Make Money Taking Pictures

If you have a passion for photography and want to make a career out of it, you have a lot of alternatives. Thanks to the internet, you are no longer confined to photographing local families or activities.

You may now diversify your photographic career and generate several streams of income. Here are some of the best methods to make money taking pictures if you’re looking for some inspiration.

1. Sell Pictures to Stock Photo Sites

The majority of internet media publications get their photographs from stock photo websites. As a photographer, you may publish and sell photos to these sites and earn royalty every purchase of your images.

This means that if you’re successful, a single photo might make you dozens to hundreds of dollars in royalties. It’s crucial to remember, though, that not just any photo will suffice. Instead, you’ll have to get used to photographing specific scenes.

For example, a company researching the development of at-home workers would look for images of home offices, individuals working from laptops, or people talking on the phone while at home.

A company writing about dog treats would seek a picture of a puppy playing, dog goodies on a table, or a dog owner training their dog. Your images can be about anything, but before taking them, think about who will need them and exactly what they will need.

Before submitting your photos to stock picture sites, you should know the difference between exclusive and non-exclusive contracts. You can only upload unique photographs to a stock photo website with an exclusive contract. As a result, you’ll earn a bigger commission but have less exposure overall.

You can upload the same photo to multiple sites under a non-exclusive arrangement. While your royalty rate will be lesser, your images will receive significantly more attention. Here are some of the best stock photo sites to submit and sell photos online to:

Alamy

Alamy pays up to 50% of all sales to photographers. They’ll also give you 100% commissions for the next two years if you’re a photography student. With this company, there are no hoops to jump through. Instead, signing up is simple and quick, and they’ll provide you with a variety of tools to assist you in growing your business.

123RF.com

123RF.com is a stock photography website that rewards contributors based on how many photographs they sell. The starting commission rate is 30% on each sale, but if you sell images more than 1,000,000 photos in a year, it can go to 60%.

Shutterstock

Shutterstock is one of the most well-known stock photography websites. Over the last 15 years, this company has paid out more than a billion dollars to its photographers. One of my favorite things about Shutterstock is that they publish a “shot list” of the most popular photographs. This list can help beginner photographers get started.

Stocksy

Stocksy is an artistically oriented stock photos site. Unfortunately, not all photographers are accepted on this website. To be considered, you must fill out an application and upload ten of your finest photographs. If you’re approved, they’ll let you know.

AdobeStock

This is a place where you should register if you want a lot of exposure. All photographers are welcome to sign up and submit original images to Adobe. The only requirements are that you be at least 18 years old and present a formal release if your images contain identifiable people or places. Adobe pays a 33 percent commission to contributors.

Getty Images

You’ve probably heard of Getty Images if you’ve dabbled with photography. This website, which presently has over 1.5 million users, is always looking for high-quality contributors. Download the Getty Contributor app and fill out an application to get started. If your application is approved, you will receive instructions on uploading images.

DepositPhotos

DepositPhotos is a popular stock photo site where I’ve previously acquired images. Photographers of all levels are welcome to contribute to this site. They pay from $0.25 and $33.82 for each shot.

Photographers may earn a consistent income within six months after uploading to DepositPhotos, which I think is cool. You’ll need to sign up and upload several example photographs to get started. You’ll be able to submit photographs once your application has been approved.

DepositPhotos will provide you with analytics and photo recommendations based on your profile.

BigStock

BigStock accepts photographers that finish their contributor’s instruction. BigStock, on the other hand, does not accept all photos immediately. Instead, they individually review each shot and only upload those that they think are appropriate. You can earn anywhere from $0.25 to $3 for each photo sold as a contributor. BigStock doesn’t appear to be as high-end as the other stock photo sites on this list, but it could still be a good fit for your stock photography business.

Dreamstime

Dreamstime bills itself as the largest stock photo marketplace in the world. It’s easy to get started with them, and they feature a lot of useful tools for photographers. Their mass upload function, for example, allows you to submit a complete portfolio. They also have a mobile app to upload and keywording tools.

You’ll get a 60% commission if you’re an exclusive contributor (meaning you only upload your images to their site). Non-exclusive authors earn a compensation rate of 25-50 percent.

2. Download These Apps that Pay You to Take Pictures

If you’re not quite ready selling photos online to stock photo sites but want to get some experience taking photos for businesses, these applications are a good place to start.

Foap

Foap is an app that allows photographers to make money taking pictures in four different ways. To begin, you can take and post photos to the marketplace as a photographer. Then, you’ll get a 50% commission if a company buys the photo. Second, you can create “albums” containing other photographers’ photographs.

You will receive $0.25 if a business purchases a photo from your album. The last and most popular option to earn money with the Foap app is through “missions,” which require photographers to capture specified objects or locations. The second form of mission is more akin to a competition, with numerous winners.’

