It starts with a look through the viewfinder, followed shortly thereafter by the sound of the shutter. You take a look at the captured shot on the screen of your camera and smile, satisfied with the end result of your efforts. In the moment it is likely that all you are thinking about is that next shot, but what is there to do once your camera is packed away and you are left thinking about your next photo shoot?
Below is a brief rundown of the avenues some ambitious photographers look at to get a financial return on their art. Whilst some aren’t for all photographers there is something there for anyone no matter your experience level, from the hobbyist to the professional.
Ecommerce Sites
This option is usually the most obvious and common avenue that budding photographers look to in order to make money from their photos. The basic idea is that if you put your photography up for sale there will be someone that will buy it. Of course if you are serious about selling your work there will be a lot of time spent on marketing as it must first be discovered before it is to be sold. Before you tackle that problem though, these photo sales platforms will help you create a good looking online portfolio that can handle the sales part of the equation for you.
As well as going the traditional ‘print’ route, some companies also provide the ability to sell your photography printed on merchandise such as T-shirts, coffee mugs, stickers, pens and literally hundreds of other novelty items.
Stock Photography
Another popular (yet slightly more exclusive) option is to license your photos to various stock photography sites. These sites each have specific guidelines on what is and isn’t acceptable, so quality and demand is something to keep in mind before submitting your photos. It is a hotly contested market but if you feel you are up to the task these sites will get you on your way.
On-demand Photography
An old idea with an online twist, on-demand photography is simply that. Businesses and publishers put out a request for certain images and photographers are needed to satisfy those requests.
EBooks
Whether you are looking to tell a story with your photos, share an adventure or wanting to teach your skills to other photographers, creating an Ebook is fast becoming another popular option for those looking to get a little more out of their photography. Once you have created your books, be sure to use any channel at your disposal to market your creation. The more people that know about it, the higher your sales potential will be.
Drive-by Sales
Another obvious yet less aggressive method of selling your photos is to simply post them online and hope for an interested party to contact you. The more people that see your photos, the more likely they are to sell. There are a myriad amount of social networks and photography sites online where you can upload your work. It’s important to remember that the dump and run approach will rarely garner you any real attention, engagement is the key to creating a strong online profile.
Marketing
All of the above methods can work on their own up to a certain point, but if you are truly serious about making money from any of them you have to dedicate a significant amount of time toward marketing. It is important to have a clear understanding of what it is you are selling, who you are selling to and how you can best reach those people.
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