Adventure photography is a challenging and rewarding career. It requires a combination of technical skills, creativity, and a love of the outdoors. But how do adventure photographers make money?
There are a number of ways that adventure photographers can make money. One way is to sell their photos to magazines, newspapers, and websites. Another way is to sell their photos as stock photography. Adventure photographers can also make money by giving talks and workshops, writing books and articles, and teaching photography classes.
In this blog post, we will discuss the different ways that adventure photographers can make money. We will also provide tips on how to get started in this exciting career.
Walking a highline in Joshua Tree National Park. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Pros of Adventure Photography:
Immersive Experiences: Adventure photography allows you to explore stunning landscapes, remote locations, and unique cultures firsthand. You get to embark on thrilling adventures, creating unforgettable memories while capturing breathtaking images.
Creative Freedom: As an adventure photographer, you have the freedom to express your creativity and vision. You can experiment with various techniques, compositions, and styles, resulting in unique and captivating photographs that reflect your artistic perspective.
Personal Growth: Adventure photography pushes you outside your comfort zone, challenging you both physically and mentally. It fosters personal growth, self-discovery, and a deeper connection with nature, helping you develop resilience, adaptability, and a greater appreciation for the world around you.
Sharing Inspiring Stories: Through your photographs, you have the power to inspire and evoke emotions in others. Adventure photography allows you to tell compelling stories of awe-inspiring landscapes, diverse cultures, and extraordinary human feats, encouraging others to explore, appreciate, and protect the natural world.
Exciting Opportunities: Adventure photographers have the opportunity to work with renowned brands, collaborate with like-minded individuals, and participate in prestigious events and assignments. It opens doors to exciting adventures, unique projects, and the potential for recognition within the photography industry.
Cons of Adventure Photography:
Physical Demands: Adventure photography often involves traversing challenging terrains, enduring harsh weather conditions, and carrying heavy camera gear. It requires physical fitness, endurance, and the ability to adapt to demanding environments, which can be physically taxing and potentially risky.
Uncertain Income: The income of adventure photographers can be unpredictable, especially when starting out. Securing consistent paid assignments and generating a steady stream of income can be challenging. It may require diversifying revenue streams and building a strong network within the industry.
Gear and Expenses: Adventure photography necessitates investing in high-quality camera equipment, lenses, accessories, and travel expenses. These costs can be substantial, particularly for specialized gear designed to withstand extreme conditions. Additionally, travel expenses and logistics can add up, especially when shooting in remote or distant locations.
Work-Life Balance: The life of an adventure photographer often involves being away from home for extended periods. Balancing personal relationships, family commitments, and the demands of an adventurous career can be a juggling act, requiring effective time management and communication skills.
Risk and Safety: Adventure photography can involve inherent risks, such as exposure to extreme weather, hazardous terrain, or wildlife encounters. Ensuring personal safety and taking precautions while capturing images is crucial. It's essential to have proper training, knowledge of the environment, and appropriate safety equipment.
Commercial Photography Assignments: Collaborating with Companies for Campaigns
While commercial work in the adventure photography space is the most lucrative, the amount of money that adventure photographers make on commercial assignments varies depending on a number of factors, including the client, the scope of the assignment, and the photographer's experience and skill level. In general, however, adventure photographers can expect to earn between $1,000 and $10,000 per assignment.
Here are some factors that can affect the price of a commercial assignment:
The client: More prestigious clients will typically pay more than less prestigious clients.
The scope of the assignment: More complex assignments will typically command a higher price than less complex assignments.
The photographer's experience and skill level: More experienced and skilled photographers will typically earn more money than less experienced and skilled photographers.
It is important to negotiate the price of your commercial assignments before you agree to them. Don't be afraid to ask for what you think your work is worth. And remember, you can always negotiate a higher price if the client is interested in your work.
Here are some tips for negotiating the price of your commercial assignments:
Do your research: Before you start negotiating, take some time to research the market and find out what other photographers are charging for similar assignments.
Be prepared to walk away: If you're not happy with the price, be prepared to walk away from the assignment. There are plenty of other clients out there who will be willing to pay you what you're worth.
