Make Money By Photos: 14 Easy Earnings Strategies
It sounds fantastic: practicing the beloved photography hobby every day and then make money by photos. But there is a lot of work behind this simple activity because there are many amateur photographers.
That is why you need good preparation and the right strategy to prevail over the competition in the long term.
The following article explains 14 simple strategies and numerous income sources around photography, with the possible sales and suitable platforms to make money by photos.
Business registration and taxes
If you want to earn money with photos, you don’t have to complete any specific training as preparation but can theoretically start right away. However, the statutory tax regulations must be observed. Because if you have income as a photographer, you have to register a business and pay business tax, among other things. For order photography, an entry in the Chamber of Crafts is also required. In general, it makes sense to find out about the legal requirements before choosing a strategy to earn money with photography.
The right equipment to make money by photos
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of what equipment is required to produce truly professional photos and make money from them. Opinions differ widely. Sometimes a compact camera is mentioned; others swear by the SLR version. The better the camera, the higher the quality of the photos, of course. But it always depends on the commitment and your quality requirements.
It is, therefore, worthwhile to get started with your camera. If the images are then rejected because of their quality, investments in an SLR camera can follow to earn money with photos. Therefore, it is important as a guideline that the existing camera should have a resolution of at least 12 megapixels because most agencies and platforms require this quality.
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14 strategies for making money by photos
Earning money with your photos is possible but requires patience and good preparation. Times just quickly a photo make and then rich are, that is impossible. In general, there are 14 strategies to secure a long-term income with your recordings.
1. ORDERS FROM COMPANIES
Companies, too, are often looking for a professional photographer to present themselves in a meaningful way on their company website, for example. That’s why the following areas are great for making money with professional photos:
- Business events
- Product photography
- Real estate photography
- Food photography
- Fashion photography
- Concert photography
- Industrial photography
- Party Photography ( e.g., In discos)
The hourly wage also depends on the event’s size, but it is possible to get from 100 euros to several thousand euros and earn money with pictures.
2. ORDERS FROM PRIVATE PERSONS
For orders from private individuals, you can earn money with photos through contacts with friends or acquaintances. These include :
- Portraits
- Family photos
- Baby bump photos
- Couple photos
- Children’s photos
- Nude photography
- Pet photography
- Weddings
- Birthdays
There often does the so-called referral marketing at best. Whoever beautiful photos show the neighbors and other friends recommended and get more jobs to photograph money to earn. The hourly wage can then be between 100 euros and up to several thousand euros, depending on the event.
3. ORDERS VIA APP
Almost everything in one app and, of course, also photo orders with images of money to earn. The free offers from AppJobber or Streetspotr work according to the fee principle. For example, a photo of a certain attraction searched is then in the app to upload leaves. Each job brings than in section 1 bis 2, 50 euros one. Therefore, it is suited to this possibility only to the way with pictures of money to earn, but not as the main income source.
4. ASSISTANT OF A PHOTOGRAPHER
Of course, it is generally more pleasant to take your orders and implement the design yourself. But especially for beginners who also want to improve their skills, it is worthwhile to start as a photographer’s assistant. Daily rates in the three-digit range are possible. The jobs can be found via well-known search platforms, but the photo studios in your environment can often use support.
5. STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
The English term “stock” describes the principle of stock photography. The photos are uploaded on specific online portals and stored until someone buys them and then used for marketing purposes. These portals are generally regarded as a popular way to earn money with simple means and with your own photos. The following platforms are doing particularly popular :
As soon as a platform user buys the photos, the owners receive a few cents as payment. In Getty Images, can it even up to 10 euros per image to be. However, the operators also require a meaningful portfolio, and therefore there are special admission conditions to earn money with photography.
