EARN AS A PHOTOGRAPHER

What is “Photography”

Photography, defining it in one word or a paragraph is not enough. Not even books written on it can define it completely. To start with, I would say its an art form. Painting with light to be accurate. It's the only way to freeze a memory in passing time. May be we like it so much because at least for once we are in control of time. It gives us power. Power of a higher order (Time travelling in a subtle form).

When we click an image time freezes, letting us to dive in the moment and enjoy every minute detail of that moment. Be it the flowers in the background or a memorable board game sitting there on a table camouflaged in the environment, everything just comes alive in our head. Igniting the sparks of imagination combined with the flammable memories of the past, generating thrust of emotions in our brain. A beautiful carnival comes to life inside our minds and our hearts.

In this fast moving world its a tool which helps one to stop a moment for a second by freezing it. Yes one would think why to freeze time when you can record hours of it, play,pause, rewind or fast forward it at your leisure ? Yes it is a valid question to ask...why indeed we prefer or should prefer photographs over videos? I would say, the special ingredient which makes a photograph so interesting is imagination. Not much happens when we watch videos. There is motion in picture and stillness in our mind. Our imagination is not exercised and nothing results from it. Everything is there on the screen. You can't touch it or imagine or recollect memories of what one said or did in your head. The video does it all for you. Secondly not many prefer looking at videos. They are long, need space and you need a source of power to watch videos hence access to them is not available all the time. On the other hand photographs can be viewed anywhere, they are there in our living rooms, stuck between two decorative pieces of metal or wood ( or whatever material you prefer to frame your photographs). They are in our pockets, on documents on forms and in any imaginable place on earth (and may be in outer space too, depends if extra terrestrials love them or not, I bet they do!)

2. How to make money as a photographer:

 

1.Do photo shoots for clients.

Ideally, you need to have your own studio (or have the budget to rent a professional studio) to be able to offer photo shoots. However, many clients also prefer outdoor or location shoots, so even if you don’t have a studio yet, there are lots of opportunities out there for you. People will always need a professional photographer to help them commemorate all the special moments in their lives, with or without a studio.
To get started, all you need to do is build a strong portfolio, get your own website, tell your friends and family, share your work on social media, and do whatever you can to get the word out about your services.
Some types of photo shoots you can do:

• Maternity photo shoots
• Newborn photo shoots
• Pet photo shoots
• Family portraits
• Headshots
• Real estate photos for ads
• Boudoir photo shoots

Depending on the type of shoot, you can charge at least $100 for a session. When figuring out your pricing, do your research and find out how much other local photographers are charging, so you can stay competitive.

2.      Sell or license your photos through stock photography sites.

Do you have a sizeable collection of high-quality photos? Why not submit them to stock photography sites? It’s a good way to earn a stream of passive income! Become a contributor for sites like iStock, BigStock, and ShutterStock, or upload your photos to your own personal Flickr account and license them through Getty Images.
How to sell your stock photos:

• Sign up as a contributor. You’ll be required to provide some basic information about yourself, as well as identification documents to prove your identity.
• Read and familiarize yourself with the submission guidelines.
• Upload your photos and add metadata, photo descriptions, and relevant keywords.
• Submit your stock photos for review.

3.      Join photo contests.

Don’t believe that your skills are good enough to win a photography contest? Think again! It’s not just the experts who join these contests, after all. The contestants you’ll be competing with will usually be an eclectic mix of photographers with different levels of experience and expertise, so don’t be afraid to venture out and try your luck.
What do you have to lose? Even if you don’t win any of the cash prizes, photo contests can help boost your confidence and gain you some exposure.
There are plenty of photo contests out there, and the grand prizes can go as high as a few thousand dollars! Not bad, right?

4.      Start a photography blog or YouTube channel.

Bloggers make money through ads and sponsored content. If you’re an adept writer, another way to make money is to start your own photography blog. You can make tutorials, share tips and tricks, or write reviews on all kinds of photography gear and software.
Similarly, you can also make money by starting a photography channel on YouTube. It’s essentially the same content (tutorials, reviews, etc.) but in video form. However, your blog or YouTube channel needs to gain a good following before you can actually start making money from it.

