# How to sell photos



## TriggerLoft

I am definitely not a professional photographer, more of a casual shooter. But I would like to make some money off photography. Is there any way to do so?


----------



## KmH

Yes. All it takes is money for advertising, and a good grounding in marketing, promotion, salesmanship and other business skills.
Marketing by using the Internet and social media takes a lot of time and effort, for very little return.
Google has determined the vast majority of all Internet advertising/marketing is ineffective.


----------



## pixmedic

only way to make money with photography is to sell photos. 
too many methods to cover in a post though. 
a lot will depend on whether you are looking to make it your primary source of income, or just fiddling money.


----------



## KmH

Old, since it's from 2013, but this is what you have to compete with per minute on the Internet:
Revealed, what happens in just ONE minute on the internet: 216,000 photos posted, 278,000 Tweets and 1.8m Facebook likes

For more pertinent info regarding selling photographs:
Marketing Fine Art Photography


----------



## dennybeall

There used to be a lot more ways to make a few dollars with photography but so many of those doors have been shut by the cellphone cameras. You could take photos for organizations of their award ceremonies or house photos for real estate and a lot of other small gigs but those are pretty much gone.
If you find someone that's having a party and doesn't want to worry about taking photos themselves AND you're not too proud to work for 20 or 30 bucks an hour, you can find an occasional gig.  If you expect a reasonable return on your vast skill and experience and ten thousand dollars worth of equipment then it's tough!!!


----------



## tirediron

In addition to advertising, business license fees, and assorted other costs, there's equipment; since almost everyone has at the very least a decent cell-phone camera in their pocket, the thing that makes a difference now, more than ever, is gear.  The ability to shoot images in low light, at long ranges, etc...  all of these things require a fairly significant investment in equipment.  

"Making a bit of money" as a photographer is no easier or different than "making a bit of money" as a mechanic, carpenter, or bridge-builder, with the exception of the fact that photography [unfortunately] does not require any form of professional certification or accreditation.  Having a camera no more makes you a professional photographer than having a framing hammer makes you a carpenter.


----------



## TriggerLoft

is shutterstock or getty images a good approach?


----------



## tirediron

If you're an exceptional photographer, sure, but again, the preponderance of cameras and "photographers" means that the stock world is almost as over-saturated (or perhaps more so) than the wedding game.  In addition, with royalty free images being the norm, the photographers take is often pennies, or less per image use, once his or her images are actually accepted.


----------



## Designer

TriggerLoft said:


> is shutterstock or getty images a good approach?


Take a moment to search the forums on that topic.  There have been some threads on that.


----------



## PersistentNomad

dennybeall said:


> You could take photos for organizations of their award ceremonies or house photos for real estate and a lot of other small gigs but those are pretty much gone.


I totally disagree. Having worked in non-profits for several years, there were very few events I went to that didn't have a dedicated (hired) photographer attached to it. Also, in my area, half the creative jobs being listed on craigslist are for real estate photographers and they are not talking about people with cellphones; they provide a list of the gear they expect you to have.


----------



## KmH

TriggerLoft said:


> is shutterstock or getty images a good approach?


Contributor Success Guide | Shutterstock

Stock Photography: Training Manual - iStock

There are 2 types of use licensing : Royalty-Free (RF) and Rights-Managed (RM).
An RM license is a one-time use license that also restricts usage of a photo in a number of ways - exclusive or non-exclusive use, time length of use, geographical area of use,  media types used, number of reproductions, and more. RM licensing pays the photographer the most, because it is a one-time use license.

An RF license grants the user the right to use a photograph with few restrictions and is based on a one-time payment to the agency licensing the photograph. The user can therefore use the image in several projects without having to purchase any additional licenses. RF licenses can not be given on an exclusive basis.
Here is Shutterstock's license agreement:
Shutterstock Terms of Service & License Agreements
Here is iStock's info:
Licenses for Stock Photos - Photo License FAQs | iStock

Another online source of stock photo business information:
http://arcurs.com/


----------



## astroNikon

PersistentNomad said:


> ... half the creative jobs being listed on craigslist are for real estate photographers


  I had to go check.  All the listings here in craigslist are from photographers looking for real estate jobs, not real estate people looking for photographers (not one on craigslist for my area).  Your area must be more lucrative for photographers.

