The Ultimate Guide to Commercial Travel Photography: The Handbook for Brands & Destinations.
Does atmospheric photography by a professional travel photographer really drive bookings?
Yes, 100%,… but only when it’s done properly!
Show it right, or lose the booking
It’s a very well-known and typical marketing term in the travel industry, but it’s a cliche for a reason. It’s absolutely essential to showcase the desired outcome of what the customer wants to buy. It’s up to you as a brand to sell the vacation, and you do that with exceptional photography.
People book experiences, not rooms. People book to obtain the special moments on the beach with their family, not the flight tickets, if you know what I mean.
People want that Fuji view. The imagery is the spark that makes them want that dream outcome. Travel photographers don’t just make destinations look great, we make people want to be there. As a travel brand, you make sure they get there.
Are you looking to hire a professional travel photographer? You are in the right place. In this extensive guide, I’ll show you everything you need to know.
Mount Fuji, Lake Saiko, Japan.
First impressions are everything.
In a world where guests breeze through dozens of options on a plethora of tabs online, your photographs aren’t just a supporting asset of your listing -- it’s the main event!
And sure, you could go to a generic stock photography platform and pick a run-of-the-mill photograph that has been used by dozens of other competitors. It’s fast and cheap that way, right?! — No… BIG MISTAKE. Please, do not take this route if you like money!
Customers will not appreciate your brand if you are not authentic. The ROI on authenticity for your brand in the long run is incalculable!
Scenario 1: Think about your biggest competitor that you want to beat. Now imagine you both are advertising a new promotion, and you have the exact same image. How embarrassing!!
Scenario 2: Your competitor uses cheap generic stock photography with the same people in these shots that customers even recognize from memes on the internet, and your brand uses incredible, unique, and mesmerizing photographs that showcase that you are the real deal!!
Remember, it’s all about trust, and if your imagery is inauthentic, you lose the sale.
What does a commercial travel photographer actually do?
They take away your problems and turn them into solutions. By that, I mean a travel photographer ensures you get what you need by delivering high-quality imagery that makes your brand, your offer, and your message stand out, which in turn translates to more revenue. And that’s what we all want in a nutshell: more customers and more revenue!
Your brand will be elevated thanks to unique, enticing, impactful, and high-quality travel photographs!
What is, in essence, a travel photographer?
Commissioning a travel photographer to create new travel photographs is, in a nutshell, all about visual storytelling for travel brands.
A travel photographer creates new atmospheric and enticing photographs for travel magazines, tourism boards, travel agencies, airliners, hotels, Airbnbs, travel TV shows and news outlets, newspapers, car rentals, and any other company/brand that needs powerful, high-resolution imagery to sell more bookings.
How does the collaboration with a travel photographer work?
Here’s a quick and easy guide to a nice, productive, and fun collaboration that’s a Win-Win-Win; for you, for me, and for the consumer of the produced media, also known as the potential client that we are turning into loyal returning customers.
Step 1) We connect. We chat, we gain trust, we talk outcomes, specifics, and desires, make plans, and we go over the details to make it all run smoothly and nice for both of us.
Step 2) I create the desired outcome.
Step 3) I deliver the desired outcome.
Step 4) You sell more bookings, and commission me again for the next mission! :)
Want to define yourself as a stand-out brand? Give them something no one else has and hire a professional, experienced travel photographer who gets the job done!
With clear and powerful destination marketing, combined with photographs as your powerful mode for your visual content strategy, you will drive more bookings!
Gardens by the Bay, Singapore.
Why not just use a stock photo?
If your visuals don’t speak to their aspirations, you’re not connecting (read: inspiring them, enticing them, charming them, convincing them!). And if you’re not connecting with that potential customer, someone else will.
Your brand narrative needs visual assets that grab attention, fast. And you do that with powerful imagery.
Spoiler alert; That won’t work with generic stock photographs that have been used over and over. By lesser brands. And you don’t want to be associated with that level.
You lose trust real fast, and you will lose the booking real fast (to your competitor who invested in authentic travel photographs from a true professional!).
The same accounts for cheesy AI-generated images, overprocessed and overedited photos, and locations/rooms/details that look nothing like reality.
