Quick Tip: How to Make Money From Photography

Quick Tip: How to Make Money From Photography

on Oct 30th 2010 with 79 comments
This entry is part 11 of 11 in the The Photography Business Session
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As a photographer, I’m asked one question over and over again. How do I make money from photography? I would say almost everyone I know owns a camera in one form or another, but only very few of them have found a way to turn a profit from their photos. Today we’re going to suggest a few quick ideas you might not have tried before!

Shoot and Sell Stock Photography

Taking stock photos has never been easier. The principal being simply go out and shoot high-quality photos, upload them to a stock website and then wait for people to buy them (for use in magazines, websites, design – you name it).

People are after all different types of stock images – from textures to fashion models. My advice would be to shoot one particular style of stock and become good at what you do. Trying to sell a random mix is often difficult, as my fellow friends have found. When people view your images, they often look for a collection of the same kind.

If you are thinking about selling stock as a complete beginner, you might be frustrated at first. Many stock photo websites have a high standard, and you may need to brush up on various aspects of your photography before you start seeing success!

Good sites to sell stock photography include:

  • iStockPhoto – One of the best known stock websites, although you have to reach certain criteria to be accepted
  • Getty Images – Sells a high range of different styles of stocks – very pro!
  • Jupiter images – One of the leading stock sites at the current time.
  • Fotolia – Very popular, but with thousands of images, yours can easily be hidden.

We covered a few more of these in our article entitled 15 Stock Photography Sites to Sell Your Photos – For Beginners and Pros.

make money from photography

Market Your Images as Prints

Putting your prints up for sale can be really easy.  The hard part is getting people to purchase them!

To begin with you could try and upload your images to a printing website, and then just hope someone will stop by and purchase one. If this happens, the website you upload them to will often take a chunk of the profit. In return, they deal with all the printing and posting of the end product. It’s easy to do, but the returns can be minimal.

A few sites to explore for this are:

  • Red Bubble – An attractive website with growing popularity
  • Imagekind.com – One of the biggest print websites online
  • Picasso Mio – Showcase to 200,000 monthly visitors with free unlimited uploading

Secondly, you could print your own images and then attempt to sell them straight to the customer (or get a local gallery to sell your images on your behalf). This takes more time, but is likely to have a higher success rate. Remember to sell prints which people would want in their houses – a photo of your cat or dog probably isn’t the way to go!

make money from photography

Get Hired!

Being hired as a photographer, in my opinion, is the hardest thing on this list. It can be a slow ride getting to the top. I remember my first time was an exciting experience, being the official photographer for a music video to raise money for a local charity. I didn’t earn a penny by the time I added transport costs, but I got my name out to a lot of companies at the shoot.

The easiest way in my opinion to start out is to advertise yourself as a photographer to local businesses. You might be lucky and find yourself getting yourself your first job. Building your portfolio this way is important, and you’ll receive more work through word-of-mouth if you’re good.

My word of caution would be not to take on more than you can cope with. For example, attempting a shoot a wedding without preparation or the correct gear could be disastrous. Don’t accept a job you know you cannot do!

make money from photography

Buy and Sell Equipment

It sounds silly, but instead of taking photos why not try and sell photographic equipment? If you’re already a photography expert, you’re in a perfect situation to advertise and sell to the correct kind of people.

I have friends who have sold simple accessories (such as filters) to help pay for their university tuition fees. To start, simply be brave. Order a bulk batch of a certain item, and then use the internet to sell them. eBay already offers plenty of interest and traffic – all you have to do is set a reasonable price and deal with people professionally.

make money from photography

Share Your Knowledge (For a Price!)

If you feel you’ve reached a good enough level to be able to teach people, then go ahead! You could always set up a camera club and charge people to come and learn new techniques. Others take people away on photography courses to a new and different location – a beautiful landscape, for instance.

make money from photography

A You a Profitable Photographer?

