Want to make extra money selling your photos as a side hustle? Well, I imagine you’ve already got a smartphone, yes?
Just think, according to Statista, there are now 6 billion smartphone users in the world today, and this will increase to serval billion in the future.
Wow, so I’m assuming you are part of the 70% of the world’s population who has a smartphone, right?
But what if YOU could make money with your hobby by just using your iPhone or Android?
Basically, the secret to getting paid to take photos and make extra money is all down to stock photos.
You can make a lot of money if you pay attention to what sells.
Discover how Karen, just an ordinary lady in the crowd made £40,000 ($50,000) with just ONE photo!
Karen Anvil was visiting Sandringham in December 2018 with her daughter to see members of the UK’s Royal Family attend church.
Just as Prince William and Kate with Prince Harry and Meghan walked passed together she took a photo that earned her £40,000 ($50,000) and was syndicated all over the world by the international press.
Karen was working two jobs at the time and now her photography prowess has rewarded her with a regular monthly income, which can range from £600 to £6,000.
So, as you can see, stock photos are where the money is at. If you don’t know what stock photography or microstock is, then read on. I’ll reveal all you need to know in this article.
Make Money Selling Your Photos as a Freelance Photographer
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure page for more info.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure page for more info.
TABLE OF CONTENTS ->>
1. What is stock photography?
Likewise, you’ve probably seen these all over the web already. They are generic images that can be used over and over again for a variety of purposes.
I’ve bought loads of stock photos over the years for websites I’ve built and spent a small fortune! The market for stock photography is MASSIVE.
You can join the thousands of freelance stock photographers who get paid to take photos every day.
Click Here to Check Out Stockphoto Trends in 2021
As a result, there’s always a need for original, high-quality photos. You can sell photos on almost every topic including your pets, home decor, travel and landscapes all over the world.
in addition, most of these photos are reasonably priced. But if the photos include recognizable people or celebrities, they are much more expensive.
2. How to make money selling photos
Microstock Photos
Many small businesses need stock photos for their websites or blogs. Usually, they cost a reasonable amount.
You’ll find a list of some of the stock photo companies where you can sell your photos further down the article.
The good news is, for all you budding talented photographers out there (sadly I’m not one of them) there’s money to be made selling your photos on microstock sites, we’ll cover a few later.
Here’s the low down if you want to become a freelance stock photographer:
- You don’t have to be an expert to sell on microstock sites
- You can get paid to take photos on microstock sites on a regular basis
- You can select and sell nearly any subject matter of photos you like
- Once your photos are accepted and up for sale – they’re for sale for good!
- This is a great way to earn passive income long-term (make money while you sleep!)
The disadvantages if you become a freelance stock photographer:
- Without some insider knowledge, it can be hard at first to get your photos accepted
- Commissions can be relatively low
- There’s a lot of competition about
But if you use a little imagination and take good quality photos you can start to make money right away. Your photos will continue to make you money as long as they are featured on the microsites.
Now, if you’re a newbie photographer you may need some help to get your photos approved. But keep trying and keep improving your photography skills and it will get easier.
Some agencies may ask you to go through a training tutorial and/or test in order to be approved as a stock photographer.
This application may include a review of some sample images. If your images are not up to standard, they’ll be rejected.
3. High-end stock photography
The first step is to put together a portfolio of your best work. Easy peasy! It’s just as simple as that. They won’t always reply to you straight away, but if they are interested you’ll hear from them.
By applying to these major stock photo agencies who deal with radio, TV and product launches, you can earn a lot of money.
If they include celebrities or people of interest you can be paid commission or license the photos for future usage.
4. Where can you sell your photos?
If you really want to become a freelance stock photographer take a look at these agencies that accept stock photos from freelance photographers:
Please note: The rate of commissions may change from time to time, so check out each one. 🙂
5. Getting more help to sell your photos
Remember, your main goal is to make money selling photos and follow your passion. So when I came across this eBook by Nick Stubbs I knew you’d find it useful.
Nick is the author of “How to Sell Stock Photos” and is a full-time professional photographer. He’s been using professional-grade SLR’s for nearly 30 years.
What’s great is Nick has been shooting, uploading and selling stock photography for the past 6 years at both traditional and microstock agencies.
Nick includes proof of sales along with their values and earnings as well as which images are popular. He also includes how to add titles, descriptions and effective keywords to help them get found by potential buyers.
Learn more on how to sell stock photos & make money here with Nick’s eBook packed with tips and advice today.
6. Is there training available to improve your photography skills?
Nowadays, most community colleges offer photography courses. Usually, you have to attend every week for a set number of weeks.
While this is great for a lot of people who don’t have any other commitments, I’ve always found it a struggle to attend every single week when I’ve joined a class.
7. Join an online digital photography class
The alternative is to join an online digital photography course, like the one from Aussie blogger Darren Rowse’s site Digital Photography School here – it’s full of great information, advice and training for new and advanced photographers.
If you’re a beginner to digital photography the Digital Photography School has a great community of like-minded folks who are always willing to help.
Now all you have to do is create freelance stock photography, sell your photos, and make money doing what you love every day!
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