Fake or generic stock photos are the fastest way to create doubt and lose credibility and trust. These days, real is getting rare, and people want certainty. They want to know for sure that what they’re booking will actually be there when they arrive (!)
A great travel photograph is:
Getting that desired “Oh WOW!”- response.
Tell a story in under a second (because that’s all we often get).
Thoughtfully composed with the finest compositional techniques to capture their attention and lead the eye.
Shot at the right moment and right time of day (for each location and space).
Focused on evoking emotion, not just features.
Edited with the right colors, tones, and balance that showcase the subject in the best way possible.
Florence, Italy.
Logistics & Details: What goes into a professional travel shoot?
It, of course, depends heavily on the subject (a luxury hotel shoot in Kuala Lumpur for a day is something very different than like a week on expedition with a tribe in the mountains of Mongolia). The duration, location, topics, and desired outcome can differ immensely per assignment and/or collaboration.
With that being said, most travel shoots contain these logistics and details:
A travel photographer knows:
+ Everything that is needed to make the shoot work
(from gear to gadgets, and from batteries to backups)
+ Everything that is needed to make the journey successful
(from visas to flights, and from transport to permits)
+ Everything that is needed to get the shot
(from locationscouting to moodboards, and from knowing the subject/region/people to getting the right angle/timing/composition)
A professional travel photographer takes away worries and problems and makes sure the desired outcome becomes a reality.
What do I receive from a travel shoot?
In this section, we’ll talk about the deliverables. This is what you will receive when your booked travel photographer (I hope that’s me! ;) ) comes back from his mission:
+ A new set of high-resolution high-quality photographs
+ These photos are professionally edited and perfected for all your desired use cases
+ The extensive rights to use these photographs commercially
+ A private password-protected online gallery to inspect the photographs, download, and share them right away.
+ An invoice that you will gladly process!
To toot my own horn, I think many photographers are insanely slow with delivering the deliverables. When you book me, I make sure I book extra days in right after the trip, to make sure I edit the photos right away and send the whole set of photos to you. If it were a day shoot, I would have the photos ready within 2-3 workdays. If it’s a week-long expedition shoot, for example, I will have it done within 7 workdays.
What about licensing travel photographs? How does that work?
You can let a travel photographer make a new set of photographs for you, or you can buy photographs that have already been created by the travel photographer.
You can cut production time with ready-to-license editorial-grade photographs that are a perfect match for your brand, and your campaigns and promotions. And I’m not talking about generic stock photographs or AI-generated slop here (which is detrimental for your brand if you get caught with these!).
By buying photographs, we actually mean to license the photographs, which means that you can ‘rent’ the photograph for a certain time, like 1 or 5 years, for instance. But there is also a buyout option so that you can actually own the photo yourself, so that nobody else can use that photograph. You will be the sole owner of that shot, and it can only be used by you, forever.
In my own License Library, where you can license many pre-made travel photographs, I have three options:
Standard License: 3600px JPEG.
Extended License: 5000px+ JPEG and TIFF
Buyout License: 5000px+, JPEG, TIFF, and RAW.
In the FAQ, you can read more about the specific details like the resolution, copyright, use cases, payment, and discounts.
Use Cases Travel Photography
There are thousands of great use cases for travel photography from a gazillion publications and collaborations. I’m going to describe three recent use cases from my own successful collaborations:
Case study 1: For Auckland City Tours, I shot over 50 excellent photographs they could use to share on their website, social media, and promotions. These atmospheric shots highlighted their fun team, the highlights of the tour, and of course the wonderful city of Auckland.
Case study 2: For XGimi, a projector brand, I shot product photos for their latest projector that was a perfect fit for traveling digital nomads. I showcased their lightweight projector in a variety of locations and positions to make clear how wonderful and practical their product works.
Case study 3: For Free Birds Magazine, a travel magazine, I shot hundreds of photographs of dreamy locations like Mexico, Bali, Dubai, The Bahamas, and Iceland. These photos made sure visitors of that site got charmed to keep reading further, and eventually book their trip through their affiliate recommendations.
