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Earn money by selling your photos on the internet:

The ultimate guide to passive income

I offer you here the ultimate guide to sell your photos on the internet and start earning money quickly.

Many people are looking for a way to make money on the Internet, that's a growing fact. You may even be one of them. Unfortunately, 90% of the information you will find on the internet is either false or incorrect. In short, if you are looking to know how to sell your photos, you risk wasting your time on these misleading sites.

That said, don't give up because I don't know if you know it, but selling your photos online is still one of the methods that works best. I mean that is very profitable and perfect if you are looking to earn income online. Myself I sell photos on the internet and I get a little extra money very interesting.

As you know, I like to share my tips and this is the perfect time to talk about them in detail.

In this article, I will therefore explain in detail how you can join thousands of other people who earn money by selling their photos on the internet. I will also tell you which are the best agencies and sites you should work with in 2019 if you want to make a living from it easily and quickly (at least partially at first).

Yes, yes, I know you can't wait to read the sequel, so here it is, without further ado:

Can you really make money selling your photos on the internet?

If you look on the internet for feedback and comments from those who have tried selling photos on the internet, you will be surprised. You will be surprised that there is no middle ground at first sight. Either there are people who have gained a lot, or there are people who have gained little. I personally think that many people who are not very qualified or rather unaware of the work that it requires have tried it...in vain. After all, who wouldn't want to travel, take photos and earn money at the same time? So the question is: what does it take to be able to make money selling your photos?

I became interested in this subject in 2015, following an encounter with a German traveler. He introduced himself as a digital photographer. I admit that I did not know that one could live entirely on it. I knew you could earn some extra income, but that was it. He explained to me that it took him about 6 months to start generating about $500. He had then invested in good cameras and then accelerated the pace. When I met him, he already had 3 years of experience behind him, and was earning around $3000 from me. I would add that it was sales in passive income mode. He didn't take many pictures anymore. He had made it clear to me that he made money mainly on old photos. In short, he had it all figured out. And me nothing?

But don't worry, I made up for it afterwards. I have understood the tricks of the trade and I am here to reveal them to you. The important thing is that you have clearly in mind the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of nomadic work. It's even the basis before you start. The other basic that I'm not going to mention here is the fact that logically you have some knowledge of photography and you also have a good camera , already to start…

From there, we can start.

Also Read: How To Make Money On Facebook [ Easy Ways 100$ Per Day ]

Who do I contact to sell photos online?

Selling your photos online means that you transfer the copyright to the buyer who can use these same photos as they see fit. Moreover, he can also simply rent them for a given time. It will depend on the contract that you will have entered into together. Basically, remember that even if you give someone permission to use your images, you're still the proud (haha) owner of them.

sell photos online

Before the advent of the internet, photographers had to sell photos to an agency. Today, these agencies have gone digital and can be found on the internet. You can sell your photos and earn money the same way. The main difference is that there are no longer physical agency archives. (That said, there are still specialized agencies). Your photos will join the millions of photos stored in a server. In fact, to sell your photos, you will have to go to specific sites. I give you the list below.

The most profitable places to sell your photos online:

So if you're looking to make money from your photos, what should you do? Sell photos directly on a site or go through an agency? Most of the time you will sell them through some agency, in my opinion. In this article, I'll walk you through the steps, but I'll also mention a new kind of site that lets you sell images directly to your customers.

It should be kept in mind that all agencies keep part of the money you will earn as a commission. If you wonder why they take a commission, the answer is very logical: managing a site costs more money if there are a lot of servers to have. In addition, they are responsible for the promotional aspect. Basically, they are the ones who will find the customers for you. And, that's not nothing. For the amount of the commission, it varies from one agency to another. If some keep "only" 50% of the commissions, know that others will take up to 85% of your income! Yeah, that's a lot. But hey, at least you're selling your photos.

There are basically two main categories of agencies: The microstock agency and the macrostock.

Read This: How To Earn Money From Instagram In 2022

What are microstock agencies?

Microstock agencies accept photos, stock footage, audio files, and vector images. Most of the time, these files are sold with a royalty-free (RF) license.

Royalty-free means that the right to use material by the intellectual property does not involve paying royalties or license fees for each use or per volume sold, nor during a period of use or sale.

You can decide if you prefer to be an exclusive contributor for an agency (and therefore keep more money for yourself) or not. If you prefer, you can even decide to give exclusivity to only certain images and sell the others to several agencies at the same time.

