How to Become a Travel Photographer in 2025
After travelling solo for the first time and documenting my trip, I knew that I wanted to become a travel photographer. As a 23-year-old recent university graduate, however, becoming a travel photographer seemed like a fairly tall task. For starters, I had very little camera gear. Secondly, I was just starting my career as a marketing professional, so I had minimal funds for trips - and, without a travel photography portfolio, there weren’t any businesses or publications knocking on my door to sponsor my adventures. But, with the travel bug firmly instilled in me, I knew I had to figure out a way to become a legit travel photographer. So, with nothing but a dream, an old SLR camera and some serious wanderlust, I determined that, if no one was willing to pay me for my photography just yet, I’d have to create my own travel photography opportunities. What I didn’t know, however, is where those self-made opportunities would take me.
Plan Your Own Expeditions
Determined to get back on the road again as soon as possible, I saved and saved and saved throughout the first few months of my new job. Finally, I was able to book a four day solo trip to St. Johns, Newfoundland. During my trip, I embarked on a whale and puffin watching boat tour, travelled to the most eastern edge of Canada, and hiked along a narrow cliff-lined trail above the swirling Atlantic Ocean. And, of course, I snapped as many travel photos as I could along the way. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I’d curated a vacation that allowed me to both recharge and pursue my travel photography dream through a few well researched excursions - or what I now like to call “mini expeditions.”
When a lot of people think about travel photographers, especially the well-known ones, they imagine epic expeditions with massive budgets and lots of sponsors. These, of course, do exist, but they are not at all required to become a travel photographer. In fact, many travel photographers actually plan and fund their own expeditions themselves. So, how can you do the same when you’re just getting started? Treat your vacation as a mini expedition!
When you start planning for a vacation, research both the well known and lesser known landscapes and landmarks in your chosen travel destination. As you photograph some of these locations, consider how you can use them to help inspire others to venture to the location. Whether your aim is to simply post your photos on Instagram or create a full-on travel guide, travelling to a location with a photographic purpose will help you get more into the travel photographer mindset. And, even though you’re on a vacation and not an adventure sponsored by National Geographic, you can still tell people you went on an expedition. Why? Because a self-funded expedition is still an expedition. Oh, and it also sounds bad ass.
If you don’t have the funds for a vacation / self-funded expedition at the moment, you can also plan mini expeditions around your town. Most towns and cities are located near hiking trails, coastlines and other significant landmarks. Explore some of these areas, snapping photos along the way to help inspire others in your local community to get out there and see their town, too. There are tons of people itching for adventure that doesn’t require hopping on a plane. Show them, through your local travel photography, the possibilities awaiting them right outside their doors.
Invest in the Right Equipment
As I started to plan more and more vacations (complete with mini expeditions), I also started to yearn for a more compact and modern camera set up. It wasn’t that my old SLR camera was bad, but it was pretty large and clunky, making it a bit cumbersome for travel. At the time, there also wasn’t an easy way to transfer travel photos from an SLR camera to your phone, preventing me from downloading, editing and sharing my photos while on the road. With my 2016 Thailand trip approaching, however, I knew I needed to pack light for the 30 hour journey.
Now, as any photography enthusiast knows, purchasing new camera gear is fun. And I mean really fun. But, at the time, I had no idea where to start. I originally considered purchasing a classic point and shoot camera, as they are extremely tiny and portable. Most point and shoot cameras, however, have a fixed lens, limiting their versatility for travel photography and preventing me from upgrading to better quality glass in the future. After searching for a compact camera similar to a point and shoot with the ability to snap high quality photos and change lenses, I discovered a unicorn: mirrorless cameras. And, more specifically, Sony APS-C mirrorless cameras.
