Making money with stock photography

A few months ago I came across such a photographer who described how he got his very particular image: ‘I’ve just about perfected the technique of getting crabs out of a sea-cucumber’s anus Link Disclosures. The same can be done on iStockPhoto.

Take Great Photos

Read. Although there are plenty of ways to earn a living from photography 5 Most Lucrative Careers for a Budding Photographer 5 Most Lucrative Careers for a Budding Photographer Want to make money with photography? There are a lot of potential career paths before you. Here are a few considerations to help you make the right choice. But it could be a great way to earn some extra cash to cover the cost of your gear without taking up too much of your time. To learn more about what it takes to earn making money with stock photography cash from stock photography, we spoke to keen photographer James Wheelerwho now routinely makes hundreds of dollars per month doing just. Like many of us, James first played around with photography with a point-and-shoot digital camera.

Best Places to Sell Your Photos Online

Are you naturally gifted at taking photos? Do you enjoy snapping pictures of the world around you? Then you can start earning money by selling photos online. As long as you can provide high-quality images that have good lighting and color, a captivating moment, and good composition — you can make a decent amount of money. Like anything else, the better equipment you have, and the more experience and knowledge you have — the better your images will be, and the more lucrative this opportunity will be. Do you get our newsletter? It contains exclusive work-from-home job leads that I don’t share anywhere else.

Make Money With Stock Photography Sites Online?

Read. Although there are plenty of ways to earn a living from photography 5 Most Lucrative Careers for a Budding Photographer 5 Most Lucrative Careers for a Budding Photographer Want to make money with photography? There are a lot of potential career paths before you. Here are a few considerations to help you make the right choice. But it could be a great way to earn some extra cash to cover the cost of your gear without taking up too much of your time.

To learn more about what it takes to earn some cash from stock photography, we spoke to keen photographer James Wheelerwho now routinely makes hundreds of dollars per month doing just. Like many of us, James first played around with photography with a point-and-shoot digital camera.

It was mainly a way to document his travels. Inhowever, he started taking photography more seriously; he purchased an entry-level DSLR and spent several years studying the subject Why Everyone Should Learn a Little Bit of Photography Why Everyone Should Learn a Little Bit of Photography Everyone should learn a little bit of photography because everyone can benefit from it. Here are five reasons why you should consider picking it up. Read More. He now shoots with a Nikon D and a Panasonic GH4, and sells his photos and prints on a number of stock photography websites, as well as on his own sitefor a bit of extra income.

Those that do are a very rare breed. With around quality photos listed on half a dozen stock sites, James usually makes at least a couple hundred sales per month, totaling a few thousand dollars per year. Image Credit: paimei01 via Flickr. As you can see, this is a numbers game. When trying your hand at selling stock photos, you will face some rejection.

Top stock photography sites such as Shutterstock and px maintain high standards, rejecting at least as many photos as they accept. In total, James has attempted to upload around images to sites like these, with around of them being accepted.

Image Credit: mike via Flickr. Understand the standard you need to meet before the better stock sites will accept your work. There are, of course, other sites that have lower standards, but these generally pay making money with stock photography lower commission.

Here are ten awesome offerings from Lynda. Spend time improving the areas of photography you most enjoy. For James, his passion is landscape photography. For you, it could be food, portrait, product, or architecture photography.

Perhaps something. Remember, stock photos are not meant to be an artistic expression. They are photos that are usually used to fill a commercial need. Always keep this in mind when your camera is in your hands.

Image Credit: James Baker via Flickr. According to Photoworkouttopics that are currently in fashion include: nostalgia, mindfulness, tech advances, and social issues. According to Webascenderthese are shots that show authenticity, people with tech, people with analog devices, people with plants, beautiful beaches, and people who are in the moment.

Spend time doing your own research by browsing the top stock websites to see the subjects and styles that are popular. The same can be done on iStockPhoto. Studying these results will give you valuable insight into the subjects and styles that you could choose to focus on. Here are some awesome tips from one of MakeUseOf’s professional photographers.

It’s surprisingly easy with these simple tweaks. Selling stock photos is like selling any other product. Image Credit: Gotcredit via Flickr.

First, you need to know where to sell your photos. For James, Shutterstock has always been his top performer, with px recently making it to second place.

Read More. Each of these sites offers different commissions many offering to pay you more if you post your photos exclusively on their site. Do your due diligence to find the best places to sell your photos. One example that Microstock Insider gives is that of a street sign with diverging arrows.

With all of the photos you upload, give careful consideration to your title, description, and tags to ensure your shots are appearing in search results that relate directly and indirectly to your photo. Yes, James started earning a small amount of income within a month of submitting stock photographs. Image Credit: Aleksander Markin via Flickr.

But based on the rejections you receive, and the results you experience, the learning curve will continue, and your approach will evolve.

This takes time. Trial and error. To save time with this, James co-founded Photolooa site that simplifies uploading, posting and managing photos to multiple photography, social media, and microstock sites.

But now that you know the deal, you can approach this opportunity with your eyes wide open. This is not a way to make a passive income. Constantly improve your photography skills. The positives, though, are that if you have a good eye for photographythe barriers to entry are low.

Anyone can give this a go, and with some perserverance, have a good shot at generating a side-income that could make all the difference to your monthly budget.

And if you pop your photos up on Instagram, there are money-making opportunities there. You should find out how to earn money from Instagram 7 Ways to Make Money on Instagram 7 Ways to Make Money on Instagram It’s possible to make money on Instagram if you are popular and have a big following. Here’s how to earn money from Instagram. Read More? Your email address will not be published.

This article on making money in stock photography is illustrated with no photos from stock agencies, only from Making money with stock photography -which doen’t pay.

Oh, the irony! With over 5 years in full-time photography, I am tempted to go through the thousands of images I already have and see what might be of use in the stock photography world. It does seem daunting though, with all the requirements. Thanks for the information. Great blog! Came across this article via MakeUseOf email.

No longer in photography, but information is well worth reading for anyone wishing to supplement their income. Wish I had known about this way back. Too bad there are no sites that accept graphically made «photos» where you can sell this type of photo. I’m not an artist so my type are more like what most people with skills in photo editing can.

Makes for zero dollars income. Other than just making image designs, I do free photo editing on zhopped. Drop by and see some of the work some of the beginners and pros.

ALL edits are definitely done free. Email Facebook Whatsapp Pinterest Twitter. Enjoyed this article? Stay informed by joining our newsletter! Enter your Email. Read our privacy policy. Elliott Cowand. Very useful and can I get more of these types of guide for a starter like me. Nice and great David Onassis. It is dawnting BUT its a challenge : Go for it!

Pays off in the end :. Ron B. LOL Other than just making image designs, I do free photo editing on zhopped. Scroll down for the next article.

About the Author

Have Fun, Jeff. And if you pop your photos up on Instagram, there are money-making opportunities there. Hey, Thanks for sharing an Article making money with stock photography of Useful information. Do not use many filters in Photoshop. PhotoShelter is an online shop to sell and deliver prints to the clients. Try to find themes with high demand. One thing I observed is you can make more money by selling images related to babies, nature, people. However, it does not always translate into higher profitability. Photos uploaded at Fotolia become a part of the Adobe Stock library, which means they are also available in other Adobe applications and thus reach millions of Adobe users and potential buyers. The horses are charging toward the finish line with their jockeys urging them on. Though these days there are many scam or bogus articles and money making instructions creating hassle among people. Agreed, the overall market is definitely saturated.