Is photography just a wonderful hobby for you, or do you manage to make a living from it as well? Let us know in the comments!

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Rollover to read this author's bio or click through to see a full list of posts by this author.

I am a freelance graphics designer from Ipswich in the UK. You might know me as Peewee1002, I run a popular Photoshop tutorial site here: http://PSDtutorials.co.uk. Feel free to get in touch via twitter, I love a good chat with other photographers and designers! You can also find me on Photodune by the name peewee1002.  

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  • http://www.saroverhees.be Saro

    I sometimes get hired for some underground party’s. If it are cool party’s, I might just do it for some guestlists and drinks. I’m looking for some cool party’s to shoot in America and around Europe, so if you know any cool party’s. Please let me know! (you can contact me via the website)

    Check out my work on http://www.thesarosnake.com > PHOTOS

  • Luis

    hey can somebody answer, how much should i charge if i get hired to take pictures?

    • http://www.danielsone.com Daniel S

      The price of an image or work varies greatly depending on the job, use of the image, how important it is to the client, and licensing/rights. Then there is also the P.I.A. factor which can greatly increase the price for your client.

      There are at least three separate parts to being “hired”: 1) The job itself; 2) The deliverables; 3) The rights.

      The job is where you’re actually taking the photos (i.e. labor, equipment, etc.). The deliverables are the images themselves (prints, disc, etc.). The rights are the controls, permissions, and uses assigned to the deliverables. The more difficult a job is, the more deliverables, and the more rights or exclusivity you grant, the higher the price.

      In the end: under promise, over deliver.

    • http://www.christopherprins.com Christopher Prins

      It’d probably start by looking around at some local competitors, and see what they charge.

      • Luis

        thanks for the advices, very useful

  • David

    I am 16 years old. A junior in Highschool. I love taking photos, and decided to give senior portraits a shot. I made some business cards, put them in a school at the front, and I have already made $250 :)
    The trick is being confident and knowing that you can get good photos. You have nothing to lose.
    Next year I’m sure my number of photoshoots will increase enormously.

    • http://www.peewee1002.co.uk Peter Sawyer
      Author

      Keep it up. Its handy money at the age of 16!

      I myself am only 18 and agree with you about being confident. I have been the main photographer on afew shoots and get some weird looks by those who have been in the industry for years, but it all comes down to confidence.

  • http://www.rosafrei.com Rosa Frei

    I shoot hotels and restaurants, mostly for their websites. As a foreigner living in Morocco, I traveled a lot around the country and have a stock of more than 30’000 pictures of Morocco. These Morocco pictures I sell to travel agencies for their websites.

    Further I upload to many micro stock agencies, my portfolio is small and the income also just a tip, but I hope to improve that.

    I also have a small portfolio on Imagekind, Red Bubble, Flickr: with no sales so far.

    It is my full time job (7 days a week….) since 3 years. So far I cannot live from it (even in Morocco). But every successful photographer tells you that it takes 5 years or more to succeed. I hope I will…..

    My website: http://www.rosafrei.com. Thanks for visiting.

    • Cleo

      To Rosa Frei:

      Rosa you aren’t making money from your photography because you do not know how to market yourself. I went to your website. BREATHTAKING!

      Your biggest number one problem is what you mentioned in your own post:

      “…every successful photographer tells you that it takes 5 years or more to succeed.”

      I got so angry when I read that! Who are they???? Let me tell you who I am:

      I am a guy who got his first camera in March of this year for a 30th birthday present. It was the first time I’d ever TOUCHED a real camera.

      In May I made $7,000 from my photos! I’ve done just as well ever since. I’ve even been hired at a salary of $5,000 a month to shoot for a growing magazine….PART TIME!

      Why am I telling you this? BECAUSE YOUR PICTURES ARE LIGHT YEARS AHEAD OF MINE! YOU ARE BEYOND TALENTED!