If you’re looking to upgrade from your iPhone’s camera to an actual mirrorless camera, or if you’re still snapping travel photos on an old, clunky SLR camera, start by looking at APS-C cameras. These cameras function very similarly to full frame mirrorless cameras; the difference is that the sensor size is smaller, or cropped, compared to a full frame sensor. While there are certainly pros and cons to both full frame and APS-C cameras, most newer photographers won’t notice a difference in image quality or functionality between the two. The real benefit with an APS-C camera, however, is its size and price. Because APS-C cameras use smaller image sensors, their camera bodies are typically pretty small too. The smaller sensor and camera body also typically makes APS-C cameras cheaper than their full-frame counterparts. So, when you’re starting out, don’t feel like you need to purchase a super expensive full frame camera like your favourite social media influencers. Check out some of the smaller, more affordable APS-C cameras. They’ll get the job done and then some.
After researching Sony’s various mirrorless camera options, I purchased a Sony a6000. The camera was small and super light. I literally took it everywhere with me, as it was so easy to carry. As I continued to develop my skills, I eventually purchased a full frame Sony camera (the Sony a7iii), but, honestly, some of my favourite travel photos to this day were taken on the smaller Sony a6000.
If you want to take photos underwater, I’d suggest investing in one of the latest action cameras as well. I’m currently using the GoPro Hero 11 Black, and the image quality is superb. I have used GoPros to compliment my main camera setup throughout my whole travel photography journey, and they have always served me well no matter the “mini expedition.” Sure, you can invest in an underwater housing for your mirrorless camera, but those are typically pretty pricey and bulky. The latest action cameras have come a long way in terms of performance, and most are small enough that you won’t even notice that you packed it in your bag.
Speaking of bags, try and keep your camera bag as small as possible. I typically carry my gear in a 9L camera sling, which fits nicely beneath the seat in front of me on the plane. Again, my current set up consists of a full frame camera and a few lenses, so, if you do go the APS-C route, you could fit it in a small 3L or 6L sling. When I was carrying my Sony a6000, though, I simply carried it in small camera case inside my travel backpack.
Share Your Stories
The more travel photos that I started to take, the more I wanted to share them with the world. Like most aspiring travel photographers, I first started by sharing my photos on my Instagram account. Instagram can be a great platform for reaching new audiences and expanding your photography career. However, with ever-changing algorithms, you’re never really in control of who sees your travel photos - or how many people. Because of this, many travel photographers (myself included) become frustrated when they work hard on a photo, upload it to Instagram, and then receive very little engagement. That’s why, early on in my travel photography journey, I started a travel blog.
As my background is in writing, I knew a travel blog would be a good creative outlet for me. I quickly learned, however, that a travel blog is also a great place to share the stories behind your travel photos (and mini expeditions), while also inspiring others to seek out new and exciting places. In addition, a travel photography blog allows you to showcase your travel photography, take more control over your content, relying less on social media algorithms, and write travel articles that are similar to the big travel and adventure outlets that all travel photographers strive to be in: National Geographic, Outside Magazine, etc.
With a travel photography blog, you are not only creating a place for people to potentially find your travel photography work, but also developing a portfolio of travel articles and stories that you can showcase to some of these big publications and travel businesses, helping you secure funded travel photography projects. Oh, and speaking of funded travel projects, make sure you include an actual photography portfolio on your website. This will allow potential clients to quickly and easily see if your style matches their brand / audience. Your portfolio should include your best photos, display your particular travel photography niche / expertise, and, of course, showcase your ability to share stories, too.
Conclusion
Becoming a well-known travel photographer who embarks on funded expeditions can seem like a daunting, if not impossible, task. But anyone with a passion for photography and travel can become a travel photographer - they just need to create their own travel photography opportunities. To start, plan “mini expeditions” where you go on an adventure, photograph the journey and share it with the world. You can embark on mini expeditions on your next vacation, or find unique and interesting things to do near your hometown. Next, invest in a compact camera set up that makes travelling easier, and also allows you go grow your craft. Finally, share your travel photography stories through your social media profiles and website. Who knows. One of the big travel publications may come across your articles and ask you to embark on an expedition for them, or you may inspire one person to step outside of their comfort zone and travel somewhere new. Either way, you’ll have created something special - and become a travel photographer along the way.