5.      Sell your prints.

A beautiful photo is a work of art—and people will pay for art. If you want to earn some extra cash by selling prints of your work, here are a few ways to do that:

• Sell your photos on your own website or upload them to sites like ImageKind.
• Bring framed copies of your photos to sell at art and craft fairs.
• Get your photos displayed at coffee shops, restaurants, and other outlets.
• Offer printed copies to your clients.
• Sell your photos at local art or photography galleries.

Before you start selling prints, find a good printing service first (check out AdoramaPix) to ensure the quality of the end product. Also, as a general rule, people don’t normally buy photos with people in them, so try to avoid selling this kind of photos. After all, these photos will be displayed in their homes or offices.

6.      Do freelance photography work for magazines or newspapers.

Contact your local magazines and newspapers and inquire about a possible freelance work. It definitely won’t be a stable job, but it’s a great way to earn some money on the side. Eventually, when you’ve established a relationship with a local publication, you can expect a steadier stream of work covering local events and snapping photos for features and news stories.
Make sure to build a strong portfolio to increase your chances of getting work!

7. Get gigs as an assistant photographer.

Most photographers often need a second shooter (like at weddings and events) or an assistant during photo shoots. If you aren’t too confident about going out there on your own and taking on clients, working as an assistant or a second shooter is a great way to get your feet wet, gain more experience, and earn some extra cash—because you’ll be compensated for your time!
Just contact any local photographers near you and ask if they need an assistant or a second shooter. Or, if you don’t feel like calling up a photographer you’ve never met and asking for a job, you can try meeting people (and making friends!) in the local photography community by joining some groups or clubs. Networking is an important part of any photographer’s career, so start building your network now.

3.Demand of “Photography”

It’s demand is high. Because in our design, Magazine, Newspaper, exhibition gallery, Television, Video editing etc are not possible without photography. Many site are receiving amazing photo for costing high rate.

So man can earn money by photography.

4. How much earn is possible as a “PHOTOGRAPHER”

 

·         As with other creative professions, salaries vary enormously. Many photographers work freelance so what they earn is linked to what they are able to charge and how much work they obtain. For this reason, income is likely to vary from year to year.

·         In full-time employment, starting salaries can be between £12,000 and £22,000.

·         Many entrants to the profession start as assistants though, resulting in some extremely low starting salaries, sometimes around £10,000.

·         Salaries can increase to £25,000 to £65,000. The top end of the scale is typically for those who have a strong reputation and are highly sought-after.

·         Freelance and self-employed photographers often supplement their income by other related activities, such as teaching.

·         Hours can be long and unpredictable and may be led by demand. For example, wedding photographers will be at their busiest in the peak spring/summer wedding season and sports photographers will expect to work weekends and evenings to cover fixtures and events.

·         Freelance photographers may have periods of working at maximum capacity followed by times when there is little or no work.

·         Working conditions vary depending on the assignment and can involve all weather conditions, remote locations or cramped studios. In certain fields of photography, such as documentary, work may also be dangerous, particularly when on assignment in war zones or unstable countries.

·         A reasonable degree of fitness may be necessary for some areas of work, such as sports photography, which involves the use of bulky and heavy telephoto lenses and equipment.

·         Work for some areas of photography may be concentrated in London and a few other large cities. Corporate and social photography work is spread across the country.

5. 99 Ways to make money doing photography.

SPECIAL EVENTS
1. Photograph local vocational school graduates
2. Wedding photographer
3. Photograph large parties
4. Photograph at banquets
5. Prom and graduation photos
6. Photograph fashion shows
7. Photograph trade shows
8. Wedding videos
9. Photograph grand openings & launches
10. Photograph local performances
11. Commencement day photographs

PEOPLE
12. Take pictures of people mounted on a horse
13. Make Polaroid pictures of seamen going abroad
14. Take pictures of people wearing special costumes
15. Photograph people on a fancy motorcycle
16. Take pictures of people in nightclubs
17. Take pictures on the beach
18. Antique photo shop – produce 1890’s type portraits for the “nostalgic crazy”
19. Take I.D. photos
20. Take passport photos
21. Specialize in legal photography
22. Produce community yearbooks
23. Produce company year books
24. Produce composites for models, actors and actresses
25. Photo fund raising
26. Take slow-motion sports film for athletes
27. Take executive portraits
28. Photograph children on a pony
29. Take portraits of children in department stores or malls
30. A day in a child’s life – an album of 30 pictures
31. School photography
32. Santa Claus portraits
33. Traveling industrial photographer
34. Illustrate manufacturers’ sales manuals and catalogs
35. Illustrate manufactures’ sales manuals and catalogs
36. Public relation photos for business
37. Photograph store fronts
38. Produce progress photos on construction sites
39. Real estate photography
40. Produce illustrated promotional brochures for business firms, hotels, etc.
41. Interior decorator’s photographer
42. Photograph in-store merchandise displays