      My shots are “OK” to “good.” I know that, and I strive to improve, but hell I’ve only been shooting for 6 months.

      What’s the difference between me and you? I’ll be damned if I let somebody, successful or not tell me I must wait 5 years to succeed at ANYTHING!

      YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOU CAN CONVINCE SOMEONE YOU ARE. If YOU are better than THEY are, they will PAY YOU to do it!

      Find out where you want to shoot, how much you want to make, grab your portfolio, walk in there, find the person in charge and CONVINCE them–don’t ask them, don’t offer them–CONVINCE them that they will make more money WITH YOU than without you. If they have the power/resources/ability, they WILL give you the job.

      Or you can sit there for another two years waiting for the Gods of Nothing to grant you “permission” to succeed. The world doesn’t work that way. I make more money than just about everyone I know with a camera and I have the LEAST experience because I BELIEVE that I can make other peoples lives better with it. And since I believe in me, THEY believe in me.

      Go believe in you! Stop making excuses and hiding behind others excuses. If you would have offered me your work in a gallery, I’d have bought it for hundreds. If you said it costs thousands… I’d have paid that too. YOUR only limit is YOU!

      • http://www.wayneroulez.com Wayne Roulez

        I really liked Cleo’s article, he/she is so right, thanks Cleo it was a real motivator.

        • Alison

          I agree with Wayne Roulez. Very inspiring!! I have had my 1st “real” dslr camera for a week. I’m already being asked to take pictures from my local Occupy Wall Street organizer. I went to them the day after I got my camera & simply asked them if I could photograph their activities. I sent them the pictures & they liked them, posted them on their website & asked me to return for their Black Friday protest. He also offered to let me formally interview him. If you can’t tell, I want to break into photojournalism. So for me this is a great way to build up my portfolio. I’m not waiting five years to make it! I’m taking it now!

      • Nick

        WOW what a motivator!!!!!!!!!!! god bless you !!!!! I cant even believe that this kinda ppl exist.It is a sort of privilege to see a inspiring comment in a site . Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • shawnrowayn

        Thanks Cleo. Needed to hear what you said…a nice reminder :)

        Few days ago, I was with families celebrating our nana 85th birthday..and with my sisters Canon 450D camera, I pretended to be a professional photographer and take awesome pictures. I remember having high confident and got excited when I spotted a creative shot…..aim, focus..shoot and the results where fantastic.

        My Photography journey has begun http://tinyurl.com/Jahz-Black-White-Photos and Thank you again for the great tips and encouragement.

      • http://jordaschekingston.net Jordasche Kingston

        Totally agree, Cleo! Rosa, your photos are great!!

      • David

        Thanks.
        That was inspirational. I too am an aspiring photographer.Up until now I haven’t thought of making money from photography, but i suppose i could. It would really help with college fees and other expenses.
        “If you can do something well, never do it for free.” – the Joker
        Cheers :D

      • Steve

        Cleo, Im just interested and cant get out of my mind the thought…how can you earn 7k in just a few months?

      • Amandeep

        I am really impressed with you Cleo. I have been doing photography since last 2 and a half years now. Although, I did not take it professionally unit now, but now I want to.

        I want to know that how do you apply for a job of a photographer and where can you find these jobs??

  • http://www.christopherprins.com Christopher Prins

    Nice one guys. tried Redbubble, it’s been pretty good. Haven’t tried Imagekind before though, will have to give it a crack. Facebooked.

  • mike

    I don’t want to be a downer, but:
    In reality, shooting for stock will take almost 1 year minimum to cover most production costs. (unless you are shooting photos of ants, and if so, why would you be reading this). Getting into stock is not for beginner photographers.

    Asking people to pay for your expertise takes just that, expertise. Not for enthusiasts, or hobbyists.

    People have to see your work in order to buy prints. Getting gallery space, or even wall space @ local cafes
    takes a great deal of time, and money to ensure your work always looks great, and is properly displayed.

