👉 Important: Most of the methods that we tell you in this article to earn money selling your photos on the Internet (selling stock photos for example) allow you to earn only a percentage, keeping the platform you use with the other percentage. The only method that allows you to keep 100% of the profits is by having your own website as a photographer. If you are interested in this matter, do not miss our article on how to create your own website as a photographer, a very simple method that does not require technical knowledge, and that allows you to keep 100% of the sale of your photographs (here).
The dream of every person, and surely yours too, should be to be able to live from those things that you enjoy the most. Live off those things that you would undoubtedly do for free and, if you are reading this, it is very likely that photography is one of those things for you.
It is also very likely that, inside your computer, you have a large number of excellent quality photos that have never seen the light of day, beyond some social network, and that could be generating income for you, if you took the time to put together your catalog on-line.
Today I’m going to tell you how to sell photos online with this photographic discipline known as stock photography (and earn money).
What am I exaggerated? It is not necessary to be an internationally renowned photographer for other people, companies or agencies to be interested in your photographs and want to pay you for them.
Nor is it necessary for you to have a huge catalog full of photos and, much less, too much time available to dedicate to this new venture.
All you need to start is 10 minutes of your time to understand how to do it quickly and easily.
How? Reading the article that I have prepared for you.
Surely you are already a professional photographer, you just need to realize it!
- How does the sale of photos online work?
- Where do I put them for sale?
- Can you really make money?
- What photographs are the most sold?
- What images are NOT looking for sales agencies?
- What do I need to start selling my photos?
- Tips for selling photos online
- How does money get into your pocket selling photos online?
- What happens to the photos when you sell them online? Are they still mine?
- Where do the photos sold on the internet end up?
How does the sale of photos online work?
The sale of photographs through the internet is actually a fairly simple process: it does not require technical knowledge in the area of computers to put together your online catalog and start selling your photographs.
The most complicated thing is to have a profitable portfolio, in fact, it can be more difficult than you imagine.
But do not worry because, throughout the entire article, you will discover the keys to make it as simple and profitable as possible.
microstock photography
Basically, the sale of photographs over the internet that I will refer to throughout the article is called “microstock” or through image banks (stock photography).
Why will we focus on this online sales mode?
Because once you put together your catalog, all you have to do is wait for the hundreds of people, companies and agencies that visit these catalogs daily, to be interested in your photographs and want to buy them.
A few years ago, when a company or agency needed a certain photograph to place in a campaign or presentation, they had to hire a photographer to produce it or pay a fortune to specialized companies to search their catalogs for a photograph that met their needs. requirements.
Today, thanks to the large number of agencies microstock that have emerged in recent years, it is possible that a photographer like you sells one of his photographs to a large company for their brochures, their website or why not, their advertising campaigns.
How?
You register, build your catalog and these agencies, which act as intermediaries, sell the photos directly to those interested in acquiring them.
It’s that simple.
Of course, do not expect to become a millionaire overnight, nothing like that.
The business does not lie in selling a few photographs at a very high price, but rather the opposite: selling many of your photographs at a very low price (and in many of the agencies) and thus making a difference.
“It is easier to sell 500 photos at one euro each, than a photo at 500 euros”
The success of your photos depends on your creativity
Where can I sell photos online?
As I told you before, every day new sites appear offering themselves as intermediaries to sell your photos on the internet.
This does not mean that you should upload your catalog on every page it appears, since that would take a lot of time, but it would be good to select 4 or 5 agencies with which you can work comfortably, at least initially.
Below is a list of the best microstock agencies and a summary of her CARACTERISTICS:
1. Adobe Stock (Adobe Stock Photography Service)
Adobe almost needs no introduction, right?
Your requirements: images in JPEG format, sRGB color space, minimum image resolution 4 MP and maximum 100 MP (megapixels), maximum file size 45 MB (megabytes), do not include watermarks, time stamps, or increase the file resolution; send the maximum file size the camera can produce.