ON THE ROAD
43. Foreign fashion photography for textile and fashion manufacturers
44. Photograph tourists in famous places
45. Summer camp photographer
46. Roving festival photographer
47. Sell scenic prints to gift shops and hotels
48. Offer personalized vacation photo packages to resort clients
49. Sell slide shows of interesting places or subjects
50. Build a mobile portrait studio in a trailer or van
51. Be a slide-show lecturer on different subjects and geographic locations

MAKING NOVELTIES
52. Candid key chain photos
53. Photo stamps
54. Color postcards for hotels or resorts
55. Exceptional color scenes for calendar printers
56. Personalized Christmas cards – with family portraits or photos of family home
57. Photo buttons
58. Photographs on coffee mugs
59. Photographs on shirts
60. Imprint a photograph of a child on the face of her doll
61. Photo sculptures
62. Bookends adorned with any desired photographic subject
63. Decorative photo plaques
64. Personalized photo matchbooks
65. Instant personal postcards by gluing Polaroid shots to blank postcards
66. Stationery imprinted with personal portraits
67. Custom calendars

SERVICES
68. A microfilming service
69. Photo duplicating service
70. Slide duplicating service
71. Restoring old photos
72. Producing filmstrips
73. Duplicating negatives to sell
74. Slide-titling service
75. Making offset negatives and plates
76. Collecting old photos to make into books
77. Making photomurals
78. Retouching service
79. Custom photo lab
80. Blowing up photos, on the spot
81. Photo oil portraits
82. Selling prints to photo agencies
83. Camera rental
84. Camera exchange
85. Repairing cameras
86. Teaching photography

MISCELLANEOUS
87. Making postcards
88. Publicity photography
89. Photographic essays for various publications
90. T.V. news freelancing
91. Selling news photos
92. Taking and selling peculiar photos
93. Selling local photos for travel magazines
94. Aerial photography
95. Documentary film making
96. Photos of human interest
97. Composing photo guides for tourists
98. Photographing accidents for lawyers and insurance companies
99. Photographing parades

6.Which site will help you to earn?

There are no shortage of stock image sites where you can sell your photos. That’s good news since some have very high standards and will only accept the highest quality images.

1. ShutterStock

In this case you get three options for making money from your pictures:

1. You may sell your photos and get twenty five cents for each photo that is downloaded.
2. You refer to other photographers and get paid three cents for each photo they sell.
3. You may pass on your photos to Stock Buyers and get paid twenty percent of their subscription.

Once your earnings reach the level of $500, your commission is increased from 25 cents to 30 cents per download.

Click to Join Ipsos Now!

2. iStockPhoto

You get twenty percent of price that ranges from $1 – $20/photo. Your earnings increase to forty percent on offering your photos exclusively.
They allow you to sell your audio, video and flash graphics.

3. DreamsTime

You get fifty to eighty percent from every photo sold. Earnings from exclusive photos are higher.

4. BigStockPhoto

For every photo sold you can earn from thirty cents to three dollars. They have specified different categories of photographs they require. On offering photos as per the specified categories, you make more money.

5. Crestock

Providing a very quick and convenient process for uploading, they offer you twenty percent commission with prices of photo varying from five to fifteen dollars.
On achieving hundred sales, your commission gets raised to thirty percent.

6. PhotoStockPlus

They allow you to host your personal galleries and fix your own prices. Commission payable on all sales is 85% but they charge a processing fee of 3.25 percent for every sale you make.

7. 123RoyaltyFree

123RF is famous for offering free images to people, but they also sell images. For every photo that gets downloaded you get paid fifty percent and on referring clients, you earn fifteen percent of their subscription or whatever they buy.
On referring photographers, they pay you ten percent for all of their downloaded photos.

