2022 Travel Guide to Capturing Stunning Summer Landscapes: Tips For Videography and Photography Freelancers
What makes summer landscapes so enticing for photographers? Is it the extra hours of daylight, or the warm reflections off cool coastal waters in the summertime months? Photographers and videographers wait all year to shoot landscape photography under these optimal summertime conditions.
Summer months are the ideal time to pick up a camera and shoot. Just make sure you have a plan in place for how to monetize your hobby and find customers who will pay for your work.
Clear forecasts and warm evening light make for stunning summer landscapes. For freelance photographers/videographers, the months of July and August are the ideal time to get creative.
Whether you’re building a portfolio or working directly for clients on commissioned projects, consider these tips for videographers/photographers as you start drawing up your travel plans and scouting out locations for summertime landscapes.
Building a Business as a Freelance Landscape Photographer
The field of landscape photography is about capturing Mother Nature at her finest in a single inspirational frame.
Landscape photography is one of the most inspiring genres of photography — and it can also be quite profitable.
To generate income as a freelance landscape photographer or videographer, you’ll need to put together a strong portfolio of your work. You can sell your work as prints or as licensed images. Other ways to monetize a landscape photography business are by creating videos for clients, monetizing social media accounts, and accepting commissioned projects from clients, like marketing agencies and businesses.
Finding the Best Locations to Shoot
What inspires you? What motivates you? What images do you gravitate toward?
These are questions to ask yourself when deciding where to set up for a landscape photography shoot. Especially when travel is involved, it’s worth doing the research beforehand to find the locations most likely to inspire you to develop your photography skills.
For freelancers who specialize in landscape photography and videography, finding the right location to shoot is paramount. Working conditions as a landscape photographer or videographer can be difficult and uncooperative. Spending time researching a location prior to beginning your summer travels will go a long way in ensuring you bring home creative work you can be proud of.
When researching the best locations to shoot summer landscapes, pay close attention to lighting. The time of day you choose to shoot will impact the mood of your final product. Depending on the landscape you’re shooting, different times of day will change the contrast and hues of your photographs.
Capturing images during the so-called golden hour—after sunrise and before sunset—gives you a warm golden glow. Early morning images lend themselves to cooler, softer color palettes.
One of the best places to begin your research is Google Maps. More freelancers are using Google Maps to scout good photography and videography locations than ever before. Using Google Maps, you can check out a satellite view of any area and see what landscape characteristics you’ll be capturing when you visit. Satellite images help you understand the terrain, so you’ll be prepared with the right equipment and the right mindset before your travels begin.
Pro Tips for Photographers/Videographers: Smartphone apps like PhotoPills combine sun and moon position predictions, location shoot planning, and instant calculators for exposure and depth, so you can plan your summer travels and get a clear sense of what to expect from any photo shoot location before you arrive.
Best Places to Visit to Shoot Summer Landscapes in 2022
Demand for landscape photographers has never been greater. If you are the type of person who enjoys travel, then working as a freelance landscape photographer or videographer could be a good way to generate income from your hobby.
Freelance landscape photographers and videographers who are still working to build their online portfolios will often take extended road trips in search of the best locations to shoot. No matter your personal taste, the United States has plenty to offer when it comes to summer landscapes.
From the California desert to New England coasts, these are the must-see locations for capturing summer landscapes in 2022.
1. Big Sur
The oceanside cliffs at Big Sur are iconic, but this location along the California coastline still has plenty of untapped opportunities for the enterprising freelance photographer. Summer is the best time to shoot Big Sur. If you’re looking for a good place to begin, check out Montaña De Oro State Park, Morro Bay, or Moonstone Beach.
2. Zion National Park
Zion National Park in Southern Utah is a landscape photographer’s dream location. Shooting summer landscapes, you’ll find red cliffs, clear rivers, and dazzling waterfalls just waiting to be captured. Zion National Park is known for its mesmerizing sunsets, so make sure to plan out your expedition beforehand to prevent missing any key moments of beauty.
3. Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is the second National Park on this list, but when it comes to natural beauty, it’s in a league of its own. Acadia National Park is located along the New England coastline. Travel photographers and videographers have been flocking to this region for years trying to bring to life their own take on the quintessential summer landscape. Unlike other National Parks, many of the best photography spots in Acadia National Park can be reached by car. Expect to find historical lighthouses, seascades, and small seaside towns.
4. Hawaii
The summer landscapes in Hawaii have been well-documented by photographers and videographers, but there is always the opportunity for a skilled photographer to bring more to the table. The Big Island and Kauai are the most popular locations in Hawaii among freelance photographers and videographers.
Pro Tips for Photographers/Videographers: It’s worth noting that Hawaiian landscapes tend to be big sellers among people who have traveled to Hawaii on vacations. Videographers/photographers are often able to sell their work faster, and for a higher price, when they capture images of places where people have traveled for special trips, like honeymoons and reunions.
5. Portland, Oregon
Keep Portland Weird. It’s the city motto in Portland, and it’s an ethos many videographers/photographers have attempted to capture in their landscape photography. Portland cityscapes are popular sellers on online marketplaces like Funnel. Just outside the city, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to capture less urban environments. Grand waterfalls, Douglas fir trees, and the incredible Columbia River Gorge are all just minutes away by car.
Upgrade Your Freelance Photography Business
Want to learn more about how to take your freelance photography business to the next level? Curious to find out additional tips for photographers/videographers? Join Funnel’s team of talented creative professionals and connect with potential clients through our online marketplace. Click here to learn more.