Capturing memories made easier with travel photogs

Fang is especially grateful for the people she has met along the way. "Opening up to strangers is actually easier than I thought. Most likely you won't see each other again, so there's no holding back," she said. "Also, their encouragement and compliments are what keep me going."

Fang and Rui said their client pool is also mostly made up of women. "About 97 percent of my followers on Xiaohongshu are women, while the remaining three percent are men typically seeking my photography services for their girlfriends," Rui said.

Almost every time when Rui goes to Universal Studios, he runs into women who are disappointed because their partners couldn't get "perfect" shots of them.

"That is one of the occasions where I can come to the rescue," he said.

Shi and Fang have observed that, due to safety concerns, the majority of female customers tend to favor female photographers.

But Rui is not troubled by this particular preference. "Consider the fact that Universal Studios welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each day, and perhaps around a hundred of them require the services of a photographer. If just one or two clients choose to book my services, that's sufficient for a day's work."

Rui emphasized the importance of his robust communication abilities and active social media presence. "When guiding my customers on how to pose, I usually find it helpful to personally demonstrate the poses while providing clear verbal instructions," he explained. "I also regularly upload videos on my Xiaohongshu channel, sharing photography skills. This way, people get a glimpse of my work and personality even before our actual meeting."

Rui said that while it may be relatively straightforward to begin a career in this industry, photographers must find a way to improve their work after doing it for a while. For example, he has dedicated his efforts to enhancing his editing skills and streamlining his workflow to become more efficient.

"As long as I continue to meet new people, confront fresh challenges, and improve myself, the number of bookings or followers I gather becomes nothing more than a natural by-product," he said.

However, this booming industry also has a dark side. For travel-along photographers, there are no industry standards or measures to ensure the rights of all parties.

Even though Shi and Fang are from the same city, their pricing is dramatically different. For Fang, it's 50-60 yuan per hour and two hours minimum for each booking. Shi used to price her service at 100 yuan per hour, but has recently increased it to 550 yuan per hour for one person and 700 for two.

"There were too many inquires at the previous price, which was too much for me to handle. So to decrease demand, I had to increase my fee," Shi explained.

However, while customers select photographers based on their gender, style and price, Fang said photographers should be selective of their customers as well. "During initial conversations online, always be friendly, but also vigilant."

Most people used to deal with photographers only during formal occasions like weddings and family portrait sessions in professional studios. However, the landscape of photography has evolved, integrating seamlessly into our everyday lives. Travel-along photo shoots, in particular, offer a more laid-back and enjoyable experience. According to Shi, many people seeking photographers today simply want photos to post online.

Since Xiamen is a tourist city, Fang attributes the high demand for travel-along photographers to high tourism numbers this year. "I think demand will decrease in the future. For me, it's just a part-time job and a hobby."

But Rui is more optimistic about the future. "Taking photos, receiving positive feedback, improving my skills — I'm happy every step along the way, which is how I know I'm on the right track," he said. "There's always going to be someone who needs me. Soon, I'll begin charging for my photos and uploading videos about photography with more diverse settings, apart from Universal Studios."