8. Veer

You may set your prices. For all images sold through standard or product license, your earning is 30 percent. On allowing downloading of your photo to subscribers, you are paid 30 cents per download.
Once your earnings reach $10, you get paid via PayPal.

9. Fotolia

Your average earning per downloaded image will be 50%, paid via MoneyBooker or PayPal. Wire transfers available for countries not supporting MoneyBooker or PayPal.

10. ShutterPoint

Of all the stock photography sites, they may the most: 70% for standard Royalty-Free license and 85% for full Royalty-Free license.
As soon as you have $50 in your account you can ask for payment via Check or PayPal.

 

12. StockXpert

For every sale you are paid fifty percent. The payment for every XXL size download is $7.50 but for each super high quality vector download you are paid $10.
The payment options include Check, PayPal and MoneyBooker.

13. Corbis

Though it’s a professional photography site, allowing submissions of photographs, it doesn’t clearly tell you the benefits of your contributions.
You’ll need to fill up an application but the site provides no information about your compensation or its working. The site is not very user-friendly.

14. CanStockPhoto

You’ll find it convenient for selling your pictures online. You’ll need to sign up for opening your account, and fill in a form. Once your application is accepted you may start uploading your pictures speedily.
You get paid for referring other photographers. Photos with exclusive rights get you fifty percent commission. Commission varies for photographs of different sizes and the details are included in the website.

15. DepositPhotos

You need to sign up and open your account and pass an easy and quick exam before you start uploading your stuff. There is a slight hitch though. All your images to be sold need approval before getting displayed on the site.
The payment is akin to Dreamstime. They have a chart displaying various details concerning payments.
Their notable feature is that you can also sell vector images but these need to be uploaded in the prescribed format

Other Sites for Selling Images

1. Etsy

Define prices of your photos and offer those to buyers. Many prefer buying original works and they throng to Etsy for locating some.
Available data at Etsy can be helpful in arriving at the prices you should fix for your works of art.

2. eBay

There is little doubt that eBay continues to be the most prominent online market.
You may sell your images as stock photography, canvas or frames. You could make good use of auction prices on this site for pricing your possessions.

3. CafePress

It works on the lines of Zazzle. You may upload your images or pieces of art. Visitors can buy a range of items including T-shirts, canvas, photos and posters etc.
CafePress allows you to sell without any charge and offers you the option of customizing your personal shop for just $4.99 per month.

4. Zazzle

Here’s another online market for selling your works of art. You can set up your store without any charge.
Simply upload your photos allowing visitors to the site to buy different items incorporating your images including mugs, T-shirts, posters, photo cards and calendars etc.

5. Blurb

You could make a photo book and present it to others as a coffee table book. It might surprise you to know many people, unknown to you, get interested in buying that.
The idea is to present all your works in one book. It is going to be an excellent art project that can be used as a portfolio too!

Sell Your Photos Online:

5 Websites That Pay $100 per Image or More

 

1. 500px Prime

Five million photographers list their stock images with 500px, according to the site. You’ll receive 70% net for every license sold (standard licenses are $250), and your images may appear in big-name ad campaigns if you submit them for commercial licensing.
To give 500px Prime a try, first sign up for a free account on 500px. Then submit your photos, enable your store and complete the required forms for each image (including model releases, liability releases, etc.).
You’ll also have the option of selecting an exclusive or non-exclusive license for the images. You’ll earn more for an exclusive license, but that means you can’t license or sell the photo to anyone else.
Here’s a breakdown of prices, though it’s not clear how exclusivity affects them.

2. SmugMug Pro

SmugMug Pro lets you keep 85% of the markup for your images. The catch is you have to buy a Pro subscription, starting at $12.50 per month, to take advantage of this high royalty; there’s no free option.
Here’s an example of how the pricing structure works, from SmugMug’s website: “You sell a 5×7 for $10.79 and the SmugMug default price for it is $0.79. The markup is $10.00. You keep $8.50 as profit (85% of $10).”
Once you sign up, you’ll upload photos, select the products you want to sell and pick prices.
This is a good site for someone with a true entrepreneurial mindset, since you get to decide how much to charge for your images.

