To become a freelance nature photographer involves a lot of perseverance and patience. Nature photography relates to photography shot outdoors and dedicated to showing natural elements such as wildlife, plants and landscapes.

How to break into Freelance Nature Photography

Any person with a passion for filming nature can get started as a freelancer but this does tend to be a tough field to enter. A suggestion is to take masses of nature photos and get other people, especially other photographers to take a look at them and ask them for any pointers. You should also use any opportunities to network with other photographers and so become acquainted with people who may be able to assist in finding good contacts to get into this field.

An approach to consider is to take a photography class, buy a decent camera and a PC that is capable of producing images large enough for magazines. You should look in nature magazines, and find the editors and publishers of that magazine. Post or email your work to the editor, with a covering letter and hope that they feel your work is good quality.

Who hires Freelance Nature Photographers?

Nature photographs are published in many scientific, travel and cultural magazines. A few of the well know ones to get in touch with are:

• National Geographic
• Nature Photographer Magazine
• Texas Parks & Nature
• National Nature
• The Journal of Nature Management
• National Wildlife Magazine
• Audubon Magazine
• Nature's Best Photography

What to Charge

The average salary for nature photographer jobs is around $34,000. Freelance nature photographer salaries can differ greatly due to location, therefore you should do some investigation on what others charge and price up your work with these figures in mind.

Tasks Expected of a Freelance Nature Photographer

One of the main tasks of a nature photographer is to be knowledgeable regarding their chosen subject. They should also be well-informed regarding other natural history subjects to be able to avoid causing any harm to them whilst shooting on location.

Skills of a Freelance Nature Photographer

As well as requiring good technical skills, nature photographers usually need superb field craft skills. For instance, some animals are hard to approach and the photographers need to understand the animal's behavior to be able to anticipate their actions. A nature photographer will need to possess patience, initiative and plenty of time. They will also need to practice a lot.

Equipment used by a Freelance Nature Photographer

Nature photographs can be shot using basic equipment, but successful photography of many types of nature still requires special equipment, for example underwater cameras for marine life and a macro lens for insects. Nonetheless, a brilliant nature shot can be taken just because the photographer was in the right place at the right time.

Where to look and apply for jobs

Various magazines such as National Geographic and Nature Photographer Magazine hire freelance nature photographers for various short-term assignments. Many people will choose a photographer based on their reputation in the natural history field plus looking at examples of the photographer's previous work; so a decent portfolio is very important. Additionally you could make money by holding a stock of nature photos and selling these if one of your contacts has relevant requirements or online using stock photography agencies.

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