Do you love taking pictures? Have a photo you think you can make money from? Well, thousands of people do make money selling their photos, and you can, too! In this guide, we’re going to talk about:
- Where you can sell your photos to make money
- How to take pictures that will earn you an income
- How to market your photography business to earn you more money
Ready to get snapping photos? Here’s how you can make money simply by selling the pictures you take.
1. Do photo shoots for clients
There’s a huge market out there for clients who want their pictures taken. Whether it’s a headshot for an up and coming CEO or a young woman who wants to build a modeling portfolio, the opportunities are just about endless.
To market yourself to do photo shoots, you’re going to need some practice. Grab a friend or family member and get their permission to take a picture. It can be fun – have them dress up, or go to an interesting location for the shoot.
Then, get their signed permission to post their photo online as a part of your portfolio. You can then direct people to your website to view the photos as the first step to make money selling your photography skills.
It’s super important that you get permission in writing from each of your clients before you post their photos online. Alternatively, you could have a password-protected website where clients can view their own photos only after entering that password.
- People from all walks of life are looking to be professionally photographed
- Grab a few friends and start an online portfolio
- Be sure you have written permission before you post anyone’s photo online
2. Do maternity photo shoots
Pregnant women want to capture every moment of their pregnancy and the birth experience. You can market yourself as a maternity photographer and make money selling photos that celebrate the journey of pregnancy.
To market yourself for this type of photo shoot, you may need to offer a few complimentary sessions. Reach out to pregnant women you know and offer to do a photo shoot in exchange for allowing you to post their photos in your portfolio.
Be sure you draw up business cards, too! Get permission from the hospital or midwife’s clinic to leave your business cards as part of the welcome basket women receive when they take classes or register. This is a fun way to make money with photography, as pregnant women are usually some of the happiest clients you’ll ever have!
- Pregnant women want to capture their pregnancy with photography
- You can become a maternity photographer and help families celebrate
- Building your portfolio may mean you’ll have to offer a few free sessions in exchange for permission to use photos in your portfolio
3. Consider newborn photography
Once you’ve built up a client base of pregnant women, be sure you offer your services as a newborn photographer as well! When those little babies are born, offer to visit in the midwife’s clinic, in the hospital or at your client’s home to snap photos of the new little one.
Again, it’s going to be super important that you get permission to post little ones’ photos online. It’s also critical that you know the laws in your area. For instance, in some places it may be illegal to capture certain body parts of babies once they reach a certain age. As an example, in the United States children over 1 year old can’t have their bare bottoms photographed.
You can make money from the photo shoot clients you already have when you do newborn photography. Just market yourself while you capture those maternity photos and you’re ready to go nonce the baby arrives.
- Know the child photography laws in your area before you begin snapping photos of newborns
- Tap into your existing client base to begin making money as a newborn photographer
- Offer to visit your clients at home or the hospital – it’s up to you and the family to decide!
4. Do pet photos
Call them pet parents of fur babies, dog lovers, cat addicts – whatever you call them, these people love their animals. You can cash in on their obsessions when you make money taking photos of four legged friends.
There’s not a lot you have to do to build your portfolio for this type of photo. Heck, you can simply visit the local pet shelter and ask if you can take some pictures of the animals there. Then, post them online and watch the orders roll in.
People want all sorts of animals photographed. You may get “clients” who are dogs, cats, snakes, birds, or bearded lizards. Make sure you don’t have any phobias before you start doing this sort of photography!
- People want all sorts of pets photographed
- Don’t be scared of animals if you want to make money with this type of photo!
- You can build your portfolio simply by visiting your local animal shelter
5. Take family portraits
Especially around the holidays, there’s a huge market for family photos. You can make money with this type of photo simply by having a nice location to shoot. You might operated from your back yard, or meet clients at the nearby botanical gardens – with their permission, of course. That’s literally all you’ll need, other than a camera, to get started.
Start with your own family, or enlist some neighbors to be your subjects. Once you get permission, post the photos online as a part of your portfolio and start to make money. As we mentioned, the holidays are a great time to get started, but you can advertise your services to photograph anniversaries, vacations and more.
- Family photos are in high demand, especially around the holidays
- You can start to build your portfolio by enlisting your own family or just people you know
- Don’t limit yourself to holidays – anniversaries and other events are popular for family photos, too!
6. Sign up for stock photography sites
You may not make a ton of money at first when you sell on a stock photo site, but the earnings can add up. It’s estimated that the average photo will make around $.50 per month on a stock photo site. Not a killer total, but given the fact that there’s no limit to how many photos you can post, you can make enough to pay a bill or two.
Some stock photo sites pay more than others, so research your options before you sign up. Sometimes you’ll be disallowed from posting the same photo to two different sites, so choose the platform you like the best. Pay attention to the requirements, too. You may need signed releases for people, and you’ll almost certainly need to take photos that meet specific technical requirements.
Stock photo sites are an amazing outlet for your work. These sites will accept just about anything from pictures of the sunset to pictures of a hotel room. Usually the site will have a list of specific items they’re looking for, so pay attention to that. You may earn more when you submit these sought-after photos.
- You won’t earn a ton of money on stock photo sites, but it can add up
- Pay attention to the requirements listed on the stock photo website
- You’ll probably need to meet certain technical specs, but most cameras usually fit the bill
7. Feeling lucky? Enter photo contests
Entering photo contests isn’t a guaranteed way to make money, but it can lead to some pretty big payouts if you’ve got the talent. Do an online search for “photo contests” and take a look at what’s available. Then, start shooting and enter your work for a chance to win!
