How to Start a Travel Photography Business

Start a travel photography business by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your Travel Photography Business
2. Form your Travel Photography Business into a Legal Entity
3. Register your Travel Photography Business for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your Travel Photography Business
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Travel Photography Business
7. Get Travel Photography Business Insurance
8. Define your Travel Photography Business Brand
9. Create your Travel Photography Business Website
10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your travel photography business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

• What will you name your business?
• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?
• How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Travel Photography Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a travel photography business?

Most travel photographers work out of their home or on the road. Your start-up costs will include investing in several professional cameras and needed accessories, a laptop or computer able to display your images in the highest definition possible, and the associated software for editing. Of course, you are going to need to pay for your travel as well. $20,000 should buy your basic equipment and get you to your first few destinations.

What are the ongoing expenses for a travel photography business?

You'll be buying new camera equipment from time to time, but the travel is likely to be the biggest expense that you will face. Don't expect to be staying in four-star hotels with concierge service, but anticipate using hostels or sharing small rooms on a regular basis while you get established.

Who is the target market?

You will have made it big time when established photo-journals and travel guides are contacting you to shoot a spread for their next issue. As a beginner you'll want to establish yourself through selling on stock photography sites, freelancing to newspapers and websites, and perhaps doing studio work for weddings, graduations, and families.

How does a travel photography business make money?

You will earn the majority of your income by selling individual photos to websites and print magazines. Should you build a positive reputation, it may be possible to have your travel paid for by a client who wants your photography for their business, but this is not common.

How much can you charge customers?

Popular stock photography sites can pay as little a ten cents for each upload of a single image. Some sites do offer professional rates, but you will have to submit a portfolio and resume in order to become one of their select photographers. A local newspaper may offer between $20 and $100 for a picture. When your image is selected by a popular travel journal or magazine, it is possible to earn $1000 for a single image.

How much profit can a travel photography business make?

The average income for a professional photographer is about $60,000 a year. That average represents both new and established businesses. You will start out slow and should expect to earn half the average for the first few years.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Watch your travel budget. Just because you are on the road does not mean that steak dinners are affordable. Treat your travel expenses like daily living expenses, rather than as vacation expenses, and you'll see more income in the bank.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your travel photography business is sued.

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a travel photography business.

Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Trademark & Copyright Protection

If you are developing a unique product, concept, brand, or design, it is prudent to protect your rights by registering for the appropriate trademarks and copyrights. Learn more here about trademark and copyright protection.

The nature of legal requirements in distance education is ever changing, especially in regards to copyright laws. Here is a frequently updated resource, which can help keep you aware of the legal requirements.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

Is this Business Right For You?

A successful travel photographer will have extensive knowledge of how to use their camera to get the highest definition images containing dramatic landscapes. They will need to enjoy living on the road, hiking, and exploring distant locales to get the perfect shot. They should be sociable and able to toot their own horn in order to develop new clients and customers.

What happens during a typical day at a travel photography business?

If you are running your own travel photography business, on any given day you might:

• Travel to a new destination, this can include driving, flying, hiking, boating, or a number of other forms of transportation
• Take a large number of photos using your personal camera equipment
• Sort and curate your images using professional image software, fix lighting, and crop and focus errors to produce a professional image suitable for sale
• Upload select images for sale on stock photography websites or submit them to clients who have placed orders
• Work your social media, blogs, and other marketing channels to increase your business’ reach
• Study current travel magazines and journals for trends to help you plan your next photography destination
• Collect payment from clients who bought individual shots or hired you for a shoot

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful travel photography business?

You are going to need to know how to:

• Operate a professional-level digital single-lens reflex camera and be able to manipulate all the settings to generate the best, high-definition images
• Manipulate images using professional photo imaging software such as Adobe Photoshop or ACDsee
• Use a personal computer
• Navigate stock photography sites to upload your work
• Complete basic accounting tasks
• Utilize social media to promote your personal brand
• Travel the world on a budget
• Use a marketing strategy to get your work in front of paying customers

What is the growth potential for a travel photography business?

It takes time and effort to establish yourself as a full-time freelance photographer. You will need to continuously market your work and yourself in order to generate regular orders from returning clients. The growth potential is in making this job your only source of income when your photo sales are able to cover your living and business expenses.