128 – Passport, Camera, Action: The Realities of Traveling the World as a Photographer

What happens when you quit your job, pack your camera, and set off to travel the globe for an entire year? This week’s podcast guest, photographer Kirsten Smith, knows the answer firsthand!

In this inspiring episode, we chat with Kirsten about her journey from leaving behind a traditional career to embracing the unpredictable life of a traveling photographer. She shares how that year-long adventure changed her perspective—not just on photography, but on life itself—and how she balances the “real world” now while still fueling her wanderlust.

Kirsten also dives into the nitty-gritty details: planning, budgeting, and logistics for traveling as a photographer as well as offering insights on finding creative inspiration in new places and capturing the unique energy of each destination. Whether you’re dreaming of your own travel photography adventure or just curious about what it takes to make it happen, this episode is packed with valuable tips and motivation.

Tune in for an honest, adventurous, and uplifting conversation with someone who proves that chasing your dreams is always worth it!

Stream the Episode

Listen to the episode using the player below or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or click here for a wider selection of podcast platforms.

Support the Nerdy Photographer

Want to help The Nerdy Photographer Podcast? Here are a few simple (and mostly free) ways you can do that:

Episode Promos

This episode includes promos for the following:

About My Guest

travel photographer Kirsten Smith

Kirsten Smith is a writer, photographer, and world traveler based in San Francisco. Her photography can be found in Broken Lens Journal, Cosmic Daffodil, Vagabond City Lit, and more. Her stories have appeared in magazines including Sage Cigarettes and Esoterica. In 2015, Kirsten quit her corporate job to travel the world solo for 1 year — she visited 24 countries across 5 continents, and documented it all in words and photographs in her travel blog, The Wallflower Wanderer. She hasn’t stopped capturing the world around her in words and images since.

You can see Kirsten’s work on her website – wallflowerwanderer.com or follow along with her on Threads or Instagram

Would You Quit Your Job to Travel Taking Pictures?

If money was not an object, where would you want to travel and capture images? Find us on Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, or TikTok and tell us all about your dream photography destination!

SHare this post with your friends!

Spread the word! Use the buttons below to share this post with your friends.

Picture of The Nerdy Photographer
The Nerdy Photographer

Casey Fatchett is a professional photographer with more than 25 years of experience and the host of The Nerdy Photographer Podcast. Casey's work and expertise have led to features and interviews in the New York Times, NPR, New York Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, People, Glamour, and numerous other web and print publications.

Leave a Reply