If you are a nature photographer and you manage to make a living from your hobbies, you will achieve many of your dreams and goals. And although the challenge is greater than in other types of discipline because in many cases, this type of photographer does not have a studio as such and clients may not be near their usual places of residence, or even their country, in Arcadina we put at your disposal all kinds of tools that will help you to make this path of fulfilling your dreams much easier.
Because being a nature photographer means loving the environment, caring for it and being in constant contact with it, that’s why today we want to talk to you about how you can monetise your landscape images to be able to make a living from this profession without giving up travelling.
Learn how to sell your images and become a fully-fledged nature photographer.
What is the day-to-day life of a nature photographer like?
The truth is that being a nature photographer is one of the most complex disciplines among photographers. In these reportages the photographic studio becomes the natural environment and here the conditions that the professional encounters are very difficult to control. Taking care of and respecting the places to be photographed, minimising interaction with the local fauna, dealing with the weather conditions, finding the best places to take the photographs, planning the outing correctly, and overcoming cultural and technical limitations. These are just some of the obstacles that photographers may encounter in their day-to-day work.
Below we are going to share with you an article in which we give you a few tips for this type of outdoor photo shoot.
My dream is to be able to sell my work all over the world, not just locally
All photo shoots have a certain amount of prior organisation, but those that involve trips to the countryside or even travelling to distant countries require much more preparation. And although these types of photographers go more for their vocation and the pleasure they get from being surrounded by so much natural beauty than for doing business, they also have to make a living from it and pay for each of the trips they take.
And in addition to saving all these situations that can arise when taking photographs in nature, once you have the graphic material comes the second part of your work: selling your photographs to make your trips to the countryside profitable. That’s why it’s important that as a travel, wildlife and flora photographer you know how to amortise every single shot you take with your camera and reach a wider and wider audience so that you don’t have to look for a second job to be able to continue with that rhythm of life that you like so much.
I don’t know how to sell my nature and travel photos
It’s all very well to want to sell your work all over the world, but do you really know how to do it? Do you have the infrastructure and the know-how to do it?
Of course you can hire third parties to manage this type of work for you, but what if we told you that you could control this part of your business yourself for little money per year and without having to acquire technical knowledge?
Because what is clear is that on the one hand there is the photographic technique, knowing how to capture a jaguar in full race or waiting for the cherry blossom to be in full bloom … And on the other hand there is the technical knowledge of how to sell the photographs of your trips and outings, and for the latter we can help you.
I would like to earn more income from the sale of my photographs
Another issue for any nature photographer is to learn how to increase the sales of each of the images he or she sells.
Sometimes, it is true that it does not pay to go on a long-distance trip for a photo shoot, for example in the desert, if you only sell several downloads in digital format afterwards. In these cases, it is important that you learn how to create several lines of business to make your trips as profitable as possible.
Essential tools for selling nature photography
As a nature and travel photographer, on a business level, you have to learn how to give visibility to your photographs, get an online sales system that works and make your field trips as profitable as possible.
At Arcadina we have several business solutions that adapt perfectly to your work as a photographer and will help you to open new online business avenues.
Even if you have previously managed to sell your report to a specialised magazine or a media outlet, preparing this type of report is very expensive and if you manage to sell some extra images, the trip will have been much more worthwhile. To get this extra income it is important that you get some visibility on the Internet and have your website fully prepared to sell any photograph online.
Below we are going to see some of them but first we are going to share with you a compilation of several nature photographers who already have their business with us.
1# Image galleries to showcase your best nature photography
To show your best work there is nothing better than a gallery of images and videos. In Arcadina you will be able to create all the galleries and sub-galleries you need, you will be able to choose from several designs and your visitors will have the opportunity to view each image in full size to be transported to that remote place from where you took the picture.
If you see fit, you can also include in the galleries a melody that is related to your images, thus, the user experience will be much more complete.
And if you are one of those who are travelling all day and have little time to update the galleries on your website, with us you will also have the opportunity to create an Instagram gallery so that all the images of nature and animals that you upload to this social network are automatically uploaded to your website.
2# Nature photography blog for more visibility
We will never tire of repeating that one of the best ways to achieve greater visibility on the Internet without spending money on advertising is the photography blog. Between trips you can take advantage of this communication channel that is included in all Arcadina websites to tell your audience about your latest trips or outings to the countryside and show some of your best photographs.
If you get the hang of writing fairly attractive headlines, include a number of key words in your texts and simply give your readers the information they want to know, you can go a long way with your photography blog.
If you love nature and photography and you would like to make a living from it, the best thing to do is not only to create a photography website where you can show your work, but also to use an online business where you can sell your work.
When selling nature photography on your website, you can use public galleries to upload the photos of your latest trips to the countryside and put them on sale to anyone who wants to buy some fantastic landscape images. In this type of galleries you will be able to offer digital images for sale with download (for a fee) or even printing in all kinds of formats.
4# WhatsApp chat in all sections of your website
Another tool that can be very useful for you is WhatsApp Business. This business solution consists of being able to include a small chat on your website so that any user can make a quick query from any page of your website.
In addition, thanks to the WhatsApp Business service, you will also be able to communicate with your customers through the management panel.
In the following article we will tell you more about this service.
Discover all the possibilities offered by online image galleries
Undoubtedly, if anything can help you sell more photos of your outings are the public galleries for sale, thanks to them you will be able to create a gallery for each outing or event, upload the images and offer anyone who wants to sell your photos in digital format 24 hours a day.
Over time, once you have seen for yourself how easy it is to create such a gallery, you will be able to expand your business options, for example, by adding the option of selling images in more professional printed formats, creating packages, etc.
In Arcadina we have simplified all the processes so that without previous knowledge and with the help of video tutorials and our help articles, you can create a digital business in a few days.
Thanks to the different options available in the online shop, you will be able to offer your customers the possibility to buy an image immediately. All you have to do is upload the photos*, specify the price and a brief description and wait for your images to be sold. And if you prefer, you can also set up quantity pricing, price scaling and create specific price lists.
* In Arcadina you will be able to export and manage your photos directly from Lightroom to your website.
Here we are going to share with you a very interesting article where we talk in more detail about selling images through your website.
Increase your revenue through public sales galleries
Once you have a well-established online sales system for your images and you have given visibility to your photos, it is important that you manage to monetise each photograph as much as possible.
Imagine the journey this photographer must have had to make to capture this lonely road in a foreign country on a completely clear day, only to have it sell several digital downloads.
If you get a higher return on each photo, your travels will pay off. For nature photographers, selling photos in different formats and sizes can be a fantastic option. That’s why it’s important that you don’t just sell digital photos. Offer the sale of printed photographs in professional formats and “sell” your images as decorative elements to customers.
Start being a profitable nature photographer thanks to Arcadina’s solutions
It is clear that if you are a nature photographer you have to do everything possible to ensure that your images are automatically sold on the net, so that you can work on what you really like and continue with the ideal lifestyle for you.
Thanks to public gallery sales, you will be able to sell your work to anyone who has access to the Internet while you continue to travel and photograph the world around you. Without the need for technical knowledge and offering your customers a wide range of possibilities.
And to say goodbye, we would like to ask you a question: What do you think are the pains of a nature and travel photographer that can affect this type of professional the most? We’ll read your opinions in the comments.
Arcadina goes with you
Fulfil your dreams and develop your professional career with us. We offer you to create a photography website for free for 14 days so you can try our platform without any commitment of permanence.
Arcadina is much more than a website, it is business solutions for photographers.
If you have any queries, our Customer Service Team is always ready to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We listen to you.