6. MURALS, CALENDARS, AND OTHER PRODUCTS
Creating your calendar and organizing sales is complex and takes a lot of time. That is why providers, such as Calvendo and Zoomwerk, create products from their photos and take over distribution. After that, the owners of the recordings will share in the profits. However, this stake is only 15 to 30 percent, and it only affects profit, not sales. For example, if a calendar is sold for 50 euros, the author of the photos will receive around 3 euros. If the calendar is then particularly popular, the percentages can increase, and thus more money can be made with the photos.
7. PHOTOS FOR NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES
If you have high-quality photos that are also particularly rare, you can also offer them to newspapers or magazines and then earn money with these photos. For example, puppy photos are suitable for dog magazines or pictures of celebrities for a star magazine. In general, the local newspapers or magazines only pay a few euros per picture. Nevertheless, this can also lead to a long-term collaboration that will pay off financially later.
8. PHOTO CONTESTS
Photo competitions are regularly offered on the Internet and in local galleries to earn money with pictures. Here are then there is a specific theme and a jury that the submitted photo assessed. The bid price for one such competition is not very high; they are only up to 500 euros. But often can the participants also high property prices gain, for example, an expensive SLR.
9. EXHIBITIONS
Anyone who has an exciting and unique portfolio and contacts galleries or organizers can also try their exhibition. The chances are then good to earn money with your photos and to make further contacts. However, many organizers place high demands on the photos, and in some cases, the venues are booked out well in advance. Nevertheless, it is worth asking on-site and asking for an appointment. Because particularly innovative recordings can bring in several hundred euros.
10. IMAGE PROCESSING
Professional image processing is now part of the photographer’s profession. But surprisingly, many do not edit their photos themselves but pass on this task. So if you are familiar with Photoshop or Lightroom and don’t just want to earn money with photos, you can offer your image processing skills as a service. The orders can be found directly via photographers, companies, or online platforms and are then paid with an hourly wage of between 30 and 80 euros.
11. BOOKS AND EBOOKS
Books and ebooks related to photography are still popular and sell well. However, it should not be an absolute niche topic, because especially in photography, topics are in demand that improves the images’ overall quality. However, distribution is important because publication through a publisher can take a long time. It is better to publish your book yourself or put it directly on an ebook, as printing costs are eliminated. The profit then depends on the own selling price, but larger investments are often necessary for advancement.
12. INFLUENCER AT INSTAGRAM
Getting rich as an influencer on the Instagram photo platform is a dream of younger photographers in particular. And you can earn money with collaborations and your photos on Instagram. However, months or even years of unpaid work can pass before this income is generated. It is generally important to present high-quality recordings despite the online platform, ideally combined with a personal story. The first lucrative advertising inquiries then follow from around 10,000 followers with up to 200 euros per Instagram post, whereby the fee then also depends on the industry.
13. PHOTO COACHINGS AND WORKSHOPS
In every major city, there are professional photo-courses or workshops, which also often support search. That is to say, that an application as a speaker or course conductor possible is. Then, though not with pictures of money earning, the participants learn how good shots create. Depending on the course, it is also a fee of up to 500 euros that the number of participants and organizers depends on. However, is this extensive knowledge a vital precondition, because the courses can be the most vendors good pay and accordingly high are the participants’ expectations.
14. BECOME A YOUTUBER
Who is in the large workshops not adjust want, can also own learning videos around the photograph on the video platform YouTube publish. The advantage lies in the artistic freedom, because of the image processing to about the camera equipment is learning -Video or so-called tutorial possible. However, it can take several months for the number of clicks to generate a steady income to make money from photography. Moreover, the competition is huge, which is why a special concept and patience are especially important.
Conclusion Earning money with photos is possible in principle but requires a lot of patience and persistence. The Internet offers numerous opportunities, but you should also be prepared for stiff competition. In general, it makes sense to be open to new sources of income. Because at the beginning there is no perfect possibility. Therefore, don’t just focus on one strategy, but combine several approaches if possible. Only when you have found your specialty and enough income can you define yourself more precisely.