    • David

      You’ve got to be dedicated.

  • matt

    He explained ways to make money in photography. I’m not sure he said it was going to be easy or not take time.

  • http://www.facebook.com/skulboy85r Doug

    Have sold a few 6x4s of NZ Speedway cars for $3 each (print them off at the local store for 12c..) Get great money and they dont have to be perfect shots, because all the buyer wants is a photo of their car going vroom.

    I didnt even think of putting some of my good photos on stock photo sites, and now it seems like a bloody great idea. Will put some of mine up on some stock sites today I thinks!

    • Luis

      but how are you so sure of that price?

    • steve melia

      Well how did you get along with the rights to print ? and sell for money ? i have taken loads of Speedway pictures in England and find it’s a big problem i have numerous i would love to blow up and sell but would have problems with the riders i have been told, and have not taken one now for a year now really losing heart with the whole thing and have put off getting the camera i really want as i could not justify the money as just a pleasure hobby and not make a bit of money back on the cost of the camera wich is nearly a grand with the lenses i will be using.

  • rtron

    I Agree with mike. Stock is not the way to go for a beginner. I know from experience.

    And I would not bother at all with iStockphoto any more. They have recently changed their pricing structure so as a newbie you get a paltry 15% of each sale.

  • http://www.lsweddingphotography.co.uk Luke Stanton

    I know that Flickr.com has recently signed a deal so that you can now sell your photos as stock images.

    Another way to make money from photography would be to shoot weddings.

  • http://www.e11world.com e11world

    Ive been doing photography (well just taking photos) for nearly 10 years but I would say after my 3 months course on photography (which wasnt very in depth as well), I started looking at things differently. Better gear slowly and that also meant better control over my photos.
    Ive had the idea of selling stock photography for nearly a year now and havent actually sat down to upload my photos yet. Ive managed to get myself out there for engagement photos once and no weddings yet.
    Also done lots of product photography.
    Other types of photography has been mostly for fun, experience and building of my portfolio.
    My new gear will be the EOS 60D from Canon. I love the HD Video and that opens up more opportunities for me since I do video as well (shooting, editing and audio as well)

    • http://www.peewee1002.co.uk Peter Sawyer
      Author

      If your budget can stretch to it I would recommend the Canon 7D.

      Its an amazing camera, and is currently my camera of choice. It is nicer to use than the 5D IMO.

      • Elliot

        Sorry, but I have to disagree. The 60D has the flip out screen and he wants to shoot video, this is a big plus. Also Magic Lantern is fully operational on the 60D and will never be useable on the 7D (Huge marks for this one). The 7D does have a slightly better body build (over hyped) and can shoot more fps, but that’s it.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/prashantadukia/ prashant

    Am a hobbyist photographer. But would definitely love to make money out of it.

  • Faraz

    I’d love to just keep the photography just as a hobby, and I won’t use it as a job unless I’m really really desperate!

  • http://blackdoomy.deviantart.com Doomy

    Interesting topic!
    thanks

  • Carol

    I appreciate your article. My interest are making a living in photography, I am just a little confused and still need to become more comfortable with my Nikon before this can actually take place.
    Thanks!

  • Zach

    Am a professional studio photographer. Photograph exotic cars like Ferrari, lamborghini, Porsche. I absolutely love my job, I love photography and I love cars and being able to combine the two and get paid for it is a dream come true! But the hard part for finding jobs like that is finding them. Photographer what ever catches your eye and if their is something you are particulary intrested in shooting, get really good at that one thing. Build a good portfolio and try to find someone that needs someone like you to photograph that thing. Like real estate or whatever. Good luck!

  • Marissa

    I live in South Africa. Just started my own place for photography. I take photo’s and I put photo’s on canvas. If someone in Rustenburg want to make use of me, pleas let me know. marissainindonesia@gmail.com. I also sell canvas work that I have in stock.

