They say that a good photo could tell a thousand words.

Even if you don’t have a degree in photography, as long as you have excellent skills, you can produce magnificent shots that could tell a story.

With the higher living costs, finding ways to make money is the new normal. That’s why most photographers would consider this a perfect side-hustle on top of their usual job.

It doesn't require much to get into this art. A good-quality camera and the perfect subject within your niche can go a long way.

However, depending on your client’s needs, you may be asked to take photos during special events like family gatherings, weddings, or mini celebrations. Some would even need photographers for their modeling portfolios or a perfect landscape to inspire a painter.

Therefore, the sky’s the limit.

Even today, opportunities for aspiring photographers are not slim.

Many online platforms are available to sell good-quality photos. In addition, most of these platforms have improved and can provide competitive pay.

To learn more on how to make money selling pictures, read on to find out.

Related: How To Sell Feet Pics Online- The Latest Trend For Easy Money

First Things’ First: Your Camera

To come up with lovely photos and make them as appealing as possible, you must have a good set of equipment.

It doesn’t have to be complicated, but you need a reliable device to get the job done. Investing in a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera is a good start.

Canon EOS R5, Nikon Z 6II, and Pentax K-70 are just a few honorable mentions that you may want to consider getting. Aside from giving you high-resolution images, having a professional camera with multiple lenses is one way to capture even the tiniest details of your subject. It is because it can provide depth and quality to your shots.

However, smart mobile devices also compete with DSLR cameras to produce high-quality photos.

For instance, the latest smartphones with the most advanced software like iPhone 13 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus, and Huawei P40 Pro Plus.

A higher camera megapixel means higher photo qualities. Some smartphones could even go up to 200 MP, which definitely guarantees you extremely clear photos.

Hence, you have to put effort into looking for devices that could fit your budget and your needs.

Related: The 20 Best Selling Apps to Declutter Your Stuff

How do I start selling pictures?

Niche it down.

Before getting into business, you must also define your artistry as a professional or amateur photographer.

Hence, try to stick to a particular niche you find the most interesting as it will help set the tone for your brand.

Checking the current trend could help you decide, as it will also pave the way to get bookings instantly.

There are many possible subjects to choose from to lure a specific market. For example, people or portraits for personal websites, delicious food pics for commercial ads, and the architecture of iconic landmarks for travel blogs.

Moreover, there are events for particular groups, tools, or objects for businesses or nature and cityscapes as subjects.

So if you are wondering how to make money selling pictures, identify first your subject.

You may also create dedicated portfolios for your sample images. It can be helpful to land a gig as most employers or clients ask for it.

Build your brand.

Once you’ve understood who you are as a photographer, you should also know your market and build an audience.

With the continuous technological advancement in today's modern world, connecting to people has become easier than before.

So setting up a website where you can post your portfolio is great. But for beginners, you may also take advantage of various social media apps available for free. For example, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Ensure to engage by using hashtags to stay on top of search lists. Then always think of your market in making every move. You must think about their interest for them to notice you and potentially avail your service.

Beautify it.

On the other hand, photography does not end after a few clicks using a camera.

Editing your photos is sometimes necessary to serve their purpose and make them look better.

No, it is not cheating. However, a sound editing program to enhance your photos could make a huge difference. So it could be worth studying or improving your skills in that area.

It provides necessary enhancements such as making the sun stand out on landscapes or emphasizing the mood on portraits.

Even photos that are a tiny bit off can be helpful once edited and has aesthetic filtered applied.

Practice makes perfect, and your extra effort will literally pay you off.

However, remember that editing tools are just to enhance your photos, not to entirely alter an originally good shot.

How much can I make selling images from various online sites?

For any photographer, posting on social media apps is just one way to engage and market your skills.

Today's tons of online apps can help you monetize your hobby, and the pay may vary.

However, it's crucial to know that using specific online tools to monetize your photos requires details like image resolutions. So if you really want to make the most out of it, quality photos are a must.

How to make money selling pictures?

Stock photo sites are among the most common sources on the internet to illustrate hundreds of online content.

It is a great platform to buy and sell photos online.

Moreover, it's widely used by companies that need photos of literally anything – from a mosquito to Mt. Everest.

What they do is sell the photos on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis. It means that after buying rights to the photos you want to use, you can use them for your own use (exclusive) or on multiple platforms numerous times and create a passive income (non-exclusive).

Note that licensing is very important to understand in selling your photos online. Your goal should be to sell them to potential customers who can make the most out of licensing your picture and could set them apart.  

Of course, as mentioned above, they do have numerous criteria before a photographer becomes an official contributor to their various content-sharing applications. 

With that being said, here are five (5) of the most commonly used stock photo sites to monetize your art.

Let's discover more about them and learn how to make money selling pictures online:

Alamy

Among the list of where you could sell your pictures online is at Alamy, a stock photography agency that offers high royalty fees to its contributors.

Although relatively smaller than competing services with the same purpose, it has remained among the most commonly used platforms for selling photos, with about 60,000 contributors worldwide and over 110,000 buyers.

