A guy asked a room full of photographers: ‘Hey, is it possible to become a millionaire photographer in two years’ time?’
‘Sure’ – said the voice in the back. – ‘How?’
Start with 2 million
Photography is a somewhat expensive sport, you see. There are always new cameras coming out, always more things that you just absolutely need. If you’re aiming to become a millionaire photographer you will have to be ready to spend that much as well. There are people making millions with photography, but there isn’t a whole lot of them.
However, if you’re aiming a bit closer to Earth, you can easily supplement your regular income with photography.
Stock images and photos have a huge market these days – everyone who knows anything about online content – posts, articles, white papers, e-books – knows that they need to space out their text with images that complement it.
That’s where you come in.
If you own a half decent camera and you learn a couple of tricks of the trade, you can easily sell a license to your photos on stock sites and turn a hobby into a source of income.
Who Can Make Money by Selling Stock Photography Online?
Well, if you have an Instagram account, you’re already half there!
In all seriousness, advances in technology have made us all photographers. We’re all constantly taking shots and putting them up on our social media accounts.
That’s not enough, though. We also need to be proud of those shots so we spend hours retouching them and obsessing about what to put up so it’s just perfect.
The way I see it – if you’re already using your time to photograph every little thing in your life, it’s a small step towards doing it semi-professionally. All you need to do is change your focus towards something that’s profitable. Your cost is minimal as it is so dabbling in stock photography is a great way to cash in your time.
Take up stock photography if:
You’re already are a professional photographer
Photography is your hobby
You’re willing to put in the time and effort needed to learn it
Why Should You Sell Stock Photography Online?
There are several good reasons:
It costs you nothing to start (and keep) doing it
You most likely already have the equipment (a good phone camera will do and it’s easy to upgrade when the need arises)
Marketing cost is minimal
You can sell a license to one photo multiple times
How To Sell Your Photography Online
At first, you might have to deal with a lot of rejections when it comes to your photos. That is, if you don’t do your homework.
To avoid that, make sure you start off on the right foot:
STEP 1 – Check out what’s selling on stock image sites – look for bestsellers
STEP 2 – Read about the industry – there are plenty of people sharing their experiences
STEP 3 – Get a decent camera – you smartphone is ok to practice but you will need something better to increase your acceptance rate
STEP 4 – Find good stock photography sites and join them
STEP 5 – Take quality photos that are going to sell
STEP 6 – Offer some of your photos for free to attract buyers
STEP 7 – Take simple photos –cats, dogs, people walking, people drinking coffee etc.
STEP 8 – Don’t put up too many similar photos
STEP 9 – Make sure some of your photos are clean – without a background
STEP 10 – Use editing software to touch up your photos
STEP 11 – Properly tag your photos
STEP 12 – Learn from your failed submissions
STEP 13 – Market your work on social media sites
Recommended Resources
1. Online Platforms
iStockPhoto | Dreamstime | DepositPhotos | Getty Images
2. Online Photography Courses and Materials
Lynda | Udemy – Phil Ebiner | Udemy – Dave Cross | Skip Cohen University
Next time you catch yourself snapping photos of you and your friends or of the beautiful nature that surrounds you remember there are people and businesses out there who might be willing to pay for your work!
It doesn’t cost you a dime to give it a shot so don’t be lazy – if you have a good eye you might be sitting on a gold mine!