  • http://castlehaven.x.am Crue Knight

    To those who think “hobbyists” don’t have as much expertise in photography as “professionals” is downright dillusioned.

    The ONLY difference between the two is the hobbyists takes his pictures for sheer pleasure. The pro makes a dime or more.
    There are people who are dentists or have other dedicated proffessions who have the skill and technique of the best pro photographers.

    If you’ve been working with slr’s and are very familiar with using it, Id say give it your best shot. And if you are a bit hesitant, invest in a book on photography technique.

    • jen

      Not necessarily true, but in same cases I can agree.
      Media law & other courses taken in college are vital, as is experience learned on the job. I “became” a professional for the love of it…I lost that love around year 8 after pushing rediculously hard to be the best. Professionals have usually put in LOTS of dues to earn that title….& for that usually have more tools they’ve developed along the way. That said…anyone will to start at the bottom & shoot lots of freebies can certainly work their way up. I’ve seen people do it by offering free shots/assignment work for super small newspapers, etc. but you have top be overly determined & ok with a published shot being your “payment”.

  • http://jordanmcraephotography.com Jordan

    After being contacted by an advertising agency, and receiving a large sum of money for a photo of mine, I finally got a taste of what potential photography has next to an incredible hobby. I absolutely love taking photos, and if I can make a little bit of cash here and there to fuel my hobby, then that’s even better!

    • http://www.wayneroulez.com Wayne Roulez

      I went to your website. I love those fog shots you took. Nice work.

  • http://www.jongoings.com Jon

    I’ve spent around 4 grand on used gear this summer, thousands which I shouldn’t have, although I’m now shooting with a Canon 5D mk1. I’d love to start making some money, but I’ve gotta update my website’s content if I’m to nail photoshoots, and that takes so much time. http://www.jongoings.com is $90 reasonable for generic portrait shoots? how would you price other sorts of shoots? weddings, grads, bands, engagements, etc

  • Michael

    I have been working as a ‘Freelance Digital Photographer’ for the last 5 years, a “Freelance film Photographer’ for better than 20 years prior to that on and off and a “Freelance Traditional and Digital Artist” since I was in High school. In case you’re wondering I’m in my forties now.
    I’ve done Portraits both Studio and Location shoots, Family Portraits, Holiday Portraits, Glamour, Boudoir, Event photography, News Footage, etc.
    Over the years I have used various Press Passes both ‘legit’ and ‘not so legit’ when I needed to gain ‘free’ access to events to get up close access and photos in order to get paid (you know, Concerts, Sporting Events, etc.).
    If you are confident enough it will get you in the door 95 % of the time. Perceived authority, if you believe you are entitled access and you are confident enough and don’t falter then those guarding the door will allow you to pass. He who blinks first looses!
    Obviously I agree with Peter Sawyer; Confidence can be the difference between being paid and being shown the door.
    I also agree with Cleo with regard to Rosa. The was a Kevin Bacon movie I remember seeing once and in it he said, “Someone is making a sale; Either you are selling to them or they are selling you on why they can’t or won’t buy from you.” Again confidence is the ‘key’ here.
    “YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOU CAN CONVINCE SOMEONE YOU ARE. If YOU are better than THEY are, they will PAY YOU to do it!
    Find out where you want to shoot, how much you want to make, grab your portfolio, walk in there, find the person in charge and CONVINCE them–don’t ask them, don’t offer them–CONVINCE them that they will make more money WITH YOU than without you. If they have the power/resources/ability, they WILL give you the job.
    Or you can sit there for another two years waiting for the Gods of Nothing to grant you “permission” to succeed. The world doesn’t work that way. I make more money than just about everyone I know with a camera and I have the LEAST experience because I BELIEVE that I can make other peoples’ lives better with it. And since I believe in me, THEY believe in me.”

  • Jeff

    good list – one i’ve used http://www.jpg10.com for making money from images that I can’t sell as stock.

