How Van Lifer Kim Butler Makes Money Taking Elopement Photos on the Road

Building your own business BEFORE hitting the road in a campervan is a great way to ensure you have enough money to travel full-time.

That’s exactly what Kim Bulter did….building her photography business for eight years before heading out with her husband in their Dodge Promaster campervan, “Walter.”

Van life allows Kim to blend her love for photography, travel, and the outdoors. Together, Kim and Jesse document adventurous love stories, shooting elopements in over 13 national parks (and counting).

So, what’s it REALLY like to run a photography business from the road? Kim dishes the deets here.

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourselves and what inspired you to start living on the road?

I have been a photographer for over a decade when we decided to sell our house and move into our van, Walter. I had started making enough that my husband was able to leave his job and be my full-time business partner (and eventually Videographer). 

For me/us, van life was the next logical step in our lives as I was traveling so much and was missing being home with my husband and dogs. Now we are together all the time!

2. How did you transition into wedding photography as your primary source of income?

It took a long time for me to finally go full-time. Like 8 years long! But once I put my money and efforts into really good advertising and having a bulletproof website, it was much easier to finally make the jump to being my own boss.

3. What drew you to specialize in elopements, particularly in national parks?

I lived just minutes outside of the Olympic National Park my whole life. It feels like I was meant to explore national parks with couples! But I didn’t stop at Olympic… I have now photographed couples in 13 national parks across the western United States. 

Sure, there is a little hoop jumping that is required to photograph a couple getting married there, but it is still easier and extremely more cost-effective than a venue. And let’s be honest, there is no comparing the beauty of a national park.

4. What’s the biggest challenge of photographing weddings while living on the road, and how do you handle it?

Logistics involving traveling. There have been times when we’ve had to drive across a state or two in 14-ish hours to get to two weddings that were only 1-2 days apart. 

Thankfully, 2024 didn’t have anything that stressful, but I am sure it will happen again someday! 

I just love being able to be there for couples on their special day, and if it means I have to drive an insane amount to get to them, then I will!

5. What photography gear is essential for your work, and how do you manage storage and backups while traveling?

Having a wide range of lenses and backup gear is essential. You never know what could happen! 

I have about six lenses I could use at any given time at a session and two camera bodies. Jesse has four lenses and several camera bodies. Just myself alone, I have 40 SD cards that I use, and I don’t delete anything until the photos are delivered.

I have many Lacie (the orange ones!) backup external hard drives with us in a big bag, as does my husband. We’re always backing everything up and making sure our clients’ photos and videos are in multiple locations. 

As for gear, I’m a Canon girl, Jesse is Sony. We make it work!

6. How do you plan shoots in remote locations and coordinate logistics with couples?

One of my favorite parts of my job is scouting! If it’s a place we have shot at 1000x and we know the lay of the land, we’ll do a quick drive-through to see if anything has changed versus going on hikes in new places. 

But I always give 1-2 days before a session in a place we’ve never been or haven’t visited in a long time to scout and find the perfect spots to take my couples. We also try to be as flexible as possible for the weather, so if needed, we can move things around.

7. What tools or apps do you rely on to stay organized and manage your business while on the move?

17hats for contracts and keeping track of client info. Pixieset for gallery delivery. My husband uses his Excel to keep track of when payments are due and from who–the man is a wizard and really the most beneficial part in helping us stay organized!

8. How do you find new clients, especially while traveling to different areas?

Google is my best friend! Since our business is so well established in certain national parks on the West Coast, we work there during our busy season, April-October. 

We enjoy our off-season during the winter months in southern California and Arizona. We’re able to make enough in the 6-7 months we actually shoot to keep us afloat while we aren’t shooting. 

We also book future sessions up north while in the south, and we are always open to shooting in the southwest!

9. How do you balance work and personal travel, ensuring both your business and lifestyle thrive?

It can be hard, honestly, sometimes, having six months of photographing and then six months “off” doing all the back-end stuff. But if we’re in the weeds and need a break, we just go to a campground for a few days to spend time with each other and the dogs. 

10. What advice would you give to other photographers who dream of making money on the road?

Advertise! Doesn’t matter if you do Google like us or Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram. Just sharing posts and stories is not enough. 

As someone once told me, “Fortune favors the brave.” You have to spend money to make it and put the time and effort in.

11. What skills, beyond photography, have been crucial to building a successful business?

Learning how to be a business person and handle customer service was tricky but so helpful! Plus, Jesse’s 15 years in retail helps a lot with knowing how to interact with the public.

12. If you could go back to the start of your van life journey, what would you do differently in terms of building your career?

I wouldn’t change a thing! At least nothing in my power. COVID made things more difficult for all of us wedding professionals. But it did bring elopements more into the spotlight, especially for those on the east coast.

13. Your love for national parks is evident—do you have a favorite park to photograph in, and why?

Obviously, Olympic will always have a special place in my heart, and it is by far the most diverse national park in the country. I also really love photographing Yosemite and Glacier National Park. The beauty and mountains of those two are unmatched, and they have lots of great spots to go! 

I am dying to do an elopement at Lake Clark NP, Gates of the Arctic, or on top of Denali–all of which are in Alaska!

14. After over 15 years of marriage, what’s the secret to balancing a relationship, a business, and a nomadic lifestyle?

For Jesse, it’s “being patient and putting God first. Focusing on the goals we have and realizing we’re a team and stronger together.” For me, it’s having our own “me time.” 

Being with each other literally 24/7, 365 days/year, it’s good to find hobbies that don’t involve the other person. I like to paint, make beaded jewelry and read books, while he likes to go hunting for rocks with our dog Phoebe.

15. What’s next for you both—any big plans, new goals, or bucket list destinations?

It’s currently December 2024 and too early to know where all God plans to take us in 2025. But so far it’s looking like Alaska will be on our agenda again! If I could do an elopement anywhere in the world, though, it would probably have to be Greenland, Iceland and Norway!

Connect with Kim

To keep up with Kim’s breathtaking photography and van life adventures, check out her website at www.kimbutlerphotography.com or follow her on Instagram @kimbutlerphoto.

As Kim says, “Fortune favors the brave.” Kim’s journey shows what can happen when you embrace change and follow your passions. It serves as a reminder that you can use your creative talents to build a business that allows you to travel the world. You just have to be brave enough to try!