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Introduction
You’re reading this because you have two passions in life. First, you
love taking photos. You probably carry your camera everywhere with
you, just waiting for a chance to snap a candid shot that tells a little
story. That’s the art of photography and, if you’re reading this, you have
a passion for that art.
But then there’s your passion for money. Don’t worry, you’re not being
judged. It’s good to be motivated by money. It’s what makes the world
go ‘round, right? Or is that love? Point is, money may not bring
happiness, but it sure makes life a whole lot easier to get through.
And anyone knows that the best way to make money is to take what you
love and turn it into a business. Well, congratulations. You have taken
the first step towards making money doing what you love: Taking digital
photos.
Not many people know that you can make a good living just by selling
photos over the Internet. But once you become aware of just how many
photos we’re exposed to on a daily basis, the realization that you can
make money taking great photos should be a no-brainer.
Photographs Everywhere You Look
You would have to live in a shack out in the woods like the Unabomber
to not be exposed to literally hundreds of photographs per day. Think
about your daily life. If you ate breakfast this morning, there was probably a picture of someone on the cereal box. If you made coffee,
there might be a picture on the can, and that’s just in your kitchen.
There are photos on the billboards as you drive to work. There are
photos in the magazines when you sit in your dentist’s waiting room,
and you are bombarded with photos galore the moment you turn on your
computer and start browsing the Internet.
The point is, every industry needs photographs. And while there are
many experts out there who get paid very handsomely for the
photographs they churn out (think major magazine photographers),
amateurs are able to make great money doing what they love, too!
That’s right. You don’t have to be a professional. You can go out right
now, pick up a digital camera and you can theoretically start making
money off of those photographs. And I’m going to show you how.
First, however, before you rush out thinking you’re the next Annie
Leibovitz, you need to consider if you have what it takes to make money
from your photos.
That can be a hard thing to ascertain, especially when you have a
passion for something. Because the truth is, you could enthusiastically
take loads and loads of pictures but there’s no guarantee that any of them
will sell.
To fail at something you love to do can hurt deep down in your core. But
you must remember that just because your photo doesn’t sell, doesn’t
mean you’re no good. It could be for a number of reasons.
The point is to have patience, and make sure you learn how it’s done
before you start selling your photos for moneyOnce you’re done reading this, you’ll have all the tools you need to get
started. Only then will you truly see the potential for making money
that’s eluded you all this time because you never took the time to
wonder where all the photos you’re surrounded with daily actually come
from.
Do You Have What it Takes?
If you think it’s easy to sell digital photos online, you’re mistaken. Show
me one person who’s made it big selling photos, and I’ll show you ten
more just like him/her that don’t make squat. They could even be taking
pictures of the same things. The difference between them is that the
person who made it put time and effort into his/her photo business. So
ask yourself, do you have what it takes to sell your digital photos online?
If you said yes, then you must commit yourself if you hope to make it.
Go back and read that sentence again. That’s the most important aspect
of making money through digital photography. You must put in the
required time and you must remain passionate about what you’re doing
because that passion, or lack of it, will come out in your photos. And
finally, you must be able to have patience until you’ve learned enough to
actually know which photos will sell, and which ones won’t.
Time
The amount of money you make with your photos depends on how
much time you invest in your business. On average, you should expect
to work at least four hours per week, and more if you’re really
ambitious. Four hours is nothing and it’s worth it when you consider
you’re doing what you love.
Are You Creative?
This is a huge one. You can take a thousand pictures of your cat and it’s
likely not one of them will sell for even a penny. That’s because cats have been done. You need to step out of your immediate surroundings,
get out of your comfort zone, and you need to think outside the box.
Carry your camera with you wherever you go and be on the lookout for
an image that just screams, “Take my picture!”. This could be a shard of
ice hanging from a lighthouse bridge. It could be a neighborhood dog
catching a Frisbee, or it could be the way the sunset splashes vivid
colors across the darkened sky.
Equipment
Obviously, if you’re going to sell digital photos, you’re going to need a
digital camera. But to increase your chances of making a sale, you might
want to invest in a few other things, as well.