Tanah Lot, Bali, Indonesia.
The most Googled questions answered
I’ve indexed dozens of prominent questions about travel photographers that people ask Google. Let’s answer them all:
What is a travel photographer?
A commercial travel photographer is a specialist photographer who knows how to compose excellent, atmospheric, high-quality photographs for travel brands. They know exactly what is needed to grab the attention of the viewer. One single powerful photo is worth more than any wall of text in a listing can provide, and it is their job to get that winning shot.
Nowadays, travel photographers are also called content creators or destination branding photographers. Whatever cool name you like to stick on them, they are absolute experts in navigating through the world, making fantastic photographs, and getting that desired dream outcome.
How and where to hire a travel photographer?
To hire a travel photographer, you can easily Google the phrase ‘travel photographer’. You will find dozens of excellent names that are suitable to get the job done.
But beware, many of them have a clear niche or expertise, like drone photos, hotel shoots, product shoots, outdoor&nature, culture, and so on. A Steve McCurry creates completely different sets of photos than a travel photographer who only uses drones, for instance. Michael Yamashita from National Geographic will come with a whole different set of photographs than, let’s say, a Jimmy Nelson. Both are legendary in their own way, but they might not fit your desired campaign or look you want to showcase in your promotions.
A generalist in travel photography might be a better hire than a very specific specialist.
Find the right match for your desired outcome by taking your time. Chat with a dozen of them to find the right person, and if they deliver good work, stick with them!
You can also commission me. I am an experienced world traveler and travel photographer who can shoot a broad range of subjects. Let’s chat!
What does a travel photographer cost?
This severely depends on what the assignment is. Is it a shoot for a luxury boutique Airbnb in Bali that takes 1 full day, or are we traveling through Japan for three weeks chasing the fall foliage all across the country?
Their hourly rate can be between 50 dollars and 300+ dollars, depending on what is needed to get the job done. The rate per hour (or the day rate, or maybe even the week rate) is higher if there is more equipment needed, like lights, drones, multiple lenses, and maybe even models.
Ask them for a quota, and be specific about what your dream outcome of the collaboration is, and you will receive a detailed message with what they think is needed to get those shots in.
Do we, as a client, have to pay for the hotel, flight, and transport?
Yes. A travel photographer has to come out towards that destination and get the job done. Even if it’s a 72-hour journey to get to that special place, we will do it, but we surely need a place to get some well-deserved rest after that long journey.
Reasonable compensation is pretty standard in this line of business. We don’t need much to get the job done, but a decent hotel and a decent flight seem fair if you ask me.
Before going on the journey, these details and the compensation should have been discussed and arranged.
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Are you a (aspiring) travel photographer yourself?
This article is actually written for brands and organizations that want to hire a travel photographer. Sure, you can find lots of information for you here, but I would gladly refer you to my free 15-min ebook and coaching program for more relevant information that will get you ahead in this line of business.
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What is the salary of a travel photographer?
If a travel photographer is hired by a company for a full-time position, their salary can widely range depending on what country they work in, how many hours they work, what deals they have made, and if they earn commissions and such. Most travel photographers are independent contractors/freelancers who do assignments for multiple companies when they need it.
A salary isn’t the right word in almost all cases, but the word revenue would be a better fitting word for how they generate their income.
How much do travel photographers get paid?
A freelance travel photographer can earn revenue from absolutely zero US dollars a year, to 100.000 dollars a year, to 1 million+ a year. That is a very wide range of income, and it all depends on whether they smartly sell their art (like Fine Art, NFTs, and galleries) and get huge collaborations with big brands.
Can you make a living as a travel photographer?
Yes, but an all-in effort for multiple years, consistent promotion, networking, and a sprinkle of luck are needed to make it big as a travel photographer. It is not easy at all, but worth it for sure.
The reality is: jobs for travel photographers are rare, getting assignments with big brands is tough to get, selling your licenses consistently is not easy at all, winning awards requires extremely well-shot photographs (the talent pool/competition is sky-high!), and selling lots of prints is nearly impossible.
It’s up to you to make it work. And if you break through, you will have a long, exciting, and fun career making epic shots!
