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A month or two ago I bought a new camera and since I spent a lot on it mom said I have to find a way to earn some of it back through my photography. I’m not sure how I’ll do that but I was reading a photography book and they touched on stock photography and mom said that could be an option so I was wondering if anyone has experience with stock photography and if they think it’s a good thing to get into.
Great question, @tashavk! Here’s what I can share from what little experience I have:
* Most professional photographers look down on stock photography today. They feel stock agencies take advantage of photographers by hardly paying them anything for their work. For the amount of work that goes into stock photography, I do agree.
* But just like any market that changes over time, photographers have to adapt. Find a niche. Submit stuff that there’s not much of, and that people want, and you can make some money.
* Figuring this out is the whole business of it. If you don’t want to get into the business of it, then you can just submit whatever you like to take pictures of and you’ll make a little here and there.
* This has been the approach I’ve taken. I have so many pictures on my hard drives, I figured I’d do something with them, so I’ve been putting them up on Stock and make a little bit of money each year.
* Beware: it takes more work than you expect to prepare and submit photos for stock.
* I have around 600 high quality photos up (of totally random stuff, no effort taken really to make money) and at best I’ll make about $100/year.
* It doesn’t hurt to put the same photos up on multiple stock sites (though be aware that these “non-exclusive” photos make less per sale per site).
* There’s a big push today for photos that are “inclusive”. It’s a great opportunity for Christians to let their light shine and get wholesome, God-honoring content up and used for public use! My top two selling photos on Adobe Stock happen to be photos of a church and a Bible.Lastly, before getting into it, double check age requirements for submitting photographers. I’m pretty sure you have to be over 18 years old on all sites I know of except for maybe Lightstock.
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@tashavk those are some great thoughts for getting started from @jamesstaddon. I’ll add a little from my experience.
Lightstock and Adobe Stock is where I currently make the most.
I’ve learned a lot from selling as stock. To start with, it will teach you what really is quality. I had a lot rejected at the beginning- not tack sharp, too high of iso, technically incorrect, not having commercial appeal, or not properly exposed.A couple months ago I made a video about what kinds of pictures sell well for me.
You mentioned wanting to pay back your camera. That’s a great goal! I’d encourage you to keep a record of everything you earn and spend photography related. It’s motivating to watch it slowly “come out of the red”. It will also be good practice if you ever make it a business and have to pay taxes.
Selling as stock does take more work then you may think, but you can learn through it and make a little money. Also it’s enjoyable to have your pictures used.
-HannahI do not personally have any experience with selling on stock photo sites, @tashavk, although I do use a fair number of pics from Lightstock. 🙂 I’ve been encouraged to put some of my photos up somewhere like that, but so far I just have not had the time to do so.
One thing that may or may not be helpful for you would be maybe to reach out to organizations or ministries that may need pictures for things like blog posts, emails, social media, etc. I’m not sure what your “niche” is; but brainstorming possible outlets like these that may already have a specific need, which you can help fulfill, may yield some results. Of course, some of these organizations may be financially obliged to only accept submissions on a volunteer system, especially if they are non-profits; but I would think there might be a few places out there that would be willing to pay, especially if they have someone who can help meet their specific needs that cannot always be fulfilled with the standard, generalized “stock” photography. Do you have any thoughts on this, @jamesstaddon?
For example, I run a website that primarily targets Christian homeschool families. With another full-time+ job, I simply cannot currently fulfill all my own illustration needs at this time in my life. Sometimes I really have to dig hard to find stock photos that are both wholesome and illustrative of what I am writing about. Being in this position, someone like myself would be happy to have contributing photographers who could assist them (for a modest price) with particularly challenging photo needs from time to time, that can’t easily be filled by stock. It likely won’t be a way to “get rich quick,” but it could turn out to yield some amount of benefit. And a lot of times, a word-of-mouth recommendation from one person to another can be the best way to get your name/services “out there” for similar ministries/organizations!
Just some thought from my own (limited) experience! 😊
~ChristianThanks everyone! This was really helpful.
@jamesstaddon I did wonder if you had to be 18 for stock but wasn’t sure so thanks for telling me.
@christian-horstmann that is a really good idea!Yes, finding those who need photos is a great idea! That’s how I started selling my first photos. A lot depends on what you know, but I think who you know is ultimately more important. Also, it’s more fulfilling photographing for a cause, than it is to photograph for simply money. Of course, all things have to be in balance.
@christian-horstmann, if there are specific pictures you’re looking for, please feel free to post your requests on the Q&A forum! I have no idea what kind of response you might get, but it would be worth a try if you’d like! Also, please feel free to contact me personally if there are specific photos you know you’ll need a month or two in advance.@blessingscaptured, just watched that video you made about stock photography . . . that was so helpful!!
Thank you @jamesstaddon! Will do that for sure! I may be having some specific needs as the new year rolls around, so I will keep you and everyone else posted. 🙂
Also, @tashavk, I agree with James that who you know is important. And as you get to brainstorming, it’s amazing how many potential possibilities can come up, even in your own friends circles, that align with your interests and specific niche. For example, if still-life compositions are your thing, maybe a mom in your church could use some quality pics for her website or Facebook page for her home-based handmade lotion business. Or if portraits are your interest, maybe you could tell your homeschool group that you can do senior picture close to graduation time. And remember, as said above, word of mouth “advertising” is very effective!
Wishing you all the best as you embark into the wonderful world of photography! 🙂
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