How to Make Money with Photography Online

Making money with stock photography is one of the easiest ways to make your entrance into online work. Not everyone is successful but it teaches you a lot about what it takes to have a side income.

Who can sell photos online?
What are typical stock photography categories that are popular?
How do you sell your stock photos?
Getting on top of your stock photography game
How do I get paid for stock images?
How to make money with photography online - Conclusion

Who can sell photos online?

With access to top-quality cameras today everyone can take pictures and the question most will eventually ask is how can I make money with photography online?

The basic answer is that it can be simple but profitable. That means anyone who has some skills and a lot of patience because that is a good start.

With the technology built into the cameras of smartphones today, almost everybody can be a photographer. The problem with that is that the snapshots taken must be of use to an end-user.

Anyone can sell photos online if it is of good quality and useful for use in a specific niche.

On the web, there are several stock photo websites where your photos can be placed on offer for free if it is of good quality.

You then pay a commission on sales to the website but the problem is these profit margins are very small and you will need a big portfolio to earn some serious cash.

The first thing to understand is that although stock photography is seen as a "passive" income it takes a lot of work to build up your portfolio. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on it and learn through the process. It will lead to success eventually.

What are typical stock photography categories that are popular?

Basically, millions of photos are posted daily so it is important to do your investigation properly in order to find your niche in any market out there.

There are numerous popular stock photography categories, including:

People: Photographs of people performing various activities such as working, relaxing, traveling, and so on.
Landscapes: Photographs of natural and urban landscapes, such as mountains, forests, beaches, and cityscapes.
Photographs of people who are at work using computers and other office machines, attending meetings, and other activities.
Food photography includes images of various dishes, ingredients, and gastronomical scenes.
Travel: Photographs of various locations and landmarks from all over the world.
Animals: Photographs of animals ranging from pets to wildlife to farm animals.
Sports: Photographs of athletes and sporting events in action.
Nature: Photographs of natural surroundings and phenomena, such as sunsets, clouds, and flowers.
Fashion: Fashion photography includes images of people who wear clothing and accessories.
Technology: Images of numerous modern devices and concepts.

How do you sell your stock photos?

There are a few ways of selling stock photos on such sites. Some platforms have millions of visitors and if your photos are of good quality they will be found.

The number one way of doing it is to find a micro-niche where you know people will be looking for stock photos. If you are a photographer who can target a niche such as Kite Surfing you will be able to build your portfolio around the sport.

Once you have established yourself as a leader in a specific niche your followers will do the rest for you. you will sell more stock photos once you know the game better and you are aware of what the end user is looking for.

The second way is to build up a massive portfolio with quality pictures. Some photographers have over 15000 images listed and they are making good money off it.

This is mainly because of the time it took and the experience they gained through the process. With 15000 images they understand the game, know what people are looking for, and have fine-tuned the quality of their work.

The third way of selling your images is to make sure you know how to do Social Media Marketing on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr. Building a following on these platforms can attract the right people to your portfolio.

Another way is through e-mail marketing but making sure that you are targeting the correct people. There are ways to do this for free starting by getting a free version of Mailerlite.

This will enable you to learn the game of e-mail marketing the right way at low or no cost at all.

A good way to increase sales is to make sure the quality of your images is good for commercial use. If you are serious about making a business of it the suggestion is to get a good DSLR camera.

There are many online courses and tutorials on how to take award-winning photos with a properly set up DSLR camera. I would recommend the DSLR Masterclass with Evan Sharboneau which will teach you almost everything you need to know as an amateur photographer wanting to take professional photos.

The final way I can add here, for now, is paid advertising on Facebook, Twitter, etc. This is a different ball game and to not waste money I would suggest you first become a master at platform advertising. Doing it wrong can cost you a lot with no return.

Getting on top of your Stock Photography game

Once again - Patience

Try and first learn as much as possible about Photography, Social Media Marketing, and all the other factors that will influence your career as a stock photographer.

Treat this venture as you would do with a normal business. Do the planning, learn the game, and deliver a quality product. There is an abundance of photography advice on Youtube but be aware that you must distinguish between real information and opinion.

It will shorten your learning curve by a couple of weeks. I suggest the Photography Masterclass on offer below to get your photography to a standard where you can sell it and start earning.

Build yourself an extensive portfolio so you can create a community with the same interest around it.

This is when you will start making money with photography online and hopefully have an income stream that can fill up your bank account. Only with experience will you get on top of the stock photography game.

How do I get paid for stock images?

Photographers are typically paid a percentage of the sale price of their photos on stock photography platforms.

The percentage varies based on the platform and the terms of the photographer's agreement with the platform.

Some platforms may have a tiered commission structure, in which photographers receive a higher percentage for photos that sell for a higher price.

Other platforms may have a flat commission rate, which also means that all photos are sold at the same price and photographers receive the same percentage of the transaction.

Before uploading their photos, photographers should carefully read the terms of any agreement with a stock photography platform.

This will help them understand exactly how they will be compensated for their work as well as any other terms, such as how long the platform will retain the right to sell the photos.