Microstock agencies have two main characteristics: the price per sale is usually very low. I'm talking $0.25 per sale here….that's not how you're going to become a millionaire indeed. But beware, do not be afraid of low prices. Indeed, because the photo is well priced, you can sell the same image dozens or even hundreds of times, which means that even if the price per file is low, you can still make money. And, I specify, automatically or passively.

Let's do some math! That means that in the end, if you sell your photo 100 times a year at 25 cents, well, after 5 years, you will still have earned 125 euros. Oh, for 125 euros, go to so much trouble? No, I'll stop you right there. If you have 200 photos sold at this price and the same volume, you would have won ….25,000 euros! Do the calculations yourself and see how in the end, it can pay off BIG.

The most important Microstock agencies are:

Shutterstock (my favorite). Do not forget for example to download the “contributor” application; You can send your photos directly to the app in a few clicks)
iStock
Deamstime-Adobe
123rf
Pond5

What are macrostock agencies?

Now it's time to tell you about the other great agencies that are Macrostock agencies. As you can imagine, these agencies sell images at generally high prices and most of the time they are made with a Royalty Managed license (called RM).

Rights Managed, or RM, this refers to a copyright license that, if purchased by a user, permits one-time use of the photo as specified by the license. This is the main difference with RF rights used by microstock agencies.

In other words, this means that the images sold can only be used once. If the buyer wants to use the same image in the future, he must buy it a second time. Now I'm sure you're wondering: who would buy expensive stock photos when there are cheaper stock photos on microstock sites?

Well, it's not the same people who buy from one or the other. Some magazines and newspapers call on macrostock agencies because they need to have exclusivity on a photo. They want to become the only ones who can use them. That's why they prefer to pay more.

There are not many Macrostock sites and the main players are:

Alamy
GettyImages

What to choose in the end to sell your photos: Micro vs Macro?

Microstock agencies versus macrostocks: What to choose…?

So, I certainly put you in doubt between the two types of agencies to sell his photos. Now you wonder what you should choose?

Obviously, if you place yourself from the point of view of the lustful photographer, of course you will tend to want to sell your photos at a high price. Of course 25 cents, the photo, it will not motivate you. I understand perfectly.

That said, understand one thing – which is applicable to almost any business – time and quantity are key. Put yourself from the perspective of the buyer. He will tend to buy several photos on a regular basis rather than buying a single expensive photo punctually. Go where the numbers are. In other words, see around you the needs of societies. They need a lot of photos for their communication, their blogs and their social networks. Do you think they will buy each photo over 300 euros? No no. Most start-ups all have accounts on microstock sites like Shutterstock for example. Remember that they consume many, many photos.

So, logically….you will have to turn to these same sites. Go where there's a lot of demand, period. It is better to sell a lot even at a low price than very little, and at a good price. In the end, you will normally be more successful if you do numbers, and therefore numbers.

Otherwise, to put things into perspective, nothing prevents you from using both sites. You can sell as many photos as you can/want. Remember that on microstock sites, you will assign the rights. So don't post the same photos on both sites!

Personally, having tried several agencies and sites, I advise you to use Shutterstock. This agency has so many clients that your photos will definitely be purchased.

To earn a lot of money by selling your photos, don't forget, if you can, to also sell your videos. It is extremely profitable and above all, there is not much competition.

Can we sell our photos independently?

Well, there it is that you are a rather good photographer. If you are a professional photographer, then you need a website. But, it is very different to sell yourself and to sell on platforms. Nothing to see even. Indeed, if you want to sell independently, you have to bring in customers yourself. I'm not going to talk about it, but it's the sinews of war. It's hard not to go around in circles.

Also, you will need to have a lot of space in your hosting, since each image can take up to 10MB. Then you need to set up an e-commerce system or some kind of system to allow people to find and buy your images and, believe me, it's not at all easy. In fact, marketing and sales are very clearly a job in themselves.

It is true that my speech is a little pessimistic there. In fact, it's true that it's hard to sell photos yourself, especially if you're a beginner. In addition, you have to pay a developer to create a site, integrate payment solutions, etc. But but!! Fortunately, there are alternatives.

How it works? The platform for selling photos online DepositPhoto allows you to create an online portfolio with integrated e-commerce, so you don't have to worry about the technique. For once, it's great because you can quickly sell your first photos. Well, of course, it won't be art photos but very practical photos like “a person eating ice cream” or “two girls in a restaurant”, etc. But, hey, the most important thing is to sell your photos first, right?