They offer 33% of the profits and you start charging from $25 of sale.
More information here.
2. Getty Images
One of the main banks of stock photography, with more than 1.5 million clients in 200 countries.
You download their application (Contributor by Getty Images) to upload a sample between 3 and 6 photos and you can be chosen (or not) to collaborate with Getty Images or with Istock (also from the same company).
All the answers to your questions are here.
3.Shutterstock
Another of the main banks of stock photography to sell. You can read their requirements here when sending the images. As a curiosity, they give you clues of the content they recommend uploading according to what time.
4.Dreamtime
Image requirements are 1GB maximum file size in JPEG/RGB, with the best compression quality and at least 3 mpx resolution.
Depending on the amount of sale you can receive between 25-50% profit.
You can charge from $100. More information here.
5. 123RF
More than five million buyers are a good reason to consider this stock photography agency when selling your photos.
You receive between 30% – 60% commission for each license sold. More questions here.
5. Depositphotos
You register, upload content for the exam and if they approve it, you can now upload your photos.
All content you upload will be vetted.
Image requirements are: JPEG/JPG format with RGB color; Minimum resolution of 3.8 MP (2400 x 1600 pixels), photos cannot be larger than 50 megabytes.
Here you have more information What are you interested in knowing?
Other agencies where you can sell photos online
Here are a few others where you can sell your photos as a stock photography service:
Before you decide to sign up for any of them, take your time to get a better idea of how each site works, what requirements it has, how much it pays for your photos, etc.
In this way, you will have enough information to subscribe only to those sites that generate the most confidence in you, that give your work a more professional framework and that can bring you the greatest benefits without taking up a large amount of your free time.
Other options to sell your photos on the internet
In addition to these agencies, there is also the possibility of selling your photos from your own website or blog.
You can do this in a very easy way, which does not require technical knowledge.
We tell you how to do it, step by step, with our tutorial on creating websites for photographers.
Can you really make money with stock photography?
Although it is true that it is unlikely that you will become a millionaire selling photographs through this medium, although you never know, the probability of generating a few extra euros every month is quite high.
This type of sale has had real benefits in recent years.
Some photographers have even left their activities to dedicate themselves exclusively to the sale of microstock images.
Now, no one gives anything for nothing.
Remember that you have to invest time and effort to sell your photos.
Do not think that in five minutes you will solve the ballot 😉
In any case, the benefits that you can obtain by selling your work online are not only monetary: as your photos are successful, your reputation as a photographer will also be.
This can be the gateway to the world of professionalism, through the small door.
Photo by photo, sale by sale, every day more and more people will be able to appreciate your work and, why not, buy it.
The key to success in selling photos online or stock photography: your ability to capture what kind of photos are most in demand and publish them so that they sell themselves.
How to achieve it? Keep reading and you will understand.
What photographs are the most sold?
As I just told you, magic doesn’t just happen.
It is not enough to upload a hundred photographs to the internet and sit back and wait for the euros to flow into your pockets.
Making your portfolio profitable is a bit more complicated.
A good photograph is not enough for someone to want to buy it, it must be original and functional to what people, companies and agencies demand and that is: neutral photos.
What do I want to tell you with this?
Photographs that do not have a very charged message printed, colors that are lighter than dark, etc.
Here I leave you a little list of most demanded topics that will serve as a guide when assembling your catalog:
- People: photographs of people in action or working, doing a job or in groups and families can generate good income.
- You drink: Baby photos are not only cute and cute, they are also very profitable. Make sure your catalog doesn’t lack some good shots of these special little ones.
- Music: It will be impossible for you to capture music out there in a photograph, but if you put your imagination to work, you will be able to capture a lot of situations where music manifests itself: headphones, dances, concerts, etc.
- Tattoos: More and more people are encouraged to get tattooed and more and more agencies are demanding this type of photography. Don’t let go by…