Cash From Your Camera – Five Keys to Selling Stock Photos
March 9th, 2010The search for the holy grail is nothing in comparison to the people searching for the perfect formula to making cash from your digital camera on the microstock websites. Everyone is looking to make a quick buck and the charlatans are all offering them what they want, an simple way to make money from your digital camera without any photography skills or technique. There is no simple way to make the kind of money promised. If there were, everyone would be doing it and we’d all be rich.
There is a way but, but it takes time effort and excellent photography skills. If you’re wanting to do this and don’t have a like for photography, don’t bother trying. It’s not for you. It will take reasonable skills, dedication and time. It is possible and if you feel you have what it takes are some to get you started on the road to success.
1. Learn photography
The only way to ever make money from photography is to learn the fundamentals of photography and start thinking outside the box with your creativity. Find a excellent basic course that will bring you up to speed and get you shooting plenty of images. Practise is key to any profession, leisure activity or task. Don’t let anyone fool you that people want to buy your images if they don’t show the minimum quality of someone who can take photos. No skill required adverts need the contempt they deserve. If you want instant success enter the lottery as you have just as much chance as selling your photos.
2. Learn stock photography
This is just as vital as point number one. Contrary to what the ebooks say, stock websites are looking for quality images that stand out and are simple to sell. There is a type of photo they are looking for that will sell quickly and easily. So learn how this works. The best place to go are the stock and microstock online forums. Here you’l find the photographers talking about what is selling, what works for the buyers, what the reviewers are declining as well as the difficulties or successes they are experiencing. This is the coal face of stock photography. If you don’t know what problems are you’ll come up against a brick and end up defeated before you start. Knowledge of your market is essential to any sales success.
3. Shoot the images people are buying
The key to any marketplace success is to sell the things people want to buy. Many fantastic inventions have fallen flat because nobody wanted to buy them. You can’t sell what people don’t want to buy; it’s basic economics. How do you find which images are the ones to shoot? Go to the stock and microstock stock sites and search under the most well loved sections, or images that have the highest downloads. These are what the buyers are looking for as you will see from the high numbers of sales. Most sites will give you recommendations as to what types of images they are looking for and what they don’t want. This point is a no brainer. Most give a whole section of guidelines and ways to help you take better images that will sell.
4. Shoot quality
Sit down and reckon about what the charlatans are trying to get you to do. Sell your everyday ordinary images that are okay; the ones your friends and family like. Compare your images to those quality photos on the stock sites. Do yours measure up? If they don’t, who do you reckon you are fooling? No matter what the cash from your camera ebooks and courses promise, if yours aren’t equal to or even better in quality than those on the stock sites you don’t stand a chance. You need to use theirs as a standard and shoot the type of quality the buyers are looking for. Some books say school children and college students aren’t looking for top images. But face the facts, when they can buy your average image or an incredible photo both for a dollar, which would you choose.
5. Shoot quantity
It’s a numbers game. The more you have out there the more choice buyers will have and the more they are likely to buy from you if the quality is excellent. Of course the more you shoot while aiming at high standards and fantastic composition coupled with what the sites need, the more chance you stand of selling your images. One of the guidelines one of the top stock photographers used to estimate his income made through stock sales was one to two dollars per image per year on file with the stock sites. The more images submitted to the sites the more chance of sales.
Any form of business that is so simple and requires minimal effort is probably bordering on some form of criminal activity. When someone teaches how simple something is, your red flags should go up and you should start asking questions. There is plenty of money to be made in stock photography, but it’s being made by those showing skill, dedication and creativity. Learn your art and do it well and you will start on the road to photography success.
Do you want to learn more about photography in a digital world? I’ve just completed a groundbreaking new e-course delivered by e-mail. Download it here for free: http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/ To learn how you can take your photography from ordinary to outstanding visit http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/21steps.htm
Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography.
Author: Wayne G Turner
Possibly Related Posts:
- Products to Sell on eBay – Choosing Profitable Niches
- How To Sell On eBay
- Trade Stocks – Tips to Trade
- Selling On eBay Tutorial – Great List Of Tips To Help You Sell On eBay
- 5 Places To Locate Profitable and Hot Selling Items To Sell on eBay