Be confident: Don't be afraid to ask for what you think your work is worth. If you're confident in your abilities, the client will be more likely to agree to your price.
Here are some tips on how Pricing for a commercial shoot:
Day Rates/Creative Fees: In commercial photography, photographers often charge day rates for their services. The rates can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars per day, depending on the photographer's expertise and the scale of the project. High-profile or experienced adventure photographers with a strong reputation can command higher rates.
Usage and Licensing Fees: Commercial assignments may involve licensing the images for specific usage by the client. The fees for image usage can vary based on factors such as the duration, geographic scope, and media channels where the images will be used (e.g., print, online, social media, billboards). Licensing fees can provide additional income for adventure photographers beyond the initial day rates.
Production Costs: Production costs in adventure photography can vary depending on the scope and requirements of the project. These costs encompass various elements such as travel expenses (including transportation, accommodation, and meals), equipment rentals or purchases, hiring assistants or crew members, location permits and fees, prop acquisition, wardrobe and styling, post-production editing software, and marketing materials. Adventure photographers must carefully consider and budget for these costs to ensure a smooth and successful production. It's important to strike a balance between delivering high-quality work and managing expenses effectively to maintain profitability and provide clients with exceptional value.
Get a Project Budgets: The overall budget allocated by clients for commercial photography projects can greatly impact the photographer's earnings, so you need to get an idea of the budget a client has to work with. Larger budgets may allow for higher fees and more extensive shoots, while smaller budgets may require more negotiation and flexibility in terms of rates. But, suggesting a price point that is far to high, or to low, will knock you out of the running for the job.
License images to Magazines and Travel Publications: Capturing Stories That Inspire
This is one of the most common ways for adventure photographers to make money. Magazines, newspapers, and websites are always looking for high-quality photos to illustrate their stories. If you have a portfolio of great photos, you can submit them to publications and see if they're interested in buying them.
The amount of money that adventure photographers sell photos to publications for varies depending on a number of factors, including the publication, the size of the photo, and the rights that are being sold. In general, however, adventure photographers can expect to earn between $50 and $500 per photo.
Here are some factors that can affect the price of a photo:
The publication: More prestigious publications will typically pay more for photos than less prestigious publications.
The size of the photo: Larger photos will typically command a higher price than smaller photos.
The rights that are being sold: If the photographer is selling all rights to the photo, they will typically earn more money than if they are only selling one-time usage rights.
It is important to negotiate the price of your photos before you sell them. Don't be afraid to ask for what you think your photos are worth. And remember, you can always negotiate a higher price if the publication is interested in your work.
Print and sell your photos as prints
One of the benefits of adventure photography is that you travel to beautiful places to take photographs. If you capture a wonderful landscape image, you can sell it as a photographic print. The price of adventure photography prints varies depending on a number of factors, including the size of the print, the quality of the print, the photographer's reputation, and the demand for the print. In general, however, adventure photography prints can sell for anywhere from $50 to $5,000 or more.
Here are some factors that can affect the price of an adventure photography print:
The size of the print: Larger prints will typically command a higher price than smaller prints.
The quality of the print: High-quality prints will typically sell for more than low-quality prints.
The photographer's reputation: More well-known photographers will typically be able to charge more for their prints than less well-known photographers.
The demand for the print: If there is a high demand for a particular print, the photographer may be able to charge more for it.
It is important to price your prints competitively. Don't be afraid to do some research and see what other photographers are charging for similar prints. And remember, you can always lower the price of a print if it doesn't sell.
Here are some tips for pricing your adventure photography prints:
Do your research: Before you set a price for your prints, take some time to research the market and find out what other photographers are charging for similar prints.
Consider the size and quality of the print: Larger prints and high-quality prints will typically sell for more than smaller prints and low-quality prints.
Consider your reputation: If you're a well-known photographer, you may be able to charge more for your prints than if you're not as well-known.
Consider the demand for the print: If there is a high demand for a particular print, you may be able to charge more for it.
With a little research and effort, you can price your adventure photography prints competitively and make a profit.