You’re going to obviously want to pay attention to any entry fees associated with photo contests. Some are free and others will charge you for entry. If you feel that you have a shot, don’t be afraid to pay an entry fee, but check out the contest and make sure it’s legit first.
Photo contests can earn you cash prizes and more. You may win merchandise, vacations and more, so choose contests with prizes you love. Again, you’re not guaranteed to win, but photo contests are a great way to practice, have fun and get your name out there in the photography world.
- Photo contests aren’t a guaranteed way to make money, but they’re fun!
- Do a Google search for “photo contests” and choose a few you’d like to enter
- Before you pay any entry fees, be sure the company sponsoring the contest is legit
8. Sell your photo prints to make money
You can make money with print photos, too. There are hundreds of ways you can do this, and you can choose to do it through a third party online or locally in your neighborhood. Here are some ideas for selling your photo prints.
- Hang your photos in local coffee shops and list them for sale
- Sell your prints to bed and breakfasts in your area – local photography is a big hit
- Have prints made and sell them at your farmer’s market
- Market your photos and prints through social media
- Get in touch with local art galleries and request an installation
- Sell photo prints on auction sites or “handmade” marketplaces
There are many places you can sell physical prints of your photography. Do a bit of research online and find a printer you trust, then start to make money selling prints!
9. Do freelance photography work
You can get in touch with your area’s newspaper or with magazines and offer to do freelance photography work for them. You’re going to need a portfolio before you begin, so be sure you have a solid one online that you can direct people to.
Magazines and newspapers usually pay per photo, and the terms will usually be listed on their website or within the publication itself. As with most photography, you’ll likely need a written release if there are any people in your photographs, so check with the publication before you submit your work.
If you really put your mind to it, you can make a full time income as a freelance photographer. Just keep your head in the game and market yourself well – before you know it people might be requesting your work.
- Magazines and newspapers will pay you for your photos
- Do a little legwork and find out which publications will buy freelance photography
- Freelance photographers can actually make a full time income, so don’t be afraid to put the work in
10. Become a paparazzi photographer
If you live in an area where celebs are likely to be spotted, you can become a paparazzi photographer. The great thing about this is that once you snap a good picture – say of a famous movie star wearing something unexpected – that photo cam make money over and over again. Sell it to one magazine, then turn around and sell it to a news channel – the sky’s the limit.
Good paparazzi photographers can make upwards of half a million dollars every year. That’s a lot of money just for taking some pictures! The key is that you may have to spend money to make money. For instance, you may pay a hefty cover charge to get into that club where the stars hang out.
- You can potentially make big money selling photos of stars
- The key is to go where the stars hang out, then start snapping photos
- You can sell one photo over and over again – the sky is the limit
11. Be a wedding photographer
To make money selling this type of photo, you’re going to need to do a little research. What do brides want when they hire a wedding photographer? Go online and look at others’ wedding albums and you’ll get some good ideas of the types of shots you should be taking.
To build your portfolio, offer to photograph a wedding at no cost. You can then charge your clients for the prints and in exchange you’ll get a nice start to your wedding photo portfolio. Once you begin to get more business, you can charge a fee for your presence as well as for the photos themselves.
Brides are picky people – and for good reason. A wedding is usually a once in a lifetime event, and your clients are going to want pictures that are frame-worthy. Be sure you have the talent (and the equipment) to be a wedding photographer before you start signing up clients. Bad reviews will kill your business quickly if you don’t do a good job.
- You have to have talent and the right equipment to become a wedding photographer
- Brides are picky people, so be sure you know what they want in their album
- Start your portfolio by doing a few complimentary weddings, charging only for the physical photos
12. Do real estate photography
There are oodles of rental companies and realtors, as well as private sellers, who want photos of their home taken for sale. You can make money with this type of photo in your local area – simply reach out to agents and landlords.
Private homeowners sometimes don’t have the skills or equipment to photograph their home. Agents often don’t have the time. And landlords may not have the resources to send a staff member out to photograph their properties.
You can help! And starting a portfolio is simple – just take pictures of your home and your family’s home and post them on your website. It really is that simple. The price you’ll be paid will depend on the listing, on the number of photos you take and the time of day you take them. The regional area may determine your pay as well.
Don’t limit yourself to real estate, either. Vacation rentals and similar structures may be photographed, as well as corporate offices and office spaces. Use your imagination and you can make money selling real estate photos.
- You can make money photographing real estate and homes for rent
- Reach out to realtors and landlords to begin your business
- Starting your portfolio can be as easy as photographing your own home
13. Photograph your food
Food photographers can make money – and eat well! You, too, can earn income taking photos of great meals you enjoy in fancy restaurants all over your country. Or, by taking photos of the fast food you got at the mom and pop joint down the road.
Starting your portfolio is extremely simple. In fact, you probably already have one. If you’ve taken some great shots of your dinner plate and posted them on Insta, well there you go! Compile those photos onto a portfolio website you create, and begin to market your work.
You can sell your work directly to magazines and newspapers, or as stock photos online. You can sell your work to media and publishing companies, too! Imagine your photo featured in a cookbook! There’s no limit to the possibilities as a food photographer, and it’s really fun!
- You can earn an income taking photos of the food you eat
- Sell your photos to publications, stock photo sites and more
- Many businesses want food photos for many reasons, so reach out to restaurants, publishers and more
Conclusion
Were you born with a camera in your hand? If so, you can make money selling your photography in a number of ways. These 13 ideas are just the tip of the iceberg, too. If you’re interested in selling your photos, start taking pictures and market yourself – a new career awaits!
