(Via wanderlust)
各位有沒有想過靠著照片賺錢來旅行呢?
這個想法究竟可不可行，怎麼樣才能達到呢?
wanderlust曾經刊出過一片這樣的文章，
經由訪問職業的旅行攝影師，來我們一探成為旅行攝影師的幾個條件。
每個拿著相機和機票的傢伙都以為他們能成為旅行攝影師!
Wanderlust的攝影專家Steve Davey，
同時也是Unforgettable Places To See Before You Die一書的作者與攝影師，
卻來洩大家的氣，但他這樣是有道理的。
你也許喜歡蟲鳴鳥叫的世界，隨興的按按快門，但實際上你要做的遠比這還多。
Every muppet with a camera and a plane ticket thinks that they can be a travel photographer!” Steve Davey, Wanderlust’s photo expert, and author and photographer of Unforgettable Places To See Before You Die, is discouraging – but he’s got a point. You might like the sound of swanning around the world, clicking the shutter now and then, but there’s more to it than that.
得起個一大早就為了能捕捉日出，背著比四個背包還重的相機，
無法參與經典的旅行體驗只因為你正忙著拍經典的旅遊照片，
這些都還是其中幾個缺點而已。
Getting up at stupid o’clock to catch the perfect sunrise, carrying a camera that’s heavier than four backpacks and missing out on the classic travel experience because you’re too busy taking classic travel photos are just a few of the downsides.
你能做到嗎?
熱愛旅行和攝影眼還不夠。你需要耐心，等待(或創造)完美的照片。
而且以你的事業來說，你不可能一夜就達成。
你需要對付混亂行程和忙碌的幹勁;你需要商業頭腦來成功地行銷你的作品；
你需要創意和想出新的視角才能從競爭者中突出，
你也需要對的器材。
Can you do it?
Loving travel and having an eye for a great shot are not enough. You need patience, both in waiting for (or creating) that perfect shot, and in terms of your career: you’re unlikely to make it overnight. You need stamina to cope with hectic schedules and long days; you need a business brain to market your work successfully; you need to be creative and come up with new angles to stand out from the crowd; and you need to have the right equipment.
有什麼樣的工作?
設計和廣告業付的錢最多 -如果你的照片被大公司選用你可以賺上萬元。
然而，這樣的工作很困難而且也通常已經被現有的攝影師佔住了。
書籍、雜誌、報紙、日立、卡片和網站都需要旅遊攝影的照片。
有這方面的專長可以幫助銷售。
最簡單的途徑就是建立旅遊照片的作品集並接觸圖庫公司。
他們是擁有來自上百位攝影師拍攝的上萬張照片的組織，有需要的出版者可以在圖庫中搜尋。
缺點是大多數的圖庫都已經有足夠的旅遊照片，如果你想要投稿到圖庫網站的話，
你最好有一系列圖庫沒有個高品質照片。
圖庫也會從你的獲利中抽取一部分費用，所以你的收入會低一些。
另一個方法是參加旅遊照片比賽。
Wanderlust的年度旅遊照片比賽就是特別為業餘者舉辦的，
得獎的攝影師將得到到異地拍攝照片的委託，
當照片被刊登在Wanderlust和The Independent時 -將會很棒的經驗和無價的曝光機會，
許多曾贏過這個獎項的人最後都成為了專業攝影師。
What work is there?
The design and advertising industries pay the highest – you could earn thousands if your images are used in a high-profile campaign. However, this work is hard to come by and only available to those who’ve already proved themselves.
Books, magazines, newspapers, calendars, cards and websites all need travel images. Having an area of expertise will help sell shots.
The easiest route is to build up a portfolio of travel images and approach an image library – an organisation that holds thousands of images by hundreds of photographers, which publications can search through. The downside is that most libraries already have enough travel shots – if you are submitting to a library you need a good range of high-quality images that are different to the library’s current selection. Libraries will also take a cut of the money you make from selling your images, so your earnings may be lower.
Another approach is to enter travel photography competitions. Wanderlust’s annualTravel Photo of the Year competition is specifically for amateurs; the winners get a photo commission to an exotic destination – great experience and priceless exposure, as the images are printed in Wanderlust and The Independent. Many of the past winners of this competition have gone on to become professional photographers.
怎樣才是好的旅遊照片?
一張漂亮的照片並不夠。它必須是高品質而且是原創的。
對雜誌來說，你必須留空間給文字，避免將主體擺在中央以免主體最後落在分頁的中間。
並盡量將主體留在風景的右手邊來製造最大的衝擊。
編輯類的照片則不僅僅是點綴而已，它必須能幫助訴說故事。
一張照片可以震懾人心，但如果它與文字毫無關聯，它則會被忽視。
照片必須符合它的主旨。
以Wanderlustcover來說，照片必須讓讀者想"我想要去那裏!"
What makes good travel photography?
A pretty picture is not enough. It needs to be high quality and it needs to be original. For magazines you need to consider issues such as leaving space on the image for word placement, positioning your subject off-centre so it doesn’t fall down the page join, and possibly placing the subject on the right-hand side of a landscape shot for maximum impact.
