How to Turn Your Passion for Adventure Photography Into Your Career

From getting around barefoot at school in North Queensland to seeking out and photographing remote waterfalls, Reuben Nutt has a passion for the outdoors that hasn’t dimmed over the years. In fact, his focus on the environment and sharing Australia’s unique landscapes has only become stronger. 

For Reuben, it’s not a part-time gig or a side hustle, but a career he’s continually building – but not without compromise and plenty of hard work along the way. I chatted with him to find out how his career has developed and how he uses his creativity to inspire people’s connection to Australia’s wild places. 

Read more: A Never-Before Photographed Waterfall in the Daintree and Reuben Nutt’s Mission To Get There

Beginning With a Passion for Nature and Photography

Reuben Nutt grew up in the tropical paradise of Port Douglas – where weekends were spent exploring with his parents. His dad, who worked as a photographer, would usually take a camera along on their family adventures.

For Reuben, the combination of enjoying the outdoors and being exposed to photography early on led to an interest in filmmaking, photography, and nature.

But it wasn’t until studying at uni – in an unrelated degree – that Reuben made a move towards a career in photography. Bored with the classroom environment at uni, he and his mates would go hiking and climbing – and shoot their adventures along the way. This just happened to coincide with the peak of Instagram.

Tourism and Events Queensland – a branch of the Queensland government that promotes the state to potential visitors – was one of the first groups to notice Reuben’s content.

They reposted it to their wide-reaching social channels and then approached Reuben to do a shoot in the Whitsundays. Reuben jumped on a Tiger Air flight, slept on his mate’s floor for five nights and took some incredible photos that are still used to promote Queensland today.

Building a Network is Crucial

Reuben has continued working with tourism organisations and built a network of other clients. For him, having a network is crucial to success in this industry.

‘It’s the only thing that matters’, says Reuben.

Companies looking for photographers or filmmakers to work with are often spoilt for choice because so many people are creating content. In addition, there’s plenty of creators who are willing to work for free to get their content seen.

‘It’s hard to compete with those guys who are willing to do it for nothing’, says Reuben, ‘Everyone’s got a phone these days. Everyone can shoot great stuff on their phone. And so you’ve got to compete with that.’

He’s now based in Brisbane and continues to build his reputation for producing quality work. A strong network and reputation give an advantage over other photographers in what is a very competitive industry.

Have a Backup When Starting Out

Along with networking, Reuben’s advice to would-be-creators is to have a backup plan.

‘I think you have to be willing to put your ego aside when you’re starting out’, he said.

So even if you want to specialise in adventure photography, be prepared to broaden your creative scope, and source work that provides an income.

For Reuben, it was starting his own company that allowed him to fund his passion. He now works with a range of clients who want to film or shoot everywhere from a studio to much more remote places.

‘Doing that is gonna get the repetition up. It’s gonna get me the income to be able to fund my projects that I really want to do’, he said.

Be Ready to Work Hard

For Reuben, being the director of his own company and creating content from start to finish involves a lot more than just filming or taking photos.

‘I’m envious of the shooters. They just get to rock up to set, shoot, and then put the camera away and go somewhere else’, he said.

A lot of his work takes place in the office first. Pre-production includes working closely with the clients to help them create schedules and understand what they want to get out of the shoot.

‘It’s sort of just a day-to-day grind. And then you’ll have a month or two, just solid, solid shooting. Then it’s back to the office to edit the project and take it right through until a finished product’, he said.

Stop to Appreciate the Scenery

While working as a freelancer has had its challenges, for Reuben it’s important to stop and reflect on the amazing experiences he’s had in his career so far.

‘It’s important, I think, to take that step back sometimes when you’re on location… take a moment and be like, this is really cool. What would I have thought about this when I first started out?’ he said.

Running his own company also gives Reuben a degree of flexibility in his work.

‘You do get a bit of flexibility and freedom with how you want to schedule your hours. There are times where you’re 100% on the job working, but there’s also times where you’re not working at all.’

The downtime is when he can focus on the direction he’s taking the company – focusing on more remote shooting with clients who have the same goals – while also planning his own projects.

‘I’m never happy with where I am. I’m always trying to get better,’ says Reuben.

Showcasing and Protecting Our Wild Spaces

Reuben has a number of his own creative projects on the go, which aim to showcase Australia’s wild spaces. In creating his own content – including documentaries – Reuben sees an opportunity to showcase different parts of Australia and build people’s emotional connection to it.

However, Reuben is quick to point out that these days his Instagram account is a place where he showcases his passion projects – not his day-to-day work.

‘When you look at my account and you see the stuff I’ve posted recently – that’s not how I’m making money. It’s just keeping that passion alive for how I want to be shooting full time.’

Follow Reuben on Instagram or his website – you might just be inspired to start your own journey!

Listen: Want to Become an Adventure & Conservation Photographer? Here’s How Calumn Hockey Built His Career

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifications do I need to work as an adventure photographer?

A career as an adventure photographer doesn’t necessarily require formal qualifications – and there’s also no set path to building a career.

The nature of photography work in the outdoor/adventure industry is usually part-time or freelance – which is something for would-be photographers to consider before coming into the industry. Most creators start out in smaller roles, and then work their way up to where they want to be in the industry.

For filmmakers, Reuben says that film school is a good idea – but mostly for the contacts and industry networking – as the skills themselves can be learnt online and practised.

With photography and filmmaking, you also need to be ready to evolve in line with the industry, particularly in regard to new technologies, as the standard is constantly changing.

What does an adventure photographer do?

Adventure photographers mainly work outdoors or on location capturing images of great experiences in motion. They can work as independent contractors or in more permanent positions.

What should I do first if I want to be an adventure photographer?

Start taking photos! Practice your outdoor photo editing skills and start building a portfolio of your best work. This will enable you to see what you enjoy most and guide you towards your preferred niche.

Not sure what you want to do when you grow up?

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