The camera is number one. You must have a digital camera. There are
many on the market these days and most of them produce excellent
quality photographs. The prices are dropping on them all the time, so
you should be able to get a decent one for cheap.
But what about editing software? Have you considered that you may
want to doctor your photos so that they come out absolutely perfect? Do
you know how to use that editing software to its fullest potential?
Finally, do you even know how to take good photos?
These are all questions you really need to consider before you try your
hand at this lucrative but competitive business.
There is a lot of money to be made, but there’s also beautiful
photography to be made, as well. It really is a great way to earn a living.
It’s fun, and there’s just something fulfilling knowing that others are
willing to pay for the photos you’ve taken. However, you must also be ready to deal with rejection - because that can be the most difficult part
of this whole business.
Rejection
You may find that you’re in love with your photos, but that you’re the
only one who feels that way. It’s kind of like when someone brings
along their dog and they go on and on about how cute and loveable their
dog is, but everyone else doesn’t feel that way. Some people may be
allergic to dogs. The dog may be lovable but that doesn’t mean they
want to risk touching it so they’ll blow up like a balloon.
The point is, you can’t please everybody. If you take a beautiful
photograph and nobody likes it, don’t let it get you down. Those people
just don’t have good taste, that’s all. Or they don’t need that photograph
for any particular reason.
See, most people buy photos because they’re looking for a particular
one. They may need a butterfly photo for a website, or a doctor photo for
a brochure. Part of this business is making sure your photos get seen by
the right people, but we’ll get into that later.
You must be able to deal with rejection or else you’ll never make it in
the photography business. If you don’t make any sales, just keep doing
what you’re doing and give it time. You must have patience until your
efforts begin to pay off.
Work day by day, little by little, and before you know it you’ll know
what it takes to sell photos online and you’ll have done it from pure
knowledge and hard work. So if by now you’ve decided that you have what it takes to sell your
digital photos online, let’s get started.
Choosing a Camera
If you don’t already have a camera, you know you need one. But you’re
likely going to find a lot of choices out there. There are so many
different types of cameras, brands and accessories that it can seem
almost overwhelming. However, picking out a good camera isn’t that
difficult at all.
Simply get online and start researching the cameras you come across
based on a few criteria. You’ll want to be focused on the amount of
megapixels the camera has, as well as the quality of the sensor. But of
course price is going to be an issue, as well. So your job is to find a
camera that offers the most for the least amount of money. That sounds
obvious, but it’s not easy when you’re bombarded by so many different
types of digital cameras.
However, there are a couple ways you can go about getting a camera
that’s of good enough quality to take excellent photographs.
Experts
If you want to know something about a subject, you turn to an expert,
right? In keeping with that same thinking, camera experts are who you
should turn to when you’re trying to find the perfect camera for you.
You can find experts online on consumer report websites, or you can
read reviews by experts that are posted online. You can also ask clerks
that work in the camera sections of your favorite stores. These
employees spend all day looking at, talking about, and learning about
digital cameras. Ask them plenty of questions and tell them what you’re
trying to do.
You will want to make sure that the camera you choose is at least a 5
megapixel camera. Remember that just because the megapixel count is
high, doesn’t mean the photos are going to be better. Make sure the
sensor is of high quality, as well.
Most people find that cameras where you are able to change the lenses
produce better quality images, but you should be fine with your
everyday run-of-the-mill digital camera.
Digital Photo Editing
If you don’t know how to properly edit a photograph, you’re starting out
with a huge disadvantage. You may think that digital editing is cheating.
After all, the photo should be sold based on the natural beauty of the
image captured. There should be no editing going on. If it’s not in the
photo, then you shouldn’t be paid for it.
There are a lot of old timers stuck in their ways that still hold onto that
idea. But the fact is, every industry uses digital editing to enhance
photography.
Programs like Photoshop and other digital editing software allow you to
do all sorts of things to enhance a photograph in order to prime it for
sale. Not only can you take the red out of someone’s eyes, but you can
crop, change colors, change an object’s density, create shadow detail,
and that’s just to name a few.
