Many photographers struggle to make some money with their foto so they turn to wedding photography or baby-born shooting to make some money with their photographs.
I don't say that's cool too but seriously is that really your passion? So I will talk to you about stock photography my favorite and how to start.
In the beginning, it was hard to sell your photos at stock agencies and even harder to get into the game. These days are gone and now it's easy to update your photo`s to an agency but they have to be good otherwise sure they will decline all your stuff. I also sell some phone photos too from a couple of years ago and they still sell.
Read the guidelines first before you start with uploading many agencies don't accept logos in photo`s or you will need property or model release
One of the benefits of stock photography is that it offers you the chance to earn a passive income. Once you shoot your photos, upload them to the stock imagery site, and set the metadata for your images, your work is mostly done! You can move on to other things while your stock photos start selling and you start earning royalties off of every sale
While selling stock photography is far from a get-rich-quick venture, photographers that are creative enough, and persistent enough, find that selling stock photos can be a fun way to earn some extra income.
Stock agencies I work with
2 Adobe
3 Alamy
Of course, there are many more but I think Shutterstock and Adobe are the biggest at this moment and will give you a good income if you update regularly.
If you only shoot with a phone or you don't have the time to upload to stock agencies you can also try Eyem its the same model as Instagram but here you sell your photos too.
While selling stock photography can be a great chance to sell your work, it’s important to keep in mind that stock photography is very different from artistic photography. Chances are that most of your standard artistic photos in your portfolio aren’t going to make the cut as stock imagery.
In order to be successful, stock images must be the type of photos that marketing directors and graphic designers are interested in.
Think Like a Marketing Director
Ask yourself what type of images designers and marketing directors are after. These are the types of photos that sell
Know What Sells
Most stock imagery sites are looking for new approaches to capturing an idea, concept, or emotion. While high-quality images that feature people, events, sports activities, and seasonal themes tend to be in demand
Be an Expert
You have an advantage when you shoot what you know and photograph subjects that you are familiar with. Being an expert in your field gives you an advantage over the competition.
Use Natural Lighting
Stock imagery is clear, crisp, and always in focus –unless, of course, it’s an intentional blur. Take advantage of natural lighting and make sure your images are always taken in the best light possible.
Think Thumbnails
Stock images that look good as thumbnails tend to be more popular. This is because viewers on stock imagery sites browse photos as thumbnails, so make sure your images look good and small.
