness especially centred around climate change, cultural differences and so on. According to statistics from “The Wandering Lens”, viewership went from just 100 visitors a month in 2015 during its conception to over 125,000 in the span of 2 years. Viewership becomes particularly important because it can be used to leverage higher payments(and higher quality imagery), in order to balance out costs of ventures.
Influencing
Risky from a business point of view if it is the sole source of income. However, combining it with travel photography is lucrative because visual aids are important while selling a product or experience online, and the need for new content is never ending. Collaborating with clients in order to promote brands and other creative projects is par for the course in this job.
Travel Photographer Jobs
| Job Profile | Description | Average Salary/Other Perks |
|---|---|---|
| Photography Intern at RailMitra (Patna, Bihar) | Deciding on camera angles and frames, researching on current trends in food and travel genre for images and videos, picture editing for image enhancement, deciding upon the best camera angles and frames for pictures, researching the trend in the retail market and suggesting the same to the team, editing the pictures clicked so as to make it look appealing for various social media platforms. | Unspecified, but a stipend is available; Certificate, Letter of Recommendation, Pre-Placement Offer, Work from Home |
| Technical photography intern at RailRestro (Patna, Bihar) | Sending the deliverables within the given deadline, taking and understanding orders regarding the day’s photography sessions, obtaining photography equipment from the procurement manager, ensuring that cameras and lights are in good working order. | Unspecified, but a stipend is available; Certificate, Letter of Recommendation, Pre-Placement Offer, Work from Home |
| Travel Photographer at Klic Pic (Bengaluru, Karnataka) | Being experienced in people photography (with props), should be able to plan & execute photo shoots independently, having good client relation skills, and being able to work in a team of (juniors/seniors)photographers. | Unspecified |
| Travel Photographer at DesignBoxed (Mohali, Punjab) | Quickly understanding and analysing specifications, working closely with the creative team to develop versatile concepts, selecting of appropriate props, lighting, and backdrops, prior planning and preparation of on-location shoots and capturing and processing images to achieve desired results | Unspecified |
| Travel Photographer/Videographer at Bhejan Global Impact Foundation (BGIF) (Delhi) | Creating photo and video content for the organisation and its leadership’s campaign in Haryana, developing a storyboard for the organisation’s campaigns, and capturing emotions, candid moments, high points, testimonials, crowd shots, etc. | Unspecified |
| Travel Photography Editor at Tripoto (Delhi) | Possessing a palpable love of travel, ability to work with writers, freelancers, designers and interns to create, edit and curate online content, overseeing projects from inception to publication, managing Tripoto staff writers, promoting content across social platforms. | Unspecified |
| Travel Videographer/Photographer at Wildlife SOS (Delhi) | Capturing and editing visual content – pictures and videos for multiple platforms, working cooperatively with the team to develop and produce pictures/ videos. | Unspecified |
| Trainee and Image Editor at Hudson’s Bay Company (Bengaluru, Karnataka) | Image retouching of editorial photography being used in marketing collaterals and on digital media, siloing out images from environment, adding composing and stitching multiple images together, deciding on skin, fabric, light & shadow, image background extensions. | Unspecified |
Travel Photographer Salary
As per “India today” a travel photographer can earn INR 2 lakh- 3.5 lakh per year as starting salary. In Abroad, the travel photographer’s salary is mentioned below:
| Parameters | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Top Earners | $76,500 |
| 75% | $44,500 |
| Average | $45,581 |
| 25% | $33,000 |
Travel Photography Courses: FAQs
Ques: How do I become a travel photographer in India?
- Start learning the tricks of the trade by interning for free. You can have a word with the peers and seek travel photography advice.
- Enable your clients and prospects to understand the quality of work that you deliver, prices that you charge, value-added services that you render and the scale of projects that you work on.
- Build a website to showcase your travel photography images. You can sort and present your work and select the best travel photos of different genres that you have for your portfolio website.
- Use social media apps to generate exposure for your work.
- Start a travel photography blog
- Network, share positive vibes with your tribe and get recognized within the community of travel photographers for your work. There are also online travel photography communities that you can join.
Ques: How does a travel photographer earn money?
- Travel photographers can earn money in various ways, the most common being the provision of images for editorials, advertising and/or to stock libraries.
- Now with social media playing such a huge part in the tourism industry, a lot of photographers who have a decent following on platforms like Instagram are using this to make money.
- Tourism boards are now keen to grow the awareness of their destination and are using photographers and travellers with a social media presence to do so.
- An alternate way to earn money as a travel photographer is to launch your own travel site. The Wandering Lens was created as a way to generate income by self-publishing the author’s work through educational destination guides for photographers and photography articles.
- It might not make one rich overnight and takes a lot more work than simply submitting shots to a stock library but it’s a way to also be creative with one’s own work instead of having it just sit on a hard drive.
Ques: How can Instagram be wielded by travel photographers as a tool to make money?
- By searching for people in your area using geotags (locations).
- Checking out their account to see if they are an influencer, model, business or restaurant, who may be in need of some professional photography.
- Depending on your area of specialization, choosing the accounts that are the right type for you.
- Looking through their photos and seeing if they ever use professional photographers. If so, sending them a DM with a short introduction, a link to your website might be helpful.
- Looking at any of the professional photographs they may have taken and see who they have tagged as the photographer.
Ques: What is a template for a message I can use to reach out to potential employers?
Ques: Are there any online communities dedicated to travel photography aspirants?
- Photography - Nature, Wildlife and Landscape.
- Long Exposure Photography
- Urban Street Photography
- Travel Photography
- Travel Photography - 2
Ques: What is the ideal number of megapixels for travel photography?
- If photos are used for social media, viewed on phones, tablets, laptops, they will look exactly the same if they are 2MP or 50MP. These small screens only display a 1–2 MP image.
- If photos will not be printed bigger than 11X14, you don’t even need 16MP. 12MP is more than enough for prints of that size.
- Lenses are more important than megapixels. Make sure you have enough reach so that you don’t have to crop too much and the lenses have a big enough aperture for low light. The photos are only as good as the lens.
Ques: What is the best single lens for travel photography?
Ques: What is the best city for travel photography?
Ques: In travel photography, which is more important, travel or photography?
Ques: What are some websites dedicated to Travel Photography?
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