So if you don’t know how to use any of the common programs out there
for editing the photographs you take, it’s recommended that you get one
so that you can stay abreast or ahead of the competition who will surely
be using it.
And now, the issue of money.
so that you can stay abreast or ahead of the competition who will surely
be using it.
And now, the issue of money.
Like Winning the Lottery
Although it’s unlikely, you can always hold out for the hope that you’ll
get that one winning photograph that takes the world by storm. You
know the photos I’m talking about. These are the ones that either touch
people deeply, or they’re so funny that people can’t wait to share them
with others. These are the photos that end up making the most amounts
of money. But taking a photograph like this is akin to winning the
lottery. It’s not a safe bet, in other words.
The photos that make the most money include those taken of celebrities,
funny candid photos and even heart wrenching photos like the one of the
fireman holding the injured child right after the Oklahoma City
Bombings.
While it is possible to take a photo that could potentially make you
hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, it’s best not to focus on
photographs like those.
Instead, focus on the photos that you think are good. Take enough of
them and you’ll build a reputation. Get enough people to buy your
photos and your sale record will begin to speak for itself. But all of this
takes time to build. As long as you’re consistent, and you put in the
required effort, you’ll be able to sell as many photos as you want, and
you’ll make some good money in the process.
You aren’t going to get rich, at least not right away. You have to get
good if you hope to make enough money so that you never have to work
again, which, for paid photography, is very possible.
Now that we have that settled, and now that you’ve set some realistic
goals, let’s find out how to sell the photos you’ve taken so that you can
start on your photo selling journey.
Microstock Photography
You may have heard of stock photography. This is where an image is
licensed to be used by a specific person for a specific reason. For
instance, a webmaster may need a certain type of photo for a website.
Instead of risking taking one off the Internet and getting into copyright
issues once the site becomes successful, the webmaster decides to buy
the image so that he can use it legally.
Stock agencies are typically very picky about who they accept as
photographers. So if you don’t have that much experience, but you’re
still excited with the concept of making money with your photos, you’ll
be happy to know that an offshoot of stock photography exists on the
Internet. This is known as microstock photography.
Microstock photography sites encourage professionals, amateurs and
hobbyists alike to submit their photos for sale. These sites get almost all
of their photos from individuals just like you, and they’re also known for
their low prices. That’s both good and bad news for you.
The good news is that the low prices mean that customers are likely to
keep coming back for more. You could form a long relationship with a
client who loves your work and can only afford to pay the nominal fee
the site charges for your photos. Now, consider if the same client had to
pay hundreds of dollars for a photo. You may not see that client again
after that, unless your reputation preceded you.
These microstock sites typically charge anywhere from $.20 to $10.00.
While that may not seem like much money, it adds up if you’re a good
enough photographer and you’re able to sell a lot of photos.
Selling your photos on these sites sounds great, doesn’t it? All you have
to do is take the photo and the site does the selling for you. Believe me,
this is much better than taking your photos and trying to sell them
yourself. While you can make more money doing your own marketing
and selling, you’re likely going to put in a whole lot more time than you
make in dollars. It would be best to use one of these sites until you’re
good enough to venture out on your own.
Now, let’s take a look at some of these microstock photography sites so
that you can decide which one(s) to use.
Sites that Pay for Your Photos
Now that you have a camera and you’re ready to publish them online so
that you can make some money, it’s time to find some microstock sites
to add your photos to.
You’ll find that some sites pay more than others, and you’ll also find a
variation in the pay terms as well as methods of payment. Hopefully,
this guide will help you choose one that’s right for your needs.
Shutterstock
This microstock site can be extremely lucrative, but first you have to be
accepted. The main complaint you may hear about Shutterstock is that
they’re picky about who they accept for their site. To get accepted, you
must send in ten photos and have at least seven of them accepted by a
review team.
It’s important to understand how stock photography works, and you also
must have good equipment. It’s not uncommon to have to try a few
times before getting accepted on this site. But if you can get in, the
income potential is quite high.