But beware, entrepreneurship/freelancing is not for the faint of heart.
Is it hard to be a travel photographer?
Without a shadow of a doubt; YES. It is a very challenging job on many levels, because you are not just a photographer who goes to a nice place and takes some shots. If you are in the photography business, it means that you are a 360-degree entrepreneur. You will have to do everything that every entrepreneur deals with when running a business: marketing, emails, bookkeeping, paperwork, and a gazillion more tasks and to-dos.
Next to having to master photography, editing, and getting assignments, it’s also running a full business with all its 1001 details.
But, with that being said, it is for sure the best business, job, and ikigai ever. It’s the most fulfilling thing you can do!
(I mean, case in point here with getting this photograph of the Shinkansen train passing by Mount Fuji)
What are the 5 responsibilities of a travel photographer?
1) Be kind, respectful, decent, and professional at all times.
2) Getting to the destination, and back, safe and sound, with the newly created photos.
3) Backing it all up, twice, on an SSD and in the cloud, before even doing anything.
4) Edit the photographs subtly. Keep it realistic and match the brand’s desired outcome.
5) Deliver the photographs in a just and timely manner to the client.
If this is done well, the travel photographer will get hired over and over again.
What do you need for travel photography?
A professional camera, a smartphone, a laptop, Lightroom, a whole bunch of grit, and an all-in mindset!
And to be honest; most travel photographers, even if they are incredibly talented, need a long runway to break through. It might take 1 year or even 2 years before you break even and make money consistently. And you need that all-in effort to even get to that level, which means you might need a lot of cash upfront to fund yourself while you go all-in on this craft and business.
What are common travel photo mistakes?
There are dozens of silly mistakes when you take photos. They can be solved by studying compositional techniques, light, the camera itself, and by looking at thousands of photos. By that I mean; study the greats! Look at all the photos shot before by the top 100 best photographers and emulate their style. Try it all out. After a couple thousand photographs, you will see patterns, angles, timing, opportunity, and frames everywhere.
Also essential is to edit the photographs in a subtle way. No over-editing, no AI slop, and no visible Photoshop mistakes. Keep it realistic, especially in the travel industry.
What is the highest-paid travel photography job?
If you get the opportunity to create a set of photographs for a huge worldwide known brand, like for instance Emirates, Nike, Volvo, Apple, Four Seasons, Booking, and so on, you will score BIG. Especially if you get a long-term collaboration for multiple shoots!
These jobs/gigs are super-rare, but if you get them, be sure to deliver!
Can I hire a travel photographer for my vacation?
People have been asking for ‘Travel photographers near me’, which could get you a good travel photographer near you. Maybe. Depends on where you are and who gets indexed by Google to be shown to you. But distance near you isn’t a guarantee for quality. A good photographer will deliver good results. But good is not great.
It’s wise to explore more options (more travel photographers) who are maybe a flight away from where you are.
And if you find a good travel photographer who joins you on your vacation, your vacation photographs will be timeless classics that you will cherish for the rest of your lives.
Can I become a travel photographer?
Yes, you can. For sure, you can, but it is absolutely not easy. It requires an all-in approach, just like with any other type of business. It’s no part-time gig. No side job. It’s all-in or nothing.
To become really good at photography, to build an impressive portfolio, build multiple sites and revenue models, and pitch to hundreds of brands to get sales and deals, you have to work hard. Really hard!
A travel photographer is working in and on the business 95% of the time, and shooting 5% of the time. This harsh reality is not something amateur photographers wants to hear, but it’s the truth. It’s just like any other business.
Want to learn more about the business of travel photography to become a travel photographer yourself? Read my free 15 min ebook >>
Who are the top travel photographers?
If you ask me, there are two classes of travel photographers:
O) The oldskool famous veterans of the games, like Michael Yamashita, Paul Reiffer, Jimmy Nelson, and Steve McCurry.
N) And the news kids on the block, like Jord Hammond, Demas, Pat Kay, and me; Marcus Musashi.
The oldskool generation works/worked with film, traveled around the world when the internet wasn’t even a thing yet, and worked for mainstream media giants like National Geographic, The Guardian, and the BBC.
