6 Travel Photographer Success Stories [2024]
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.
In this list, you'll find real-world travel photographer success stories and very profitable examples of starting a travel photographer that makes money.
1. Efficy ($25.2M/year)
Cédric Pierrard, founder of Efficy, came up with the idea for his European CRM company after realizing the limitations of the software he was working with at his previous company. He and his colleague, Robert Houdart, decided to create a highly customizable, easily upgradable, and 100% SaaS-based CRM solution. After launching with existing customers and offering a special migration offer, Efficy has grown to nearly 200 employees and achieved a turnover of €22.4M in 2019. Their ambitious goal is to be 5 times bigger and represent 5% of the European CRM market in the next 5 years.
How much money it makes: $25.2M/year
How many people on the team: 200
Efficy, a European CRM software publisher founded 15 years ago by Cédric Pierrard, has seen €24M in revenue in 2019 and seeks to be 5 times bigger within five years, representing 5% of the European CRM market, having experienced success through organic growth and external mergers while maintaining a strong focus on core business.
2. CuddlyNest ($2.8M/year)
Ritesh Raj, the co-founder and COO of CuddlyNest, came up with the idea for the accommodation booking platform after years of traveling to over 100 countries and realizing the pain points of finding diverse types of accommodations. Alongside his co-founder, they decided to create a centralized platform that offers all kinds of properties for all types of travelers. Since its launch, CuddlyNest has raised over $14 million in funding and has plans for continued growth and expansion.
How much money it makes: $2.8M/year
How many people on the team: 72
CuddlyNest has become the only online travel agency that offers all types of accommodations in one platform, with inventory currently including over 4 million properties of all types in 80k+ cities, and is expecting to hire more than fifty new employees in the coming months.
3. Not a Nomad Blog ($120K/year)
After moving to Germany, the individual in question decided to launch a blog to share her experience of living in Europe and provide some travel tips.
With time, she noticed that her blog's traffic was increasing, and she identified an opportunity to generate income.
To accomplish this, she enrolled in affiliate marketing courses and integrated affiliate links into her blog with the goal of earning a commission for any sales made through those links.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
Not a Nomad Blog, founded by Monica Lent, generates an average of $10K/month through affiliate marketing, with a yearly income of $120K/year since 2013, focusing on SEO strategies to drive traffic and revenue growth.
4. 52Frames ($120K/year)
Started as a personal project for Yosef's personal photography improvement, he eventually started a Facebook page for other enthusiasts to join as well, and ran it that way as a passion project for over a decade, with people participating in weekly photography contests. It was only until 2021 when Yosef launched a premium site membership that generated him enough revenue to quit his freelancing career in video production.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 0
52Frames is an online photography community that started as founder Yosef Adest's passion project, which grew into a successful business with over 3,000 photo submissions weekly and 700 paying members after ten years of incremental growth and centred around community building, organic word of mouth, and delivering value to customers.
5. ANTHONYKDO INC ($120K/year)
Anthony's passion for filming and moving led him to create films that were appreciated by his audience. As he gained more recognition, he started receiving requests to create films for others. After his first successful client project, he was convinced of his entrepreneurial potential.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How many people on the team: 0
A nomadic Canadian filmmaker started their creative business six years ago and now has over two dozen loyal clients scattered across six different countries, earning between $7000-15000/month, with a website built on WIX and no traditional marketing approach, relying on word of mouth and social media, they operate like an agency these days aiming for more meaningful work.
6. Wandering Aunt ($27.6K/year)
After quitting her corporate marketing job to travel the world, Robin Finney started Wandering Aunt in July 2019. She initially focused on designing trips but later expanded to offer solo travel experiences, retreats, intuitive card readings, and online workshops. With over 200 email list subscribers and a strong social media presence, Robin plans to lead more retreats and develop online courses in the future.
How much money it makes: $27.6K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 1
Wandering Aunt founder Robin Finney shares her journey of starting a sustainable travel business, including her decision to leave her corporate marketing job of 11 years, using a simple website and free tools like Mailchimp to grow her email list and attract customers, and the importance of investing in a coaching program for support.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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