Photography is a hobby but it can be fun and profitable. In fact, you can earn money from your hobby by selling your images online. The problem is there are no one-size-fits-all ways to sell photos, and the most lucrative method can take time to master. But if you are determined to succeed, here are a few tips to get you started.
Table of Contents
1. Find a niche
Before you start selling your photos, it’s a good idea to define exactly what kind of work you are doing and how you want to market yourself. Are you making images of plants, animals, buildings, landscapes, still-life, or abstract? If you don’t know yet, you will have to experiment to find out. The goal is to decide on a specific subject matter and create images that are consistent with this.
2. Get noticed
To sell your photos you need to develop a web presence. This could include writing an online blog or portfolio, uploading your pictures to stock photography websites, or taking part in online photo competitions.
3. Decide what to sell
If you’re a beginner you may wish to start selling landscape photographs. The reason for this is that this is a genre that has a high demand on the web, and you can see that by looking at the number of photographs of different landscapes that you can find on sites such as Getty Images. The more famous the photographer, the more likely it is that buyers will be looking for his or her work. There are also many specialist websites where photographers can sell their images. If you decide to make landscape images, you might consider taking photographs at sunrise and sunset, as these are the best times to capture the beauty of nature. Also, consider selling digital images rather than prints.
4. Choose a website
Once you have decided on your niche, think about the kind of website that would be most suitable for you. The main things to consider are:
• The look – Do you want your site to have a professional appearance, or do you prefer to use a DIY approach?
• How much information to provide – Do you want to add text, or just show images?
• Do you want to create your own website? Or use a pre-made site?
• Do you want to pay for hosting?
• Do you want to sell prints, or make your images available on an unlimited basis?
5. Start promoting your work
Now it’s time to start advertising yourself.
First, decide on the best platform to use to promote your work. This will vary depending on the type of photography you sell. For example, if you are selling landscape photographs, a site like Flickr might be the best choice as it is the most popular image sharing website. If you are planning to take more photographs, then you might want to consider setting up your own website. You can then upload your photographs to it, and use it to promote your work.
Second, create a unique and catchy profile on each of the platforms you are using. Your profile should include:
• A picture – it is good to include a nice profile picture.
• A brief biography – including your name, location, and the types of photographs you are selling.
• A description – write about yourself, your work, your skills, and how you want to use your site.
6. Get your work seen
To increase your chances of being seen, you might want to start blogging about your work. Writing a blog will increase the number of people who visit your website.
You can also join forums, which are groups of people discussing various topics. Joining a forum can be useful in a number of ways, including:
• Learning about new photography techniques and equipment
• Meeting other photographers
• Providing feedback to fellow photographers
7. Make more photos
Once you have a profile and are advertising your work, it’s a good idea to start taking more photographs.
The best way to improve your photography skills is to practice and take lots of pictures. To do this, you will need a camera and plenty of memory cards.
8. Sell your work
Now it’s time to start selling your work.
If you are using a site like Getty Images, you need to register for an account. Once you have registered, you can upload and share your images.
You can choose to sell your images individually, or in bundles.
9. Make your images stand out
While it’s always a good idea to make your photographs look as good as possible, it’s also worth thinking about what makes your images special.
For example, if you are selling abstract photographs, you can use some artistic effects to make them stand out. Or, if you’re selling a series of photographs of flowers, you might want to emphasize the colors and textures.
10. Repeat and refine
Finally, don’t forget to repeat and refine the process of promoting yourself and your work.
Remember that if you don’t put your effort into marketing yourself, you won’t get the results you want.