Traveling Wedding Photographer

Tips on being a traveling wedding photographer

I started out as a wedding photographer in my local area. I really pushed and worked hard to get my name out there and build a reputation of being reliable, helpful, hard working, talented, and creative. Once I started booking weddings on a regular basis, the unthinkable happened. We got orders to move! Now here I am, in the town I grew up in, been married to a man who was military but always stationed in the local area, my business has really started to boom, and now we have to move. I was devastated. Not because I didn't want to leave the area, but because I didn't want to start over with my clientele. Little did I know... that was the best thing that ever happened to me. 
Because of that simple move, I became a traveling photographer. 
I kept all my weddings and clients in my home town. I also took on a ton of weddings in the town I moved to. Once I started traveling back and forth, word got out that I do just that, travel, and started booking in other towns between. 
For me, its truly exciting to go out of state to photograph a wedding.
This year for 2021, I have changed my strategy a little and started booking those beautiful Adventure weddings in several different states. I am honestly really looking forward to those this year.
​ Here are some tips below to help you become a traveling photographer.  

1. Build your wedding portfolio local first-  You have to start somewhere to really build your portfolio before you are able to show people in other states why they want to book you. This may take you some time and that is ok.

2. Stay Focused- The area I was in, is very saturated with photographers and not as saturated with views so it isn't necessarily a "destination" location that people flock to. So I gave myself a goal of 5 weddings a year. If I could book 5 local weddings considering the logistics of the area I was in, then I would feel successful. I also gave myself a 5 year goal for growth. I wanted to be in a certain place career wise by 5 years and I had to work hard, not compare myself to others to make me want to give up, and keep focused, in order to get there. Before I knew it, those goals were surpassed. 

3. Hard Work pays off - Hit the ground running and don't look back. If this is something you really want then the hard work you put in, will eventually pay off. I educated myself just so I wouldn't be just a girl with a camera. I became a girl with a camera and education on how to use that camera. I went to school, and I really indulged and immersed myself in information on how to become the best version of myself while doing this career. I sold myself, I advertised, and I truly put in the heartfelt work it took.