5 Ways to add destination shoots to your portfolio

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5 Ways to add destination shoots to your portfolio with Sal Cincotta

Love traveling? Jelly of all those photographers who have pictures in their portfolio from around the world? Well, its easier than you think to get started. Below are some tips and tricks to get started in destination photography. 

Before we get started here, ask yourself, why? Why is it you want to travel? Now, I know you might be thinking this is a trick or somewhat rhetorical question, but I assure you its not. Its an important question and the answer will drive your future decisions. Knowing your “why” so to speak will help you see the bigger picture when it comes to travel work. 

So, what is my “why”? Well, we love to travel. Its really no more complex than that. We don’t have kids. We love food. We love different cultures. We love experiencing the world. It’s this big beautiful place. So, traveling was something we wanted to do. Our goal, make sure it’s a business expense. To do that, we had to make sure we were working and shooting in these destinations. Profit, in the beginning, was low on the totem pole. If we could break even, we thought, how cool would that be? We were being paid to see the world. Do you see why understanding your why is so important now? It will help you see the difference between always having to make money, which is very important and doing what you love. 

This is a fun and exciting time in your personal life and your business. Creatively speaking, who doesn’t want killer portraits from around the world. We all get bored shooting in our own backyard all the time. 

So, lets get started. 

1. Pick a destination

Sounds too easy, right? Well, that’s because it is that simple. Now, if you are just getting started start small. Start local. For example, pick a city that’s within driving range to keep costs down. Open a map and look for locations within a 4-6 hour drive. This allows you to control hotel costs and eliminates the costs of airline tickets which is always a factor. 

By starting somewhat local, you also make it easier for your clients to say yes to a destination shoot as well. This is important, after all, they are the ones you are selling to. 

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