6 Travel Photographer Success Stories [2023]

Updated: July 24th, 2023
Become A Travel Photographer

Are you a talented creative with an ever-enduring sense of wanderlust and looking for a business to support your travel expenses? Becoming a travel photographer can be a great business opportunity!

Travel photographers focus on documenting places, animals, and sceneries on their photojournalist websites or library and selling to different clients.

For instance, you could get your photo on a national geographic cover or sell it as print art at local museums or galleries.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a travel photographer:

1. CuddlyNest ($2.8M/year)

Ritesh Raj (from Orlando, Florida, EE. UU.) started CuddlyNest over 6 years ago.

Revenue
$233K / month
Team
2 founders / 72 employees

Case Study

I’m Ritesh Raj, the co-founder, and COO of CuddlyNest, an accommodation booking platform for travelers. I have a travel tech background of over 13 years—so I’ve been at it since 2009!

That means focusing on all kinds of travelers, who are looking for all kinds of property types, with all kinds of budgets. Our inventory currently includes over four million properties of all types in 80k+ cities!

how-we-solved-a-major-pain-point-with-travelers-and-built-an-all-in-one-booking-platform-21m-sales-in-2022

2. ANTHONYKDO INC ($120K/year)

Anthony (from ) started ANTHONYKDO INC almost 6 years ago.

Revenue
$10K / month
Team
1 founders / 0 employees

Case Study

Hi! My name is Anthony Do, creator of ANTHONYKDO INC. I run my own business in the creative industry as a filmmaker, photographer, and creative director. I am a nomadic Canadian that was born in Edmonton, Alberta.

Today, I have over two dozen loyal clients that are scattered across six different countries. That number continues to grow as I touch new places on the map. My monthly revenue fluctuates and is volatile, but I have been able to keep it somewhere between $7000-15000/month for a few years.

how-i-make-120k-year-as-a-travel-filmmaker-and-photographer

Learn more about starting a travel photographer:

Where to start?

-> How much does it cost to start a travel photographer?
-> Pros and cons of a travel photographer

Need inspiration?

-> Examples of established travel photographer
-> Marketing ideas for a travel photographer
-> Travel photographer Instagram bios

Other resources

-> Travel photographer tips

5. Wandering Aunt ($27.6K/year)

Robin Finney (from Dallas, Texas, USA) started *Wandering Aunt * about 4 years ago.

Revenue
$2.3K / month
Team
1 founders / 1 employees
Location
Dallas, Texas, USA

Case Study

Hello! My name is Robin Finney. I am a writer, international model, nomad, and founder of Wandering Aunt. I design and create solo travel and photoshoot experiences, lead souls retreats for people who wish to travel solo yet aren’t ready to do so on their own, offer intuitive card readings, and lead online workshops to support people in bringing their vision to life.

I officially began my business in July 2019 and it started to gain traction in December 2019. I took some time to really discover what it is that I want to offer and build as part of my brand. I attract clients who are wishing to gain more confidence in their life and discover their own unique essence.

how-i-started-a-1-8k-month-travel-business-while-traveling-around-the-world

6. 52Frames ($120K/year)

Yosef Adest (from ) started 52Frames over 12 years ago.

Revenue
$10K / month
Team
1 founders / 0 employees

Case Study

Hello! My name is Yosef Adest and I am the founder of 52Frames, an online community that helps people to engage in creative play and personal growth through a weekly photo challenge.

When my phone stopped ringing in clients during Covid, I doubled down on monetizing 52Frames and, in 2021, launched a premium membership that was successful enough to quit my freelance job to focus on it full time.

how-i-ve-been-running-an-online-photography-community-making-10k-month-from-premium-memberships

Pat Walls,  Founder of Starter Story
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