Roadtripping as a paid photographer
I love a good roadtrip.
And I get a lot of enquiries for work interstate. So the two are often combined into magical whirlwinds of driving, exploring and photographing, and sometimes I drag someone along with me for company.
In April this year I road-tripped through New South Wales (NSW) for my photography work, and I brought my puppy, Marmalade, with me. We travelled to Tamworth, Inverell and Stanthorpe for shoots.
I thought I would write up a little outline of how it all came together and what was involved so that if you are interested in booking a shoot, or if you a fellow photographer, you can get an understanding of how it all works for me.
The catalyst for the roatrip I conducted in April 2024 through NSW was Laura from Querencia Tamworth. After her enquiry came through late in 2023 I knew I had to make it down to shoot their gorgeous property and she was quite keen to get me there whenever I could next.
Tamworth is about 7 hours drive from me, and so in order to do the shoot I would have to block out at least three entire days from my calendar to drive there, shoot and return home. Which is a bit more travel than I usually like to on for just a one day shoot!
Read on for how I tend to organise and plan long-distance photoshoots that are not local to me. FYI I usually classify shoots anywhere over three hours drive from me a long-distance shoot.
Organising a work road trip
I keep a list of positive enquiries/expressions of interest for a shoot that have come through from further away (categorised by state). Often people say “Let me know when you are down my way”, and then it either is up to me to actively coordinate a trip, or sometimes there is someone who is really keen for me to visit within a particular timeframe.
And so when the time comes, I will do my best to make it happen by reaching out to other positive leads I have had in that state or area in the hope of booking in several shoots, making the extra travel worth my time. It also makes it more economical for my clients as I charge travel fees and split these between all paying parties on a trip.
Using this method I have travelled to Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Central Queensland and New South Wales.
How it happened this time
I actually didn’t have any positive leads for Tamworth or anywhere en route on my list but was keen to make the trip and put a call out on my social media with a screenshot of a map. I also sent out a newsletter to my database letting them know of my plans and directly contacted some businesses I was keen to work with.
In the end, I ended up having a lot of leads come in from my Instagram story, and from that booked in two previous clients Inverell Art Gallery and Nikki who owns Glen Aplin Farmhouse/Bridge Street Cottage for the trip.
Before I hit the road, I ensure I have an outline in my calendar of shoot and travel days, plus accommodation when I wasn’t able to stay where I was shooting. I LOVE being organised and don’t often wing these kinds of trips.
on the road
It was such a beautiful time of year to travel through NSW, the trees were changing colours and Marmalade was such lovely company for my trip! My clients were super amazing letting me have her on my shoots and what I loved most about having her with me was taking her for walks in new neighbourhoods and seeing beautiful houses and areas I may not have explored otherwise.
All up I spent just a week on the road for this trip. A few things I like to ensure I have with me or ready to go to make a work road trip a little easier:
a small cooler bag and ice brick to keep my Oat milk and a few other items cold between locations
my own coffee grounds and plunger - this is how I start my day and it is a small pleasure I can bring from home wherever I go
a large water bottle that fits in the drink holder of a car door
a few shopping bags for any groceries I collect on the way
sharp secateurs for foraging for shoots
waze app - it has a good feature to ask the route to avoid dirt roads which is very helpful when driving in new places in the countryside!
shoes that can easily slip on/off - handy when ducking in and out of properties throughout the day - who has time to do up laces all the time
ground rules
It is important to set your own rules and boundaries for these sorts of trips. I get sick most often during or after I have been away on a trip like this, which is not fun at all! These are the sorts of rules I set for myself:
bill travel costs to the client - whether that is a contribution to fuel, flights, car hire and accommodation. I shoot a lot of accommodation, and require either a stay at the property I am shooting OR it is paid for elsewhere by the client
assign specific travel days - I avoid shooting and travelling on the same day if I can. At a minimum I will drive to a destination on a day scheduled with a half-day shoot only. If it a full-day shoot, I stay on location or nearby for two nights
feed yourself - eat proper food, and bring a lot of snacks to consume during a shoot
maintain a decent sleep pattern - I try to keep my usual sleep/wake routine when away from home
set your Out-of-Office - OK, I don’t do this… but if you have a lot of expectant clients it is good to have an OOO reminder set on your email so people know you are away and you can set expectations on when you will be able to respond to them
first shoot: Querencia tamworth
I actually stayed the night in Grafton with my brother and sister-in-law before driving to Tamworth on a Sunday to arrive in time to meet Laura and Katy at their airbnb Querencia to do a tour before the shoot the following day.
I had a full-day shoot booked at Querencia so I stayed the two nights either side of the shoot in Tamworth.
It is always really really nice to have a full-day shoot at a property to really capture the essence of the space, and have time to style some little lifestyle moments with what has been provided by my clients. Shooting across an entire day lets me take advantage of the best light throughout the house as the sun moves across the sky.
Second shoot: Inverell Art Gallery
The next stop was Inverell Art Gallery for a half-day shoot, for which I allocated a full day of travel between the two towns and only a one night stay. I managed to take Marmalade for a lovely walk along the river in Iverell before my shoot and she slept next to my camera bag the whole four hours! What a legend.
After my shoot at the gallery, I visited my client Christina’s house and then did a late night drive to Tenterfield which was quite intense to be honest and I like to avoid long drives on the day of a shoot if I can. But sometimes I just have to make the call and get on the road.
I think I had Mi goreng noodles from a packet for dinner that night as I got in quite late. I woke up in a caravan park absolutely freezing because I hadn’t realised there was an electric blanket! I tell you this just to prove to you that travelling for work is not always glamourous!
I ended up doing personal shoot in Tenterfield just after sunrise, and worked from a park table for the rest of the morning with Marmalade tied up beside me.
Third stop: Bridge Street Cottage & The Old Farmhouse at Glen Aplin
Before leaving Tenterfield I paid a visit to previous client Rose of Tenterfield Creek Organics to collect some dahlias. I had a great time in her flower tunnel catching up and helping her pick two overflowing buckets of dahlias for my Stanthorpe photoshoot with Nicki, the owner of Bridge Street Cottage and The Old Farmhouse Glen Aplin.
I have been lucky to visit and shoot these airbnbs before, and it was so lovely to catch up with Nicki and shoot some new content for her. I allowed myself two nights in Stanthorpe, knowing it would be a lovely time of year to spend time there and being the end of my trip, I wanted to take it easy.
I really enjoyed exploring the pathways along Quart Pot Creek in Stanthorpe with Marmalade. The walkway meanders along the creek and is dotted with beautiful trees and granite boulders.
I always stop in at Sam’s fresh fruit and veg shop, which is north of Stanthorpe, on my way home so I can bring fresh local produce home for the next week.
And that was my trip!
If you have any questions please let me know or if you would like me to visit you, please get in touch :)