Pictures for editorial features are more than decoration – they need to help tell the story. An image can be stunning but if it has no relevance to the text it will be discarded. The image has to fit the brief. For example, the image on a Wanderlustcover must make the reader think:“I want to be there.”
怎樣得到工作
奉獻- 就像其他競爭很激烈的工作一樣，你必須堅持下去。
Lonely Planet Images創辦人及攝影師Richard I’Anson說:
「靠旅遊攝影賺錢過活的唯一方法就是把它當成全職工作。」
不要低價出售自己 -你也許正在做自己夢想的工作但你不能只用熱情來支撐 - 熱情不會幫你付帳單，
低價會有損你做為專業攝影師的行情。如果客戶購買你的作品他們就應該付適當的價格。
I’Anson建議:「不要用照片作為機票或旅館住宿的交換]，
一旦你做了這樣的交換，以後你就更難跟他們收費。
有目標 -試著用潛在客戶的眼光來看你的作品。
I’Anson說「你必須把旅行經驗和照片分開來，你如何拍到照片對客戶來說並不重要，他們只要好照片。」
有原創性 - 幾乎完美的泰姬瑪哈陵照片必定有上百張了 -怎樣才能讓你的照片更吸睛呢?
找出你的擅長領域 - 例如鳥類專家或水底攝影專家，會讓你比較容易出名，找出你感興趣的吧!
磨練你的技巧 - 在你前往昂貴的旅途之前，把你的最品提升到高標準，不論技巧和創意皆然。
買裝備 - 一分錢一分貨 -而且通常不便宜。你至少要有一台35mm底片機或裝著好鏡頭的DSLR
How to get that job
Be committed - like any job for which competition is tough, you have to stick at it. “The only way to make a living from travel photography is if you make it a full-time job,” says Richard I’Anson, travel photographer and founder of Lonely Planet Images.
Don’t undersell yourself - you might be doing your dream job but you can’t do it for love alone – that won’t pay the bills and it will undermine your status as a professional. If clients are buying your work they should pay the going rate. I’Anson advises: “Don’t give pictures away in return for an airfare or hotel accommodation. It’s much harder to charge once you’ve set a precedent like that.”
Be objective - try to see your work through the eyes of potential clients. I’Anson says: “You have to separate the travel experience from the pictures. How you got the picture is not of any interest to photo editors or clients – they just want good pictures.”
Be original - there must be hundreds of near-perfect shots of the Taj Mahal – what will make yours stand out?
Find a speciality Carving yourself a niche – as a bird expert or underwater specialist, for example – might make it easier to make a name for yourself. Ideally find one that interests you.
Hone your skills - get your photography to a high standard, both technically and creatively, before you head off on an expensive trip.
Get the gear - with camera equipment you get what you pay for – and it’s expensive. The minimum you’ll need is a 35mm film or digital SLR with a high-quality lens.
專家的建議...Steve Benbow
Steve Benbow的作品曾經登上許多報紙，但他怎麼辦到的?
「我在1989年畢業於攝影學校 -好的技術基礎是必需的，不論是從課堂或擔任助理學到的，
然而，找到一個旅遊攝影師來指導你幾乎是不可能的，他們大部分都是單獨快速的作業，幾乎沒有時間跟你解是什麼。畢業後，我在Raleigh International 找到一個全職探險攝影師的工作。這必須感謝一位喜歡我豐富作品集的退伍上校 -而且因為我的作品很多面向，我當時非常幸運而我現在也只專注一種攝影而已...
我在Raleigh的7趟探險讓我創作了廣泛的旅遊照片，其中有些現在依然在我的作品集中。
我之後就和不同的廣告公司合作，而我也有許多照片報導的委託，從烏干達的世界觀到Palm Springs的裸體漫遊都有。
我現在正在拍攝畢本關於全球尋找蜂蜜的書，而我最愛的一樣工作就是在甘比亞一顆30公尺高的樹上被上千隻憤怒的蜜蜂包圍!」
忠告:「市場已經幾乎飽和，所以你一定要提供與眾不同的東西，四處找尋不平凡的視角和奇怪的事物。」
A word from a pro...Steve Benbow
Steve Benbow’s work has appeared in many newspapers, but how did he get it there?
“I left photographic college in 1989 – a good technical grounding is essential, be it on a photography course or as a photographic assistant. However, finding a travel photographer willing to take you under their wing is almost impossible. Most work alone and fast, with little time to explain things. After college I got a job with as a full-time expedition photographer. This came about thanks to a retired colonel who liked my diverse portfolio – and because I had a lot of front. I was very lucky and have no front anymore…
My seven expeditions with Raleigh enabled me to produce an extensive range of travel images, some of which are still in my portfolio today.
I’ve since been involved in various ad campaigns, and I’ve had many photojournalism commissions – everything from work for World Vision in Uganda to a feature on naked rambling in Palm Springs.
I am currently working on a global honey-hunting book, and one of my favourite jobs was sitting up a 30m-high tree in Zambia, surrounded by thousands of angry bees!”
Top tip: “The market is almost saturated so you need to provide something special. Look around for unusual angles or something quirky.”
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