Dreamstime
This microstock site has a proven track record and it gets many visitors
per day, as well as many sales. When you submit your photos to
Dreamstime, you stand to make 50% commission on each sale you
make. The best part is that you don’t have to send any test photos in
order to get accepted. So this might be a good site to start with until you
get a little more experience.
It must be stated that even though they accept unknown photographers,
they do check all of the images they receive and they will reject any
photos that they deem are of a lower quality.
Fotolia
Fotolia is sort of new on the microstock scene. They are quickly gaining
popularity, however, and they have customers that span the globe.
Fotolia isn’t known for its high commissions but your prices can go up
once you gain through the ranks and get more sales.
The single most heard complaint about Fotolia, besides their long upload
time, is the fact that they have a blacklist which includes all photos they
no longer need. If you shoot a lot of horse photos, for instance, you may
find that the site is saturated with them and that horses are now on that
list.
Shutterstock, Dreamstime and Fotolia are the main microstock sites that
most people use to successfully sell their photos. However, new sites are
popping up all the time.
When choosing a site, make sure you’re dealing with a legitimate site.
Whenever something becomes popular on the Internet, such as making
money by taking digital photos, it seems that crooks and scam artists
can’t wait to capitalize on poor, unwitting individuals who just want to
make a few bucks using their passion and talent.
So check out all the sites you’re considering before you register. Check
user reviews, really look at the site’s operations and make sure you will
be paid when your photos do indeed sell.
Maximize Earnings
The ideal move for anyone who is serious about making money through
selling their digital photos is to submit your photos to any sites you
come across. That way you stand to get much more exposure, and it also
allows you to test different photos to see which ones people like the
most across several different platforms.
Before you register for these sites and begin posting your photos, you
need to know how to market your photos, how to make them attractive
for buyers, and you need to know what photos to take.
Once you learn the process of selecting the right photos, and marketing
them so that buyers can’t turn them down, you’ll be able to experience
the joy that comes from selling the photos that you took with your
vision, your passion and your own hard work.
So, what process should you follow? How can you make sure that your
photos sell the most? It’s a tricky process, but it’s not hard once you get
the hang of it. It’s all about viewing your photos through the customer’s
eyes.
Posting Your Photos Online
When you post your photos online, you are essentially offering them
forever. Whatever you sell, you give up the rights to. For some, that’s
hard to do, especially if they are really in love with the photo they’ve
taken.
For others, they consider they’re getting paid so the idea of losing the
rights hurts that much less. That’s why they’re doing this, after all.
They’re taking photos to make money.
Pricing
The hardest decision you’re going to make when posting your photos on
these microstock websites is how much to charge for each photo. There
is no easy answer to this. How much you charge for your photos
essentially relies on a few factors: 1) How long you’ve been a
photographer. 2) How many photos you’ve sold. And 3) How good is
the photo in question?
These are the questions people are going to ask themselves when they
consider buying your photos. So you had better think about those
answers when deciding on what to charge for each photo.
For instance, even if you took a photo that you’re completely proud of, if
you are a beginner and you don’t have any sales credits to your name,
customers likely won’t spend a lot of money on your collection.
On the other hand, if you keep at it, eventually your photos will get
better and better and, because of your extra experience and sales, you’ll
be able to charge much higher prices so that you can actually earn some
good money.
So make sure you start small at first. Customers will be more willing to
take a chance on you if your prices are very small. Just do your best, and
always bring quality, so that you can change your prices to something
more favorable later on.
Sell Your Photos!
If you want to become good at selling photos, you must study those who
are successful. Most of these sites will allow you to investigate the
photos that are most in demand, the ones that have sold the most, and the
ones that are desperately needed. This information can give you the hints
you need to know what to go out and shoot.
Your Target Audience
When you take a photo with the intent of selling it, sometimes it helps to
picture your target audience. Those are the customers who buy your
work. What do they typically look for? What sorts of images do they
request or regularly buy? What angles do they prefer? What prices do
they usually pay?
By knowing your target audience, you’ll be better prepared to give them
what they want and you’ll double your chances of making sales.
