Erin Babnik on Going Pro: Making Landscape Photography Your Business

Erin Babnik on Going Pro: Making Landscape Photography Your Business

Have you ever considered going pro as a landscape photographer? What does that even mean in today's business? Professional Landscape Photographer Erin Babnik shares the often obscured truth about the genre.

The truth is that the rock star days of zipping around the world on commission are largely behind us, partly because of the saturated industry and partly because that industry itself has changed. To make a living from any genre of photography today, is to be a star at social media. Your clients are out there in the virtual world, whether they're potential customers for prints, shoots, or are aspiring photographers themselves. In landscape photography, there are just a handful of professionals who still work on commission from, let's say, National Geographic. But let's face it, getting paid to return with stunning imagery from the most remote locations on the planet is a career not everyone is cut out to pursue.

Babnik has been there though. Before transitioning to wilderness photography and teaching through workshops around the globe, she produced photographs on assignment for years. She has seen the shift in what landscape photography is about, while having to move with the flow of change herself.

In her latest blog entry on Photo Cascadia, Babnik touches upon this change and opens up on the real world of professional landscape photography. And it's far removed from the rock star stigma frequently associated with it, from the difficulties of communication due to a lack of data and phone signals and different time zones, to spending most time away from home and loved ones. The article is written in a touching and heartfelt manner, and full of bits you could relate to if you spend a lot of time living in the outdoors. A personal favorite is her description of the permanent marks on her hips caused by the waist belt of a heavy backpack while trekking.

If you're an outdoor person who isn't in the world of landscape photography, the benefits of going pro outweigh the potential hurdles this life may throw at you.

View more incredible work on her website.

Image used with permission from Erin Babnik.

[via Photo Cascadia]

Daniel Laan's picture

Daniel Laan is an outdoor enthusiast, teacher, writer, and landscape photographer. While his dramatic landscape photography has gained international acclaim, his pursuit of the light is primarily a means to get to know himself. Daniel teaches introspective landscape photography around the world through running tours and workshops.

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