The great advantage of using such a service is that you remain independent on prices. You control the prices and licenses granted to your photos. You have your own site, which will be much more professional. It also allows you to have direct contact with customers.

However, the big downside is that it's up to you to do the marketing. And, you know, without marketing, no business, no sales. But, if you can do it, then the results will be huge. Both from a financial point of view and from a strictly professional point of view. You may even be called upon to work on major projects, etc.

Basically, you have to choose this option when you already have a “name” in the middle. Likewise, it remains the preferred option if you want to make a real career out of it.

Now let's get to the heart of the matter. I know you can't wait to sell your photos and start making money from them.

Also Read: Best Free professional photography Apps For Android And Iphone 2022

Can you make money quickly by selling your photos on sites?

I know this is the question that interests you the most. Well the answer is no sorry. No, sorry, you can never make money fast unless you play in the casino, my friends. Making money fast is a myth; The only thing to do to make it quick is to go drug dealer. Otherwise, everything takes time. Anything worth it, in fact.

That said, if you are methodical and persistent, you can make money selling your photos. Even better, you can make a decent living out of it, and if that's your passion, imagine the golden life you're going to have. How long will it take? It depends on how much time you devote to this activity. You will be able to earn in the first month and perhaps get by with a minimum wage or more after a year. It will depend on the number of photos and the quality of your photos.

Make money by selling your photos on the internet: the rules to follow

1st rule: Understand that it can take time

It's the holy grail! What I like most about selling your photos online on the internet is precisely that. The fact that this is perfect for passive income. You will sell photos without knowing it and while sleeping. Likewise, when traveling, your beautiful photos will earn you money. It's really the symbiosis between the useful and the pleasant. Above all, a single photo will be able to be sold for years and years. It will even be a great complement for your retirement. There is nothing to say: selling your photos on the internet to earn money, it's just great.

The only thing to understand is that it can take time. And, as I already said above, this is valid for almost all businesses. Be patient. Don't give up because you posted 10 photos and didn't sell within the first hour of their releases.

It doesn't happen overnight.

It may take some time before the first photo sells. Once that's done, you're sure to be propelled. Indeed, as in most sites, there are algorithms that ensure that your photos will be put on the first pages. At the beginning you will be at the end. The more people will search for your photos and buy them, the more you will be placed from the start. This takes time because you need to have enough photos to match buyers' search terms. Basically, it is also the quantity that will determine your placement on the photo sites.

Above, I recommended Shutterstock; know that it is possible from the first hours to sell if your photo is well designed and that it is sought after of course.

2nd rule: Multiply your chances with several photos

The golden rule: you need to have a lot of photos to sell more and better. It is the law of numbers that governs the sale of photos on the Internet. The more photos you have to choose from, the more you will sell. It's math.

You need a big wallet, I repeat. Similarly, try to vary the areas. It will also increase your chances of selling.

Small tip: At first, if you really need to earn money quickly by selling your photos, be smart. Target the photos that sell the most. Often, these are photos with terms such as “Woman at work”, “Man on the phone”, “Couple at the restaurant” etc. These are purely commercial photos. Basically, these are photos that a lot of companies are looking for. Situational photos are the most sought after. So, if you want to sell fast and well, target these selling “keywords” first. Trust me, you'll be thanking me soon😉

3rd rule: Be inventive and offer quality

Well, that's almost useless to specify. Want to sell your photos online? Do you want it to allow you to generate passive income? Do you want to travel to the most beautiful places in the world and photograph the most beautiful mountains? It would be the ultimate dream not to sell photos while you sleep. No? Well, take the trouble to post beautiful photos. High quality and aesthetically interesting photos.

If you want people to buy your photos, you have to communicate something with your images and they have to be technically perfect. Either way, when you upload your photos to sites like Shutterstock, someone will check the quality of your photos. It is she who will “note” your quality. As a result, I would advise you to send your most beautiful photos from the start, just to be quickly well referenced.

In addition, a small “problem” of the sites to sell its photos on line is the fact that those accept only the high resolution photos. They accept JPEG formats and sometimes also Tiff format. The file size per image is therefore high. It will clearly be necessary to have a good device, a good computer and a good internet connection. It may take a little time to upload several photos which will by definition be large. Remember to “manually” add the appropriate keywords and descriptions if you want people to find your images easily.

Which camera to choose and what is the best photo editing software?

In fact, the best camera is the one you can afford. Yes, quite simply. What matters is that the quality is good.