Give talks and workshops
If you're an expert in adventure photography, you can give talks and workshops to share your knowledge with others. This is a great way to make money and to help others learn about your passion. The amount of money that adventure photographers make from giving talks and workshops varies depending on a number of factors, including the photographer's experience, their reputation, the size of the audience, and the location of the event. In general, however, adventure photographers can expect to earn between $500 and $5,000 per talk or workshop.
Here are some factors that can affect the amount of money an adventure photographer can make from giving talks and workshops:
The photographer's experience: More experienced photographers are typically able to command higher fees than less experienced photographers.
The photographer's reputation: More well-known photographers are typically able to command higher fees than less well-known photographers.
The size of the audience: The larger the audience, the more the photographer is likely to earn.
The location of the event: Events in major cities or tourist destinations typically pay more than events in smaller towns or rural areas.
If you are interested in becoming an adventure photographer who makes money from giving talks and workshops, it is important to build a strong reputation and network with other photographers and event organizers. You should also focus on developing your skills and experience as a photographer. With hard work and dedication, you can make a career out of adventure photography and public speaking.
Write books and articles
If you're a good writer, you can write books and articles about adventure photography. This is a great way to share your knowledge with others and to make money at the same time. The amount of money that adventure photographers can make writing books and articles varies depending on a number of factors, including the photographer's experience, their reputation, the type of publication, and the length of the piece. In general, however, adventure photographers can expect to earn between $500 and $5,000 per article or book chapter.
Here are some factors that can affect the amount of money an adventure photographer can make writing books and articles:
The photographer's experience: More experienced photographers are typically able to command higher fees than less experienced photographers.
The photographer's reputation: More well-known photographers are typically able to command higher fees than less well-known photographers.
The type of publication: More prestigious publications will typically pay more than less prestigious publications.
The length of the piece: Longer pieces will typically command a higher fee than shorter pieces.
If you are interested in becoming an adventure photographer who makes money writing books and articles, it is important to develop your writing skills and build a strong reputation. You should also focus on writing for high-quality publications. With hard work and dedication, you can make a career out of adventure photography and writing.
Here are some tips for becoming an adventure photographer who makes money writing books and articles:
Develop your writing skills: The better your writing skills, the more likely you are to be published. You can improve your writing skills by taking writing classes, reading books and magazines, and practicing writing as often as possible.
Write for high-quality publications: The more prestigious the publication, the more likely you are to be paid well. You can find out which publications are interested in adventure photography by reading their websites and contacting their editors.
Influencing on Social Media
We can not ignore the reality that most publications have gone digital and are now focused on social media growth. So, as an adventure photographer, why not tap into that as well. The amount of money that adventure photographers make on social media influencing varies depending on a number of factors, including the size of their following, the engagement rate of their posts, and the type of products or services they are promoting. In general, however, adventure photographers can expect to earn between $100 and $10,000 per post.
Here are some factors that can affect the amount of money an adventure photographer can make on social media influencing:
The size of their following: The larger an adventure photographer's following, the more they are likely to earn for each post.
The engagement rate of their posts: The more engagement an adventure photographer's posts receive, the more they are likely to earn for each post.
The type of products or services they are promoting: Adventure photographers who promote high-end products or services are typically able to earn more money than those who promote lower-end products or services.
If you are interested in becoming an adventure photographer who makes money on social media influencing, it is important to build a large following and engage with your audience regularly. You should also focus on promoting high-quality products or services that your audience will be interested in. With hard work and dedication, you can make a career out of adventure photography and social media influencing.
Going left at Mavericks at sunset in Half Moon Bay, CA. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Becoming an adventure photographer is an extraordinary career choice, blending creativity, passion, and the thrill of exploration. While the journey may seem daunting at first, understanding the various ways adventure photographers make money opens up a world of possibilities. By leveraging multiple revenue streams, building a strong online presence, and honing your craft, you can embark on an exciting path that combines your love for photography with the adventure-filled life you've always dreamed of. So, grab your camera and get ready to capture the world through a lens of limitless potential.
