SPECIAL SECTION: Paris Workshop - Day Four

On-the-ground reports from the Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop in Paris

Since you couldn’t be with us in Paris for our photography workshop, I asked David Morgan – a freelance writer and photographer – to fill you in on what we’ve learned. You’ll find his report here below.

–Lori
Lori Appling
Director, Great Escape Publishing

Dear Reader,

The Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop in Paris just came to a close. We lingered at the restaurant long after our empty dessert plates had been carried away.

That, I’d say, is a sign of a successful farewell dinner.

It was difficult to say goodbye. Though we’d only known each other for a handful of days, we’d grown remarkably close. (I suspect rolling out of bed at 4:00 a.m. to hike to the top of Montmartre for that sunrise shoot might have had something to do with it. There’s nothing like a common, quirky pursuit to draw people together.)

Anyway, now it’s over. And though I’m sad to see everyone pack up and leave, I know we all have a great deal of work to do.

You see, the real story for our Paris attendees is just beginning. We’ve learned how to use our digital cameras, practiced professional composition techniques, and put our knowledge to use in one of the world’s most photogenic cities.

Our participants have walked away with some truly stunning images… people waving from the bridges of Paris as we passed underneath by boat… picnickers enjoying the shaded pathways near the gold-domed Les Invalides… unique angles of the Eiffel Tower and its many tourists…

I have no doubt we’ll all keep snapping shots. The challenge, it seems to me, will be maintaining the momentum we’ve created here and getting our photos sold. Certainly, there are a number of markets to tap…

Pro photographer Shelly Perry told us how to break into the micro-stock photography market, where you can make a whopping 20 cents for every sale of one of your photographs.

I say “whopping” in jest: Although it sounds so tiny it’d hardly be worth it, in fact there is so much demand for this kind of photography that many photographers, Shelly included, make $500 or more a month just by submitting a few of these shots every few weeks.

We also learned about a second type of stock agency – an agency that sells advertising and editorial images…and pays you royalties! One specific agency in this category is gaining on the big agencies like Corbis and Getty not only in the number of photographs it represents, but also in prestige.

And the beauty of it is, if you know how to take technically correct photographs (we learned how here in Paris), this agency will represent your work. They don’t care where you’ve been published…or even if you’ve been published. If you take half-decent photos, they’ll do their best to sell them for you.

And each time one of your photos sells, you can make anywhere from $200 to $2,000.

We also learned quite a bit about getting our photographs published in magazines by submitting them with travel articles. This is, by far, the fastest way to get your photos into print and get paid for them, and I want to talk a bit more about this outlet today…

In case you are just now joining us, let me quickly introduce myself again. My name is David Morgan, and I’ve been writing to you over the past few days with free on-the-ground reports from our Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop here in Paris.

Yesterday we talked a bit about how taking pictures of people can help your photos sell. This week we’ve also covered some important points about what to look for in a digital camera and how to get more “lucky shots.”

Now I’d like to invite you to dramatically increase the chances that your travel photos and articles will make it into print.

How? Surround yourself with folks who do it every day… writers and editors who know just how to slay the blank page and turn their experiences into cash.

This July 20-23 in Denver, you can do just that. We’ve invited an incredible group of proven travel writers and editors to be a part of our Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop. It’s the only live program like this we’re hosting this year, and I really hope you’ll make the time in your schedule to be there.

Because it’s going to be an experience you just can’t replicate on your own.

Rubbing elbows with the experts makes a lot of sense, when you think about it. I mean, if you wanted to learn how to cook — really cook — you’d want to spend time in the kitchen with somebody who does it professionally. You’d want to sit down with that chef and have her answer your questions. And you’d want, simply, to watch and learn, to absorb her tricks of the trade. You’d want to cook alongside her.

Sure, you could just pick up a cookbook and follow the directions. But it wouldn’t be the same.

And so it is with travel writing. Just as our experts have given our group of budding photographers here in Paris an incredible jump-start, so you too can boost your chances of success as a travel writer by spending four power-packed days rubbing elbows with some of the best in the business.

You’ll learn…

• What kinds of travel articles sell best – and how to write and submit them.
• Where to find the publications that make the most sense for your story, what to put in your letter to the editor, when to send your article… plus we’ll give you the insider’s list of what NOT to do (you’d be surprised at how many writers have no idea what makes editors crazy…)
• Six foolproof secrets to writing a saleable article every time… how to choose the right words… how to write powerful sentences… what to put first, and how to draw your piece to a close…
• How to avoid the three biggest mistakes new writers make when they write travel articles from their own point of view.
• How to take one research trip and come home with three articles… which means three times the income…
• The one big secret you never learned writing “What I did last summer” essays in school. This critical idea separates adequate writers from exceptional ones, and travel editors can tell immediately if you’re in-the-know.
• And much, much more…

Plus learn how to take advantage of the “perks” that go with this work, such as complimentary vacations, meals at the world’s best restaurants, access to behind-the-scenes locations you’ve probably never seen… and more…

It’s been a real pleasure writing to you this week, and I hope to meet you soon in person.

Kind regards,
David Morgan
Writer and Photographer

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]