This resulted in a diverse collection of about 215 million stock photos, videos, vectors, and even panoramic images.

Alamy is competitive in terms of rates. It pays you, as the contributor, monthly with a straightforward system.

Having exclusive photos would give you 50% of the profit upon making sales amounting to more than $25,000 a year, while non-exclusive images give you a 40% profit share with the sales. Provided that it has reached a minimum amount of $250 but less than the first amount mentioned.

Furthermore, a 20% rate is given to contributors generating sales of less than $250 annually.

The average fee for a single photo at Alamy is $90.

Moreover, keep in mind that they do not offer long-term contracts, so it really works best as a side hustle.  

Adobe Stock 

Adobe Inc. has made its mark as among the biggest brands in the software industry and has produced various commonly used programs.

For instance, Adobe Stock, a platform that provides access to hundreds of stock photos to users through monthly or annual subscription plans.

What’s unique about Adobe Stock is that you can gain access to the photos and use them for other Adobe applications like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Lightroom, and Adobe Photoshop directly. This makes it much easier to edit your pictures and other creative projects.

Furthermore, it is among the most used platforms to sell photos for free to reach millions of users worldwide.

Aside from that, they’re also not that strict in gaining exclusive selling rights, meaning you can also sell the photos through other available platforms, provided that no one has decided to buy the image yet.

Lastly, you can profit through Adobe Stocks from getting about 33% to 35% of the amount a user pays for the photo.

You are likely to profit 33 cents up to $3.30 per sale with this. Not bad.

Shutterstock

Shutterstock, founded in 2003 and among the industry's leading brands, is among the commonly-known stock photo sites to sell your own shots.

It’s also known as a micro-stock site, meaning the photos are sold at a low cost.

What they offer are non-exclusive photos that are usually used for visual metaphors. This gives you the full right to your image even after making a sale and putting credits under your name, which is one way to build your brand.

However, you can only earn as much as 15% per image as a contributor. But, of course, it does get better as the more you sell yearly, the higher your percentage goes.

Besides, closing a total of more than 25,000 licensed photos could help you gain up to 40% commission.

Additionally, there are affiliate programs or referral commissions at Shutterstock, about 4 cents each time your referral can close a sale.

They don’t really pay much compared to the other platforms mentioned, but if you just want to try how to make money selling pictures online, Shutterstock would work for you.

IstockPhoto by Getty Images

IstockPhoto is another microstock site now owned by Getty Images, greatly helping photo-seller enthusiasts since 2001.

The nature of Getty Images is basically on the higher-end of exclusive stock photo sites, creating a brand that generally deals with first-rate photos for licensing.

Moreover, IstockPhoto is a branch of Getty Images that offers non-exclusive photos, upselling using other platforms. Although it offers lower commission rates.

Hence, commissions at Getty Images would range from 15% to 45% at max, depending on the photos’ exclusivity.

These platforms have over 1.5 million users in total. You may apply to join Getty Images by downloading the mobile app. Moreover, you need to include sample photos for the system to review and approve your application.

Of course, being a legal age (18 in the USA) would be required to ensure proper handling of monetized photos as you become a contributor.

The standard average rate of exclusive content at Getty Images would range from $50 and $500 at max per real quality photo. In addition, the price depends on the licensing rights a user would avail as well as how popular your profile is.

500px

Another way on how to make money selling pictures online is through 500px, a free online website or mobile application best known for its ‘pulse algorithm.’

It allows immediate exposure to potential customers from the very first upload you make, adding your photos to their discovery page where thousands of users can view and make a purchase.

Aside from that, it provides a history of engagements or ranking with accurate analytics. This gives you data about how your photo is doing in your competition.

Have I mentioned that it’s free and could still monetize your photos?

Simply upload your best picks online, then let the app do its magic to lure anyone from the 13 million users it has.

Of course, paid subscriptions would have their perks like exclusive advertising services and such. Still, there are also various contests on the side to help encourage additional exposure to all users worldwide.

Therefore, you do have the option to either sell photos exclusive or non-exclusive. The significant difference is the price.

Ultimately, it offers a pay of up to 60% net upon selling a photo, with the standard rate of $250 per licensed shot. Not bad for a free site!

Key Takeaways

As a beginner at selling images online, it's imperative that you know your niche first and focus on a specific market to help you grasp how it works.

Aside from creating websites, the emergence of various online applications that aim to sell exclusive or non-exclusive photos could be your option.

It is easier now to earn money from simply uploading them online that not only helps you get better at your craft; it also exposes you to a lot of opportunities to create and build a brand. For instance, talk about going viral.

Start making the most out of it upon knowing how and where to sell. It’s a great idea whether you are an amateur or a professional photographer.

If you think you have photography skills, how to make money selling pictures is not the right question anymore. It's why you haven’t started yet.

Don’t hold back. Pursuing a passion could lead you to places and earn you money. Just hit them with your best shot and see how it goes!