Bummer.  I used to do some real estate stuff around here.


----------



## smoke665

I sold a landscape for $15 last week. Does that make me a professional now??


----------



## dennybeall

PersistentNomad said:


> dennybeall said:
> 
> 
> 
> You could take photos for organizations of their award ceremonies or house photos for real estate and a lot of other small gigs but those are pretty much gone.
> 
> 
> 
> I totally disagree. Having worked in non-profits for several years, there were very few events I went to that didn't have a dedicated (hired) photographer attached to it. Also, in my area, half the creative jobs being listed on craigslist are for real estate photographers and they are not talking about people with cellphones; they provide a list of the gear they expect you to have.
Click to expand...


It's good that in your area there is still work. I'd ask you how is it right now as the major changes have occurred in the last couple of years.
I have seen some of those ads, but the ones I've checked into were basically trying to sell a special piece of equipment and/or a special software system that you and/or them would use for the jobs that you went out and found.
There is still some work, just not as much as there was. I did a large birthday Sat nite and only will provide jpg and mp4 files on a thumbdrive.


----------



## astroNikon

dennybeall said:


> PersistentNomad said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> dennybeall said:
> 
> 
> 
> You could take photos for organizations of their award ceremonies or house photos for real estate and a lot of other small gigs but those are pretty much gone.
> 
> 
> 
> I totally disagree. Having worked in non-profits for several years, there were very few events I went to that didn't have a dedicated (hired) photographer attached to it. Also, in my area, half the creative jobs being listed on craigslist are for real estate photographers and they are not talking about people with cellphones; they provide a list of the gear they expect you to have.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> It's good that in your area there is still work. I'd ask you how is it right now as the major changes have occurred in the last couple of years.
> I have seen some of those ads, but the ones I've checked into were basically trying to sell a special piece of equipment and/or a special software system that you and/or them would use for the jobs that you went out and found.
> There is still some work, just not as much as there was. I did a large birthday Sat nite and only will provide jpg and mp4 files on a thumbdrive.
Click to expand...

I ignored those.  Here's a thread about that here on TPF ==> Real Estate Photographer


----------



## PersistentNomad

I mean, it's craigslist... There are bound to be scammers. But when I first returned to New England two years ago and was actually applying to those jobs, not all of them were just sales pitches for software. I haven't applied to any lately, though, so what do I really know? I just know that I see them still and they look the same. Also in my area are a lot of photog/graphic designer jobs for online retailing from local stores. They want to build an online store but don't have the know how, so if you've got GIC skills you could hybridize your photog career.


----------



## Luke345678

Really depends on what you're shooting.

The way you market and advertise yourself for sports is completely different than the way you do it for portraits.


----------



## table1349

smoke665 said:


> I sold a landscape for $15 last week. Does that make me a professional now??


In Alabama that makes you rich.


----------



## zombiesniper

2 ways to make money.

1. Work your butt off getting good at photography, babysitting, advertising, business etc.

2. Sell a photography 101 book/video/seminar.


----------



## tirediron

zombiesniper said:


> 2 ways to make money.
> 
> 1. Work your butt off getting good at photography, babysitting, advertising, business etc.
> 
> 2. Sell a photography 101 book/video/seminar.


or the best way of all..

Sell your gear!


----------



## thereyougo!

Look up how to get to Carnegie Hall...

how to get to carnegie Hall


----------



## bboyzala

Do some research. I believe every market is different. Even when it comes to the online digital world. In my experience, working with models can bring in some money but that's just what's been around me in my area. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## KmH

Yep, and it depends on what genre of photographs one is wanting to sell.
Landscapes and fine art images are both tough to sell - anywhere.

Something like 85% of all the photographs that do sell _have people in the photos_.
Then something like 85% of those photos with people in them that sell _are bought by people in the photos_.

A very common mistake I see many photo sellers make is they set _way to low a price_ for their photographs.


----------

