Making money with photography, who doesn’t like that thought? Nowadays owning a camera is as normal as it has ever been. Cameras are getting cheaper and cheaper and seeing as earlier this year over 77% of all Americans own smartphones, there are fewer and fewer people who don’t have any means to take a photograph wherever they are.
Although no real competition compared to DSLR cameras in terms of quality and options, smartphone cameras are getting better with every new update. This fact, combined with the speed and technological improvements of the digital age we are living in, makes it harder for traditional photographers to make a living and here is why:
- Traditional print is slowly getting swallowed by digital platforms. Let’s be honest, how many people still read newspapers? Do you really think our kids will? Everything is being digitized and the percentage of the world’s population with access to the internet is growing rapidly every day. Exclusivity is hard to come by these days so it has become all about speed.
- Apart from the factor of speed, quality is also important. Like I said earlier, the latest smartphone cameras are so good right now that they are good enough to use instantly. As mentioned above it should not be forgotten that most content is being viewed on digital screens anyway so the resolution is always perfect.
This applies to news coverage mostly, but this digital age also means every single company, big or small, has a website and/or is using multiple Social Media outlets. Not to mention blogs or other websites. I’m sure you can imagine what the demand for good images is on a daily basis and these images all have to be collected. Because it is very expensive and time consuming to hire a photographer, stocksites have been created. These are websites with literally millions of images ready to be licensed and used. This typically costs someone between a few pennies and several hundreds of dollars.
Obviously part of this money comes back to the photographer who took the photo and uploaded it. Two of the most well-known websites are Getty and Shutterstock. These websites have such an extensive collection of photos that it’s very cost-efficient for buyers to use these. They typically have very high quality standards and only photographers who put in a lot of time and effort will get a decent ROI here. There are a few downsides to these major players though, for example most images look staged and lack authenticity.
I have tried the traditional stock websites, spent a lot of time uploading many photos and adding all necessary information and keywords for them to be found. Sadly, not much has come out of it. There are some photographers who are truly successful here and make a very healthy living out of it, but it’s very time consuming and frankly…not a lot of fun.
This brings us back to the smartphone and that’s where this will become interesting for the average photographer who doesn’t have enough time, equipment or knowledge to get involved into the big league. The most authentic photos are taken in the heat of the moment and usually there isn’t anyone around with a real camera. Most people have tons of photos on their smartphone they don’t really do anything with. If only they knew how to open this treasure chest…
~ This article will continue tomorrow in part 2 where I will tell you about my favorite stocksite that operates very differently and makes everything a lot more fun and profitable so anyone can earn money with their photography!
If you liked this post be sure to follow me for more! And give me a vote or resteem if you found this helpful, thanks :)
I definitely feel as if Steemit is a great way to make money with photography! Mind having a look at some of mine @longfield98
I think photography here is a good way as a topic or as tool of support for great articles, but I don't feel a photograph should be used just as a way to make money here by collecting votes on them. If its just about the photos, read what I will post tomorrow so you can make some real money
I em have an idea which site but I m not going to send you an IM ... but if it's the site I m thinking of, very interested to hear your results.
lol it's not like a big secret or something, but it took me some time to find something fun and beneficial so i'd be more than happy to share it
I'm patiently waiting for part two.
you know its also that i see so many people here posting their photos just without any story and not getting good results...they could be doing more with that and thats why i want to share where i sell my photos
Funny. If we're on about the same place, there's an amazing whole community there just to share their stories.
There's a couple of things I've noticed in the browsing around here ... are you set up on steemit.chat?
I am, havent really used it yet though..
I can fix that ... no problem whatsoever. Watch for details there
Really love ur post. Interesting and helpful :0)
Nice to be able to earn money for ur photos but just the joy of taking one or having someone liking it is the best feeling :0) but U know that already. Thx for sharing.
Followed resteemed and upvoted
Thank you! Yes I do know this, I've been photographing for years and years without really doing anything with it...just for me personal portfolio and improvement. When Instagram was introduced I finally had a place to showcase some of my work and after putting in lots of work I managed to get thousands of followers, but that didn't bring me much in the end. In a few hours I will post the second part of this article where I tell all about the photography platform I use now to sell my photos! Thanks again for the support!
Ur welcome :0) U are very ambition. I love ur passion and how u describe ur photos.
Cant wait to read the next article and see more of ur amazing work.
I love taking picture but I dont seem to capture many of them the wsy I want to.
U know the way I really see something and wants others to se what I see with the shot....but then noo not really...lol
But I keep trying mabye one day that one shot will come.
Thx for inspiering
My ultimate goal in photography is showing things to people in a way they would normally never view it...if I can help anyone with advice or inspiration than that's amazing! If you ever need any specific tips let me know :)
Thats a great spirit and inspiering. So kind of u :0) I promise to ask if I need it. Im sure I will.
Thx again
You're welcome, you know where to find me!
I do :0) thank u
I still have a lot of fun out of stock photography. It's my passion. Others have left disappointed. I'm in it for the long haul, even though I no longer command a six figure income from it. If it were just for the money, I would be long gone too. :-)
The competition has grown immensely! It has become really hard, I know...I see it as a nice little extra now :)
Yes, I've watched many changes from the nineties. I was part of the early RF revolution, which I will write about at some point. I was scorned by the early RM shooters, who were in turn scorned by assignment shooters. When the microstock revolution began, I was determined not to scorn those shooting for IStock and the like, but at the time I was not shooting in enough volume to join them. I only did so last year, and I'm glad I did. I wish I had done it sooner!