Snapwire

Snapwire is an app that helps you locate photography jobs. You’ll need to download the app and create a profile to get started. After that, you’ll be able to look for and apply to briefs.

If you are selected for the task, you will receive additional instructions on how to complete it.

500px

You can post your images to 500px using an app. They’ll give you a commission of up to 60% on any photo you sell. You can also participate in “quests,” which are creative photo challenges offered by this company.

Scoopshot

Scoopshot is a great place to start if you’ve ever wanted to capture images for the media. You’ll start by building your photographer portfolio using this app. Then, based on your location, you can receive photography jobs from media outlets.

Agora

Photographers can compete in creative photography contests on Agora. Votes determine the winners from other Agora app users. Additionally, you may add images to your portfolio that businesses and other individuals can buy. You can sell these photos as many times as you like.

The nicest part about Agora is that there are no membership fees and photographers keep 100% of their commissions.

3. Start a Niche Photography Business

You’ve worked with a freelance photographer if you’ve ever had family photos taken, wedding photography shots, or senior photographs taken. This has to make a list because it is usually one of the most common methods to make a career as a photographer.

Photographers will always be in demand as long as people desire professional photographs made of themselves. And, fortunately, there are many diverse sectors into which you can branch.

Here are a few suggestions:

Senior Picture Photographer – If you’re young and hip, becoming a senior picture photographer is a terrific career choice. Teenagers are more likely to feel at ease around you, resulting in great photographs.

Real Estate Photographer – Are you not fond of photographing people? Instead, construct structures. Because houses are always for sale or rent, real estate photography will always be demand.

Pet Photographer – Have a passion for animals and work as a pet photographer? Then, you can specialize as a pet photographer and sell yourself accordingly.

Wedding Photographer – How many people do you know who did not hire a wedding photographer? I’m going to guess zero. However, you can make a lot of money taking wedding photos if you’re a talented photographer. You don’t necessarily have to start a wedding photography business to profit from shooting weddings. You can start by contacting clients or offering your services to friends and relatives. 

Infant Photographer – Photographing newborns is an art form for which most new parents are willing to pay a lot of money. Aside from your usual gear, you’ll only need a few items to create stunning sceneries.

You may make even more money in any of these sectors if you have a drone that can capture images. If you’re curious about how much self-employed photographers earn per hour, the national average is $175. On the other hand, most photographers make between $94 and $262 per hour.

4. Take on Freelance Assignments with Newspapers

Contact local newspapers and publications to inquire about freelancing work if you want to get recognition and make some extra money.

Most newspapers and magazines engage freelance photographers to cover local events, people, and features for their stories. This won’t provide you with a full-time income, but it will help you expand your network and portfolio.

5. Sell Your Photos as Art Prints

You can sell your artistic photographs that look beautiful framed and hung on the wall as prints. You can do this in a few different ways. To begin, you can make your images available to customers as digital downloads that they can order and print themselves. Second, you can sell framed or unframed prints.

Both of these concepts may be swiftly realized by using a site like Etsy or a service like FotoMoto to create your own photography website. Last but not least, you might become a contributor to a site like Elephant Stock, where you can upload your photographs, and they’ll handle all of the marketing and printing for you.

6. Start a Photography Blog

Do you like to teach rather than perform? If that’s the case, start a photography blog. When done correctly, photography blogs are extremely popular and profitable. However, to begin started, you must first select a niche.

Do you instruct people on how to utilize a specific camera brand? Is it possible to take photos with your phone? How can you take amazing wedding photos? What is the best way to edit in PhotoShop?

While it may seem paradoxical, becoming the go-to expert in a given field is the best approach to establish a name for yourself. You’ll need to start creating content once you’ve decided on your concept. This content should consist of helpful hints and instructions for your target reader.

You can make money taking pictures from your blog by joining photography affiliate programs, creating courses to sell, or using ad networks. While beginning a photography blog can be a lot of unpaid effort at. First, it can develop into a great source of money in the long term.

With the different ways on how to make money taking pictures, you can be assured that you will not run out of options. You can make money taking pictures on your phone. You can make money taking pictures while on a trip. You can make money taking pictures about your daily life. You can even make money taking pictures of animals, plants, or flowers and sell them, as long as they are of good quality.

Conclusion

There are a plethora of options available to you if you want to make money taking pictures. However, what will work for you is primarily determined by your personality and skill set.

Try combining a few of these ideas to get the most bang for your budget. You may start a photography business and post your photos to stock photography sites, for example, by photographing weddings or senior portraits. Stock photography sites may take some time to pay off, but if you stick with them, they can be a great source of passive income in the long run.

Alternatively, if you prefer a more artistic approach, consider selling some of your photos on Etsy as digital downloads or prints.

Are you looking for new ways to make money taking pictures?

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