Some would say that tailoring your shots according to what the clients
want takes away from the beauty and candidness that makes up the art of
photography. But don’t newspaper and magazine reporters do that all the
time? What about the Paparazzi? They’re all photographers who set out
to make money with their photographs and they’re giving the consumers
what they want.
And that’s exactly what you’re doing with these microstock websites.
You’re providing a service. That service just happens to be something
you’re skilled at creating. So they pay you accordingly. Get good
enough and you’ll never have to go back to an office job again.
Search for Information and Ask Questions
You can really get ahead of the game if you seek out one of the
microstock forums where experts and amateurs alike gather to share tips
and tricks of the trade. These forums can not only be a great platform for
advertising your art, but you can also learn a lot about the entire process
so that you can improve over time.
These forums are also great places to ask about which sites are best for
your time and money. You may find that a lot of members have had a
problem with one of the sites paying on time. That’s helpful information
for anyone looking for a microstock site to join so that they can begin
their photo selling venture.
Who Buys Photos?
It’s important to think of yourself as the customer. Think about the
industry he or she is in. Think of the photo they’d need for
their…whatever. Understanding your customers’ needs is the first step
towards producing the quality work they’re willing to pay good money
for. Who needs photos? The majority of industries require photos for a
number of reasons. Web designers need them for the websites they
design for clients, businesses need them for marketing purposes and the
media thrives on good photos to highlight news stories. The people who
buy these photos want to ensure the photos they use are unique and
original and so they pay money to ensure that’s the case. That’s where
you come in.
Magazine editors obviously need photos. If you can sell a photo to a
magazine, depending on how big it is, it can be a very nice payday.
Capture that one candid shot that no other photographer can and you
could find yourself holding a jackpot in your hands.
But the list goes on and on. Graphic artists, advertisers, affiliates, scrap
bookers, teachers, lawyers, realtors, illustrators, chefs, travel agents, etc.
etc.
The fact is, there will never cease to be a demand for good photos.
Photos capture time in perfect clarity. They are the closest thing we have
to a time machine. Advertisers and marketers know that the proper
photos can create a bond with the customer and can make them feel
more at ease about buying whatever they happen to be selling.
So you’re always going to be able to sell your photos as long as these
sites exist.
Of course, there are other ways to make money selling your digital
photos, but these require a little more legwork on your part.
For the Truly Ambitious
If you are really confident in your photography skills, and you know that
you can produce the kind of work that people will be willing to pay top
dollar for, there are quite a few avenues you can pursue. For instance,
you could become a wedding photographer, which gets paid very
handsomely I might add.
Magazines pay very well, and so do newspapers. The bottom line is that
if you can take really good photographs, and you’re sure they have a
market, you should do anything in your power to make that dream of
living off your art a reality.
While using the tips and tricks in this book, keep reading up on those
forums and educate yourself as much as possible. Put ads in the
newspaper and online, such as on Craigslist. Advertise your skills and
tell people where to go online to see samples of your work.
On the microstock websites, really take care to make your photos look as
professional as possible. Make sure you price them according to the
parameters we set earlier. The only exception to that rule is if you think
you can command a higher price, because sometimes that can come out
in your favor.
When people see that a particular piece is priced higher than all the
others, it can make them stop and wonder why that piece is as high as it
is. What is it about that photo that’s different than all the others? This is
one of the ways you cause hype, and that’s how you can sell more
photos.
So, to recap, get a good camera, get out there and take some of the most
beautiful, breathtaking photos you’ve ever taken and then find one of the
many microstock sites out there. Or, if your photos are good enough,
submit them to the stock photo sites. You never know what can happen.
Once your photos are up, price them accordingly and keep taking more
photos. Keep adding photos to your profile. Even if you’re not selling,
keep shooting and posting anyway.
Pay attention to those photos that are really selling and learn from them.
Find out how to create those photos that have people demanding them.
The knowledge is out there and people are using it to make lots of
money doing what they love.
So get out there and do what you love. Be patient and be vigilant and
soon you’ll be able to live off your art. Hurry, your audience is waiting.