  • http://passiontolearn.com/ Kevin Woolsey

    Great ideas to start with. Taking great shots is still the biggest challenge. -from Baton Rouge Photographer, (225) 773-3350. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinwoolsey

  • dee

    if take pics of people,like at the park or an event… do you need their permission to post and sale?

    • http://www.facebook.com/beldeabogdan Bogdan Beldea

      No, every picture taken in a public area doesn’t need someones’s permission to be posted.

      • Jen

        Wrong. selling to a media outlet is one thing bc there is an exception for newsworthiness & people in public places. You CAN NOT HOWEVER SELL SOMEONE’S IMAGE (or likeness) TO A RANDOM COMPANY, STOCK AGENCY OR EVEN USE IN YOUR OWN PORTFOLIO LEGALLY WITHOUT A SIGNED MODEL RELEASE FROM THEM. SAME GOES for property belonging to others…even a car would need a signed property release or you could land in hot water

  • Emily Hathaway

    This may seem like a silly question, but if you upload photos to a stock photography site, can you upload the same photo onto another site? therefore potentially having all you images on numerous different sites and earning money from all of them.
    Thanks :)

    • http://foodiesdiaries.blogspot.com MoonFace

      I am pretty sure you can.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/manodarkside/ Manatosh Chakma
  • http://www.freesharehere.com/ Freesharehere

    Hi. I also thought many times the same question that how can i make money from photography and mostly i feel embarrassed. I really love your concepts which you had given in your article. I will definitely follow these tips or steps. Thanks for sharing this article and your valuable advice.

  • Chris W.

    I bought a camera last year and it’s not a very good one. It takes decent photos for what I gave for it but what surprises me the most is the interest I have been getting. I submitted one to a website 3 days ago and it was chosen as a featured photo on the website.The number of views and positive ratings it has received has surprised me. Having the “eye” to see things in ways many others do not is the determining factor in shooting simply fair to good or exceptional photographs. That and being in the right place at just the right time. These moments in time that we capture, be it as a hobby or a profession, are only attained by doing. Just keep on trying and you can only improve. We can do anything we set our minds to. You want to make money with photography? Try all of the suggestions above. Enter contests. Have your friends and family critique your work without them knowing it is yours. That will give you a better understanding of what people in general are drawn to but trust in your own unique vision and perceptions of the world. No one else sees thing like you so share how you see it. Commercial work in any field usually pays more than what most individuals are able to but something to keep in mind is if you never ask for it you will never receive it. Photography is one sure way to let your work speak for itself. The main thing is to do what you love and blessings are sure to follow. Just my .02.

  • Nicole Mercer

    I like taking pictures but don’t know how to get started earning money at it, I am 20 and just not sure where to start any ideas?

    • Shakes

      we’re in the same boat – i’m also 20 and hardest thing is that i’m in Africa, photography here is not taken seriously by many, its slowly being recognized…ass me on facebook and check out my pictures “Keitumetse ‘Shakes’ Kekana” is my facebook name :)

  • Wanda

    Rosa frei: Wow what a portfolio

  • http://www.worpix.com Thanhvan

    Hello,
    I dont know that is there anyone cares about this topic or not. But if you cannot find someone to buy your photos by yourself, you can upload and sell your photos in this website: http://www.worpix.com
    You can set the price freely and comfortably as valuable as you want. Then other people can find easier and buy them more than you have to find sellers yourself.
    Good luck

  • http://www.blacknationmag.wordpess.com BLACKNATION

    My name is Edwin but known as my brand name “blacknation” I’m from South Africa, I’m a Fashion photographer and I run my own online fashion magazine http://www.blacknationmag.wordpress.com. I want help based on how to sell my picture’s to magazine’s and what is the proper procedure to do that beacuse I know am the best photographer in South Africa, you can check out my Fashion photographer on my online magazine on the link on top.