3. Shutterstock

Earn up to $120 per image download on Shutterstock. This site has a fairly complicated pricing structure, but the more you earn (“lifetime earnings”), the more you take home for each image.
In total, contributors have earned a total of more than $300 million from over 500 million downloads, so people definitely snap up these images. Shutterstock also sells stock video footage, including HD and 4K videos, as well as images and vectors.
You can also refer other photographers and make a small profit, typically around four cents, each time they sell an image. If you refer a customer who purchases images, you can earn 20% of their first purchase, up to $200.

4. iStockphoto

This site has been selling stock images since 2001. Since it’s been around for a while, it has an extensive network of contributors and thoroughly vets new applicants to make sure they’re a good fit.
To apply, just select the most appropriate category (photos, illustrations, video or audio) and fill out an application (it’s free). The iStockphoto team will review your qualifications and you’ll have to take a short quiz to assess them. The final step is to upload a few samples of your work to make sure it’s top-notch.
Once accepted with iStockphoto, you’ll receive a minimum of 15% of any sales. However, if you have “Exclusive” status, your earnings can increase to 45%. Here’s a full royalty schedule with typical prices to help you estimate your revenue.

5. Etsy

Etsy’s not just for selling wedding decorations, custom Halloween costumes and quirky cat-themed gifts. You can also sell your photos!
While the fee structure is beneficial to a photographer (Etsy keeps 20 cents on each sale as well as 3.5% of the sale price), you have to put in extra work to make those sales.
While people browsing stock photo websites are specifically looking to purchase images, not everyone browsing Etsy will necessarily be looking for photos. And people looking for photos may not think to look on Etsy.
That’s why, if you choose to sell your images on this site, you’ll need to invest time and energy into marketing your designs and images. But Etsy takes such a small cut of each sale, it may be worth your while.
Etsy offers a helpful handbook to help you learn about branding, marketing, how to price your items and how to succeed. When you set up your own Etsy store, you set the prices, so your earning potential is virtually unlimited.

7. Caution

Don’t Double Dip
Your employer likely won’t have kind words to say after catching you using company time and resources to work on freelance projects. Resist the temptation to double dip your time by completing freelance tasks while on the employer’s time clock. Sure, this may lead to late nights and long weekends finishing freelance tasks. However, the two realms must be kept separate if you hope to keep your full-time job and succeed in this freelance venture.
Read Your Workplace Policy
Some companies include non-compete clauses in their employee handbooks, meaning employees aren’t allowed to accept freelance work on the side. These clauses are often found in ad agencies with employers who fear their creative professionals will begin stealing the company’s clients.
Before freelancing, review your employee handbook and ask questions on any clauses you don’t understand. This will avoid you breaking a major company rule regarding freelancing and, thus, suffering severe repercussions such as losing your job. If the policy is vague, use your best judgment regarding whether the boss should be informed of your intentions to start freelancing on the side.
Be Honest with Clients
As your freelance client list builds, you may be faced with periods of work overload. It’s typical during this time when you’ll need either quit your job and go full-time freelance or turn a few clients away. In either case, be upfront with any potential clients asking you to complete work for them. Tell the clients you’re still working full-time and specify that the work may take a little longer than usual if they still want you to complete their projects. By laying the cards on the table at the beginning of a freelance project, you’ll avoid client frustrations and negative word of mouth in the future.
Go Full-time Freelance with Care
Although you may be chomping at the bit to put in your two-week notice and go full-time freelance, make this transition with care. Only go full-time freelance when you’re confident your income from an employer’s paycheck can easily be replaced and when you have a cushion of savings to fall back on during unexpected freelance dry spells.
Freelancing while working full-time for an employer is a great opportunity to maintain the security of a steady paycheck while assessing if you’ve got the talent needed to go solo in the working world. By respecting your full-time work hours and by being up front with your freelance clients, you’ll successfully navigate this transitional period until you’re able to leave the employer behind and freelance full-time.

8. Conculation:

A photographer must see light, and great photographers can actually feel the qualities of light, plus photography is about the powers of observation in knowing what to see, how to see it, and how to precisely capture it at the given moment. Photography is about creating photographs, not taking pictures as anyone can do the latter.

So that’s my thoughts on photography and it’s not uncommon for me to practice Rembrandt lighting, which includes chiaroscuro techniques, both basics of painters of art—professional photography is an art form.

We are trying to show a person how to earn from online. Further future we will try to invite a freelancer to serve with us. We will help a freelancer to get more jobs. Just stay with us and visit and observe.