Making Money Online by Selling Stock Photos
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David
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December 13th, 2012
Shutterbugs! Did you know you can make money with those images you're preserving? Website builders, bloggers, and business owners are constantly on the hunt for great pictures. And guess what? Many of them are awful! Even for simple, everyday options, you might find only one or two pictures. There are countless occasions I've wished for better supply. If you have that, you can make a pretty penny.
The money might not be immediate or excessive, but spare cash here and there can be a huge value. Plus, it will give you the experience required to sell more photos (learn what sells), and even learn more about selling photos online through other avenues (like a private website or business).
3 Perks of Selling Stock Photos Online
No Fuss
One wonderful feature of selling stock photos is that it requires no maintenance! Take the photograph, submit it to the site, set up your account, and let the stock photo agency do the best!
No Assumptions
Whether you think an audience would want to see/buy/use your photo or not, you won't know unless you try. People want to see angles, odd situations, and such a wide variety of perspectives that I could barely provide even a nearly comprehensive list!
No Artistry Required
In this day and age, it's not exactly a challenge to get a decent picture with a point and shoot camera. Although there are different photo sizes sold on these stock photo websites (so you need decent file sizes), you don't need to be an exceptional photographer. It certainly helps and you can definitely draw in higher or more frequent income with beautiful, insightful photos, but they aren't required by any means.
If you're not sure whether or not you have what it takes, I recommend looking through a few stock photo compilations. See what others do, how they work, and what they charge. Take a few sample pictures to see if you can compete, then try it out!
For a few stock photo websites used by real people, check out the sites below:
Rates:
From my research, photographs often earn between 20-60% or $0.25+ per download. I know that's not necessarily a huge chunk of cash and it's not promised, but it can be a very nice, residual income for the photographically-inclined!
Disclaimer:
Of course, I cannot promise any kind of experience or income with your stock photo sales. This blog post does not endorse any of the companies listed above, either. This is merely one nifty way to make some money online with a skill you already have!
Do you have any experience selling stock photos? Do you have a company you prefer to use? Do you have any tips for beginners? We'd love to know!