Did you know that you can earn money selling your photos? We all have images on our cameras or computers that people will pay money for. Yes, that is correct. You can earn money taking pictures and you don’t have to be a professional photographer. Basically, all you need is your digital camera, Internet access, and a desire to produce great photos. You don’t have to have a website or even an expensive camera. Best of all, you can live anywhere in the world and still take advantage of the sale of your clear and unique photos. Remember the saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. If you think about it, images are very important in our daily life.
Millions of new websites come online every year. With the availability of the Internet, the opportunity to find buyers for your photographs has increased at an astonishing rate. Thousands upon thousands of authors, web designers, and everyday people are looking for good images to illustrate their websites, eBooks, and other online publications. Stock photos are very popular among graphic artists, designers, advertising agencies, art directors, and the like. These images are also used in magazines and marketing brochures. Many times, instead of hiring a professional photographer, a buyer will get an image and then a commission will be paid to the photographer. The digital photography industry has exploded in growth. Just browse online and you will find countless sites that are visually appealing. It doesn’t matter if they are personal or business sites. People want to see sites that are easy on the eyes.
There are sites that have photographs available for purchase. A stock photograph is just an ordinary image taken for basically no purpose. Images are called “stock” photos when a photographer takes an image and then sells it. There are stock photography companies on the internet that will allow you to sign up for free and upload your photos that remain in their database. If someone chooses to use your photo, then they will pay you. Please note that you will only be paid for each download. Once the image is downloaded, the consumer can use it as often as they like. You will always retain copyright to your photos. You are giving the brokerage a license to sell the use of your photo, but not the photo itself. ShutterPoint, iStockphoto, Dreamstime, and BigStockPhoto are stock photography sites; Just to name a few. Some of these companies will allow you to sign up for free. Others want an application filled out with a sample of their photos to qualify for acceptance with their company. Once you’ve signed up with a stock agency, you can look at their most popular photos to get an idea of which images to focus on. All of this is easily researched online.
Not just any photo. Please ensure submitted images do not contain logos, trademarks or trade names. They must be of good quality. Check out some pro sites like Corbis and Comstock for some photography inspiration. Take a look at Getty Images as they are the world’s largest stock photography agency. Two excellent books on taking stock-quality photos are: Digital Stock Photography: How to Shoot and Sell by Michael Heron for under $15; and Sell Your Photos On iStock, by Stephen Wilson for around $13. Another one I found is eBay Photos That Sell: Taking Great Product Shots for eBay and Beyond, by DanGookin for $20. Hmm, I wonder if he sells that on eBay! Photography is a good way to make quick money. All you have to do is learn how to sell images online.