Lanscape Photography and traveling

[rickp1]

Guys, I'm curious.
How does it work when photographers travel the globe taking great landscape images?
Are they freelnace photographers that just sell their picutres or are they fully employed by organizations?

The reason I ask is I would love to do that kind of work but have no clue where to begin

Thanks
R

[Jim Bryant]

Both, sometimes they are on an assignment and manage to grab some stock shots, while other times, they might be on vacation. Unless you are retired or rich, it's a very hard market to break into.

[rickp1]

Thank you Jim I appreciate the reply.

R.

[Jim Bryant]

Mainly it's a catch-22. How do you get the experience from shooting those type of job, when you're are given an assignment? You need the assignment in order to get the pictures, but unless you're freelancing for a magazine or one of their frequent contributors, it's a very hard market to break into. The editors seem to hire those who are proven shooters and can being back the images time and time again.

[Rina Minca]

If you have the time and money, make a photobook! Then you'll have something to show to organizations. It'll be more than just a portfolio.
Also, try getting in touch with the big photographers in the market (I don't know any) maybe from National Geographic and ask them how to do it.

[Jim Bryant]

Get the Photographer's Marketplace 2010. It's full of helpful information as to where you can sell your photographers.

[rickp1]

Thank you guys really!

R.

[waynehicks1]

I met an English guy in Mexico City in 2008. He was a photographer who was employed by The Rough Guide. He told me that he was given his first assignment by simply sending his portfolio in and hoping for the best. They liked his work and since then he had been travelling all over the world shooting pictures for them. According to him, he had to pay for his own travel costs but he was paid very well for the pictures that were published in the book. He loved his job which combined his love for both travel and photography. He hadn't been home for two years. Once one assignment ended it seemed another was waiting for him in some other amazing destination.

It's definitely a fantastic career if you have the right eye for travel photography. It's something I would love to pursue but I have only just bought my first DSLR and I think I have a long way to go before I'm even ready to consider such a path.

Good luck. I hope you succeed and get to live your dream.