The term “digital nomad” or "location independent" is becoming more attractive to many, led in part by millennials as the world shrinks due to the connectivity the internet brings. Artists, engineers, and developers alike are ditching the normal routines and instead embracing the constant adventure of the nomadic lifestyle.
UK based landscape photographer Thomas Heaton has joined the ever-growing population of those wanting to escape the confines of the normal office, and instead enjoy being on the road with his new Ford Transit custom camper van. I for one am envious, and have considered how to adapt my business into a more nomadic lifestyle for some time now as well.
Throughout the video Heaton gives an overview of how his camper van was designed and some of his thoughts surrounding the actual build out of the vehicle. Heaton's custom van comes with hidden benefits for photographers, such as the tripod cubby. I also appreciated the details Heaton provides on the additional security he's added to the van. That definitely gave me more things to ponder as I research what I want in my future build out. As with all major projects though, there were some hiccups along the way, but after a couple of delays the van was finally finished.
While Heaton admits he wouldn’t be utilizing the van for full-time work, having the ability to work in the field in relative comfort while on extended projects is a huge benefit. I look forward to hearing more from Heaton and his reviews on the van as he uses it more. Are any of our readers part of the digital nomad movement? Are you utilizing a camper/RV or utilizing sites such as Airbnb or couchsurfing.com? If you haven’t, make sure to follow Heaton on Instagram here.
Would love to do that...too many non-photography related concerns. Need four square walls to manage it all.
Well, as Art Director (with a designer base) and Photographer I usually take my longboard, bike, foot on a Work trip to find a nice spot - Mainly one of the nice beaches near home.
But also I pack my gear to the car to go higher and far away to be more... isolated. But is it really "digital nomad" or "location independent"? I don't know. Mainly I work on the go. At home, on location, where my clients are, where the good mood is...
It helps to recentrate - but I can't work like this everyday as I have a little child and family.
Maybe that's more a "get ready lifestyle".
This is my goal-ish. But the tough part is finding work that's remote-friendly. It's incredibly competitive.
Why? Studio office is not bad either :)
Been watching Thomas' videos for a while. Great quality and good content. My wife and I are halfway through converting a school bus into a tiny house. I do a lot of landscape work and fine art involving landscapes- so fully intending to take advantage of the mobility a tiny home on wheels provides. Its certainly a frustrating process at times, but one with benefits that far outweigh the negatives. We're hitting the road later this year.
That is a great setup. I'll have to steal Thomas's ideas on customizing a van.
I roll around to assignments in my '76 Westy. Shoot, edit, drink, repeat-