Today many devices offer remarkable photo qualities. Absolutely no need to have a Reflex. You will still need at least a camera with an APS-C sensor. As you should know, smaller sensors will produce low quality images. That being said, any entry level DLSR will work just fine.

Personally, I cannot recommend any particular brand. For example, I use a Canon, but simply because it was offered to me. Nothing more. I'm sure if I had been offered a Sony or something else, it would have been the same thing.

Regarding the software, there are two well-known ones: Lightroom and the essential Photoshop.

Lightroom is still the best tool for editing tons of photos in a short time, but Photoshop is Photoshop. That is to say that it remains the ultimate photo software. Even if you have a mediocre photo, if you're good at Photoshop, you can make it beautiful (in absolute terms). I also use and love Photoshop. The only downside is that it takes a long time to get comfortable with this software. Frankly, I had to type I don't know how many hours of video to understand the basics of home base.

If you often mix your images with multiple digital exposures, I recommend using the “RayaPro 3” panel for Photoshop. It will save you a lot of time. This is clearly my favorite Photoshop panel.

Do you have to drop everything to sell your photos online for a living?

I couldn't stop this article without attempting to answer this question. That's a very good question I think. You must before you start, at least, put the pros and cons.

Unfortunately, I can't tell you what to do. Mostly it depends on your current situation.

The only thing I can tell you is that if you are looking for a rather interesting online job, which is not very restrictive and which makes you live your taste for photography, then you have to go for it. I would add that you have to get started because nothing prevents you from doing this on the side, in parallel with your main activity. You will do a kind of test that will cost you nothing. Yes, you can even now try to sell photos that you have kept on your usb key or external drive. Why not share and make money with it? You never know, maybe you have some photo nuggets just waiting to be bought.

Test again. If it works, you invite me for a drink; And if it doesn't work, at least you tried.

I make a small “aside”

If you think sites like Shutterstock and 123rf suck because they destroy the market, you might be right. But you can't go on bitching about modernity. You have to adapt to change and not wait for the market to adapt to you. Frankly, you can embrace change and enjoy it as many people have for many years now. It'll still be better than sitting around with no money thinking about the good old days of analog and black and white photography.

Personally, I can tell you that it is possible to sell photos online and earn money even while traveling, but it takes patience, humility and perseverance!

Through which sites should I start selling my photos in 2020?

Before finishing this article, I will give you the list of the most profitable sites to sell your photos online.

First of all, be aware that the agencies that buy your photos also have competition. It's such a lucrative market that many agencies are being created. Some stay and others go out of business. It's up to you to choose the best.

Also, the other ultimate advice I have to give you is that it is necessary to be present on several platforms at the same time. You never know. A site can close overnight and then you can lose your income at the same time. You'll find yourself penniless within hours. If, on the other hand, you become contributors on several sites you will certainly earn less money and the downloading of your images will take longer (compared to exclusive contributors) but you gain in certainty.

Basically, don't put your eggs in one basket. This also applies to earning a living by selling your photos on the internet.

The best sites to sell your photos in 2020:

This is my personal top 3:

1 – Shutterstock

You are certainly already familiar with this platform. As soon as you type an image into Google, often Shutterstock comes out first . Admittedly, the price per sale is very low (from $0.25 when you become a contributor), but it is the only site capable of selling your photos as soon as you upload them to the platform. Selection has become difficult lately. You will only need to upload your best photos.

2 – iStock

iStock was the big agency in the beginning. Finally, the only agency above all. Early photographers made a lot of money (especially exclusive contributors) on iStock in its early days. It remains a rather solid company which has very heavy customers. Imagine the mainstream media and other fashion magazines. They are often clients of iStock. In short, you can easily sell your photos through this site. That said, the commission remains at 85%.

3 – Fotolia

Fotolia is third place for me. The income can be interesting and equivalent to the other two. I just got used to the others so you should judge for yourself. But it remains a professional platform (subsidiary of Adobe) widely used by companies that buy photos online. Basically, there are customers!

I could also mention Pixabey which is also an excellent site for selling photos online.

Conclusion to earn money by selling your photos online

After this article which was long, here is the end! If you've made it this far, you're highly motivated. Certainly, you are very close to embarking on this adventure. Either way, I'd say it's worth a try. If photography isn't for you, maybe you'll be good for another online job that pays even while traveling.

If you liked this article, share it with your friends or with someone who loves taking photos and does not yet know that they can earn money from it.🙂

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