    “Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”

  • http://www.photographyplusbylaura.com Laura

    I have been a professional photographer for over 20 years, and had no problem being hired for weddings, bar-bat mitzvahs, quinceneras, funerals, company holiday parties, portraits & other assorted jobs. This was because of my sure fire sales techniques and sales aids plus my genuine interest and love of being around people. However, when I started out I discovered that newspapers, magazines and companies that wanted commercial photographers would not hire me because I don’t have a 4 year degree in photography–my four college photography courses were not enough. I also tried to get hired for a couple of the big nation wide studios, but they would not hire me either even though I had a nice portfolio. (Then I found out that they only paid the photographer $50.00 an hour while they made thousands of dollars in profit off one job). So I just went out on my own and did much better.

    The other thing I have discovered over 20 years is that those photo contests where you pay an entry fee anywhere between $5 to $30 are jokes. The only people winning are the people taking your money. And if you do get chosen–honorable mention–you end up paying out more money for the book that has your picture in it. However, I have had a couple of solo one woman shows, was in several photo exhibitions and won ribbons for my photography and I did not have to pay a single penny to be in any of those afore mentioned events.

    The other thing that never worked for me has been the stock photography. There are the sites like Art.com where you got 10s of thousands of people all trying to sell. But the good ones that pay top dollar won’t even consider you unless you have an agent.

    Bottom line if you want to be a world renoun photographer and get hired by fashion magazines, newspapers and the like you will need a 4 year degree, network, volunteer, and work as an apprentice because believe me–I have tried and no cigar because I don’t have that 4 year degree. Or you go into business for yourself and work where you live.

    • Phillip

      Laura.

      Well I think you are one of the first people in ages that talk the truth, or in other words the reality of life, It is hard to make a name, and that bloke/girl with the 4 year degrees; photos half the time is up to sh#t, the only people that makes it so good is the software engineers, Now they are the ones with good money. photography is a passion not a career, a career is boring and your life depends on it. But passion photography with huge amount of time in it becomes part of life, I make great money with photography, why, because I don’t do it for a career, I just do it for my pleasure and the satisfaction I gain with every photo, I still have a normal career, I am in the fortunate position to work 2 weeks on 2 weeks off, in my 2 weeks off, its me and my photography (and Family), I use my photography as an inspiration of what I missed in the 2 weeks at work, as my 2 weeks at work is by living in a camp in the middle of nothing.

      Photography is an mind opener, its clear my head and brings the creativity out in me, I have made a name by shooting photos about my personality, how I feel emotionally and what I desire. the combination formed a unique creative style. So the real answer to make money from photography is simple

      -Don’t expect to go and take a few photos and make money (not going to happen)
      -you have to crawl before you walk
      -do a lot of free work to build up a portfolio
      -work for your self (be your own marketer and entrepreneur )
      -go to sport events take photos- set up your laptop and sell your photos
      -this is some ideas.
      -So go out there and tackle the world, remember think outside the box/ re-invent the wheel.

  • http://www.lowbudgetprosper.com Ksenia

    Great article and some very useful tips!
    I’ve also been trying to make some extra cash on travel photos and can say from my own experience that selling them via photo stocks is a very good idea! The only thing is that at the start you’ll have to work a lot (uploading dozens of photos some of which will be denied), but when you already have a good base of your shots in several photo stocks, then money start flowing. There’s one good article on how to sell photos via stocks I’ve found recently http://www.traveling365.com/2012/07/make-money-on-photos/.

  • http://www.phowin.com Carlos Sanz

    Afternoon! I would like to introduce a new way to earn money with your photos. We have created a new project where photography lovers can upload their photos and, depending of the popularity of the photos (numbers of hits they have), the owner can earn some revenues. The project is in beta phase but you can visit it on http://www.phowin.com.

    Thanks for your time.

  • Andrew

    How hard is it to become a photographer for magazines like ‘sports illustrated’ or ‘national geographic’ and what kinda education would you need?

