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Posts Tagged ‘selling photos’

If you’ve been taking photos for a while now and are thinking of turning professional, trying to turn your hobby into a part time business, or just want to make a little extra cash to pay for the new lens you’ve been drooling over, there are many options for sales outlets. This article takes a look at just some of the possibilities.

Stock Photography Agencies

Stock agencies are libraries of images where someone who needs to use an image for a purpose such as a newspaper or magazine article can purchase a license to use the image. These days almost all stock agencies have online collections, where people can search the library, pay and download the image immediately.

The advantage of stock agencies is that they market your images for you. This can be a big plus in the online world, as you are able to show your photos through an established website without having to build one. Associating yourself with a reputable agency will also add to your credibility as a professional.

The downside of selling stock photography is that it is a numbers game. You will need a large collection of images to be able to earn an income. You will also pay commission to the agency for each image sold. This can range from 20% to 50%. Agencies also expect regular submissions to keep their libraries current. So you need to think of an agency as a business partner.

Your own website

Having your own website has the advantage over a stock agency website of being all about you. A website devoted to your own images rather than sharing with competing photographers has huge potential for gaining exposure and sales because of the size of the web. The downside of having your own website is that you need to put a lot of work into designing a website that shows off your work and can bring customers. This can be expensive and time consuming, and is better thought of as a long term strategy.

Offline

With the internet boom it is easy to forget old fashioned methods. Art fairs or markets are a great way to show your work to potential buyers. You also have the huge advantage of meeting customers face to face and being able to talk about your photos and answer questions. You also have the chance to sell yourself and gain peoples trust, which is half the battle of selling anything.

The downside of exhibiting your work this way is that it can be expensive to display. The costs of framing your prints, setting up a display and paying stall fees all add up. You also need to keep in mind that your potential customer base is much smaller than the global reach of the internet

So which method is best? The truth is there is no right or wrong answer to this as different methods will work for different photographers depending on where you live, the type of photography you do and the number of images you have. The best option would be to combine all of the above and get your work out there to as wide an audience as possible.

Freelancing in any profession has several tools that when adhered to add to the success of the freelancer and the same is true for a freelancing photography career. There are several tools and resources that would help the freelance photographer.  Most of these tools and resources are available online. Here is a quick listing of the various resources that a freelance photographer can use.

Online Photography Forums:

There are several online photography forums that are basically a place for photographers to meet, interact, share and exchange tips and basically network. These forums may also have job postings, which the photographer can follow. Of course, the photographer should first ensure that the said assignment and the forum as a whole is not a scam. There are several online photography forums, and these cater to all types of photographers, right from the amateur photographers to the professional photographers. Some forums also cater to different types of photographers, like art photographers, nature photographers, fashion photographers, etc. Make sure that you join the forum that is best related to your type of work.

Gadget Garage Sales:

Photography is one of the few professions that depend on the type of machinery and devices that are used. In fact, there are different lenses, types of cameras, etc for every kind of photoshoot. Therefore, a photographer would need to have a big repository of cameras, lenses and other collateral – which might cost them a great amount if they buy it off the shelf. There are several online sales websites that offer these gadgets at a decreased price or with other gadgets put up.

While these sales may save you a lot of money, you should ensure that the website you are buying from is a legal and safe website. There are several cases where a website may steal your online identity or use your identity for unscrupulous purposes.

Stock Photo Library:

A stock photo library is an excellent way to make money off the any image that has not been commissioned by a client. A stock photo library is basically a website that offers free or paid images for commercial and personal use. These photos are majorly used by new web masters, people looking for images for lesser budget or personal projects, and basically by people who do not wish or do not have the resources to pay the big bucks that go in hiring a professional photographer.

There are several types of libraries, and you should take some aspects into consideration before deciding on the Stock Photograph library that you would like to deal with. Some libraries follow the freemium model, where they offer most of the photographs for free, but charge for some of their better quality photographs. Yet some other Stock Photograph Library allows the users to use photographs for free if they have the permission of the photographer. Make sure that you are okay with the way the Library functions and how it deals with its users and its photographers.