The newskool generation uses the most unbelievable new technology and gear to achieve their goals. They harness the power of social media, incredible editing tools, and online marketing to achieve the dream outcome.
Both generations are great in their own respective ways. It just depends on who you are and what you need as a brand.
Blog: My top 10 all-time favorite photographers (modern-day and oldskool)
Choi Hung Estate, Hong Kong.
What are the different types of travel photography?
There are a few that differ from each other. Here’s an assortment of options:
Culinary & Lifestyle: It’s all about the location, the culture, the people, the food, and the good vibes. Showcasing the good life in dreamy bucket list locations around the world.
Hotel & Resort Photography: It’s all about interior, atmosphere, lifestyle, and details. Showcasing the vibe and the upsides is key here.
Adventure & Expedition: It’s all about nature, the outdoors, the wild, and the adventurous. Showcasing Mother Nature at its finest.
Photojournalism: It’s all about capturing the true essence of what’s going on in the world at a certain time. Showcasing the truth, which can be mesmerizing, painful, beautiful, and sometimes even tear-jerking.
Sustainable & Eco-Tourism: It’s all about preserving our precious Earth. Showcasing what we actively can do to help!
Luxury: It’s all about quality, premium experiences, unforgettable moments, status, and living the good life. Showcasing that there are levels to this.
Can I hire a travel photographer for my hotel?
If you are in need of a hotel lifestyle photographer or resort photography services, then hiring a travel photographer is the way to go. Travel photographers understand capturing the essence, vibe, and atmosphere like no other.
Can I hire a luxury travel photographer?
Absolutely. An experienced world traveler and veteran travel photographer has visited many hotels in his life, and will know very well what to look for. A luxury hotel is all about the finest details, and a travel photographer will catch that.
Can I hire a drone photographer?
Absolutely! Dozens of drone experts can take the desired shots from above, but an experienced and specialized travel drone photographer is rare. Be sure to connect with one that understands the essence of your brand, your location, and your desired outcome.
Can I hire a sustainable travel photographer?
Absolutely! A sustainable travel photographer makes sure they travel with an absolute minimal impact on the environment. They travel with the right airliners, don’t leave a mess on the job, and always make sure with their craft, kindness, and decency that the world becomes a better place.
Ask the travel photographer about how they make sure they have a minimal impact when you work with them. Together, you can find sustainable options for traveling and working on whatever the job is.
Can I hire an expedition photographer?
A travel photographer is an excellent hire for grand expeditions, especially if they have done a few before. You can send them anywhere, and they will love it. You can send me to North Korea for a portrait shoot with Kim Jong-Un (I actually truly would love this haha), make me fly for days to unknown lands to cover a story, or send me along on an expedition with an exotic wild tribe deep to document their unique lifestyle.
Is a travel photographer suitable as a Photojournalist?
Yes and no, it depends on his experience and willingness. Not every travel photographer would like to cover stories like riots, misery, and war. The photojournalist services are specific and demanding. The adaptability and flexibility of an experienced world traveler and travel photographer will certainly help with getting them to these subjects, if they are willing to cover these topics.
(and to be clear: I love to! Send me!)
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All in all, whatever you use a professional photographer for, it’s all about great photographs that tell a great story. It’s about real light, real spaces, real experiences – expertly captured with clarity and intent by a true professional with a great eye for capturing the true essence of a location, a happening, or a moment.
Koh Phangan, Thailand.
Conclusion Travel Photography Guide
Commissioning a travel photographer is the way to go to get unique, wonderful, and inspiring photographs that turn wanderers into bookers.
Trust me, you don’t need more photos – you need better ones.
You need honest and professionally crafted imagery that showcases your brand and destination in the best way possible. Not fake (no AI-generated slop!). Not generic (no stock photos!). But refined and intentional (real photography!).
Ready to elevate your brand's visual identity? Let's discuss your next project. Commission me as a travel photographer, and I’ll get the job done.
p.s. I’m also available for all kinds of commercial work.
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Thank you for reading.
Marcus.
Contactpage
Email me: hello@marcusmusashi.com