    • Jen

      Pretty dang hard. Mainly because there are limited number of staff photo positions, but also because everyone would love to be employed by either. I worked as a photojournalist for 10 years & contributed to hundred of publications via the AP wire. I shot assignments including presidential campaigns, NBA basketball & was even approached by USA day. I worke my tail off & loved it despite the very low pay & looming student debt from the college degreee I earned prior (which got me started in th world of journalism. Do I think I could ever be hired by either? If I exhausted myself further, possibly, but doubtful. In fact, the shrinking print market got the best of me & I now work in home health for barely above min wage & doing freelance
      Weddings & portraits, which I hate in comparison. Stock photo income…always wondered, but seems over-saturated market also. Plus, a good friend is a former stock photographer…also struggling now to make a living…& now only does photography as a hobby since he can’t make a living doing it.
      It takes a “business” mind for most to be successful photographers in the long term.

  • Photographer

    http://tinyurl.com/fotobiz – I assure you100% success!

  • manuel
  • Jordan Henry

    Does anyone think I could actually make money from any of these? http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordanhenryphotography

    • Andy

      Not yet, but you have the vision.

    • JAHGREY

      To be honest, out of all I only seen one or two that I liked that I would buy if they were touched up or edited differently.

    • http://twitter.com/jeaniestweets JeanJune

      Nice work. I like:
      WeThePeople Versus 2011 Custom (your bike).

    • Lori

      I took a look at your photos, and I like you am not yet seriously convinced someone would purchase my photos, however, when looking at yours I see the same potential, we both have I really liked the photos you did involving the sun, light and different architectual angles with the bridge you did, yes I do think you could sell some. Problem is where to advertise your work, and what to ask for them. Just recent a man/photographer was on the news, this week, selling his photos for 8 thousand a piece and he took them from his apartment peeking into other people’s apartments, no faces are showing and no one can be identified but now there is a big controversy over was he stalking others and is it against the law. I find it is art, and art should be free to utilize as we wish. I think you could sell some of your work, I enjoyed it.

  • Ali Abrahm

    i put this link in as one of the good path of becoming a better photographer :) http://cc79c5p4q9wvshd9q2ldyw8z60.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=DIGIPIX

  • http://twitter.com/WeddingPhotoSA Jason Brown

    it seems you forgot to mention Wedding Photography. Weddings are the bread and butter for most photographers. You have to be confident and skilled to do it but if you do a friends or two for free you can build a portfolio. Weddings are very fast paced and are much easier now with high ISO modern cameras and the digital revolution. Not for the high strung types though, can be nerve racking enough.

  • Tristan

    Great article, Id like to try to sell photos in the future but im not sure if i’m ready yet. Do you think any of these would sell? http://www.viewbug.com/member/Tristan

  • Lance Trottier

    Interesting article!

  • http://www.facebook.com/sajju.33 Sajeed Mohammed

    hi friends i hope u will like the clicks please go through the link

    https://www.facebook.com/SajeedPhotography?fref=ts

  • http://www.facebook.com/pages/

    True, taking pictures has been made a lot easier today and the ones selling are amatuer / natural looking pictures. You could be sitting on a source of income by not sharing your pictures!!!

  • http://vidinterest.com/ Nirajan Bom Malla

    great, we can see many photo community launched in these recent years since the popularity of pinterest is rising rapidly , i found another interesting website , http://picxing.com , who claims to pay money for views generated by pins . I am not sure whether it is legit or not, but if they really pay, this can be coolest pinterest alternative for those people who wants to make money from photography

  • Gabriel

    My little bit of advice would be to make a DeviantArt and/or a Flickr profile, so people can see your work, critique you, and so you’re exposed to the community of other photographers.

  • http://twitter.com/maris992 mari uchiyama

    im still in high school but i’m very interested in photography. i wanted to earn money with it. because for college and med school soon. i just don’t want to work in a restaurant or a clothing store. i need help