Many people enjoy taking pictures. They love capturing different angles, intricate lighting and facial expressions. Those that are skilled at photography can take this enjoyable hobby and turn it into a money-making venture.
There are many ways you can make money taking pictures.
Read on to find out about a few we recommend.
Take Pictures for Businesses
The internet is the first point of contact many businesses have with potential customers. Great images play a huge role in attracting consumers to websites and engaging them so that they will come back and buy products.
Therefore, photographers stand to make a lot of money taking pictures for business web sites and social media platforms.
Photographers can advertise their services on their own web sites and social media outlets to try to find businesses in need of great images. They can also go door to door leaving business cards with businesses or look on freelance sites like Upwork to find companies looking for photography.
Teach Photography
Because photography is an enjoyable hobby and a great skill to have, many people will pay good money to learn more about it. If you are a skilled photographer, you can increase your income by offering classes and workshops.
Classes can be given in person or online. If you are interested in teaching live courses, try partnering with a community center. They may have space for you to teach classes and they will also be able to help get the word out about your services.
If you choose to teach online, you can offer classes through Skype and other online formats and charge a fee to students for one on one lessons.
Sell Your Photos
If the photos you take are artistic in nature, you may be able to sell them as artwork. A site like Etsy is perfect as it serves as an online marketplace where people sell their crafts and art.
Another option is to sell stock photos. Web sites like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock are just a few that are recommended for the purchasing and selling of stock photos. When people buy photos off these sites, photographers keep a portion of the royalties.
You can also sell photos directly through your own web site or at flea markets.
Write a Blog or Start a Vlog
If you know a lot about photography, you can start your own blog or vlog. You can use these to share tutorials and information on equipment and photography in general. These are also great vehicles for promoting your craft to help you bring in additional income.
Besides helping you promote your business, blogs and vlogs provide other money-making opportunities. They can help you bring in extra income by selling advertising space, doing affiliate marketing or selling memberships.
Shoot Portraits, Headshots or Events
There are many reasons people seek out the services of a photographer. Some of them may want portrait pictures taken. These can include individual portraits, family portraits, couples’ portraits and even glamor and boudoir photo shoots. They may want these for special occasions or just as artwork to hang in the rooms of their houses.
People may also want you to shoot events like weddings, corporate events and more. To get into the event industry, getting the word out through the internet and other types of marketing is essential, but you may also want to network with event planners, caterers and venues so you can help each other get work.
If you live in a major hub, you will find there are a lot of people in show business. Actors, in particular, are constantly in need of new photos. You can bring in a considerable amount of money by advertising your services at actor’s workshops. Another good idea is to let agents know about your services so they can recommend you to their clients.
Sell Photos to Magazines
Magazines are always in need of photographers. Working with a magazine may require you to go into unchartered territory and take pictures of celebrities, wildlife and more, but this type of work can be quite lucrative if you’re up for it.
It can take a while to make a name for yourself in the industry as a magazine photographer so plan on starting small and working your way up.
Enter Contests
There are many photography contests you can enter to win cash prizes. And even if you don’t win these contests, it’s a great way to get your name out there and it may help you drum up business.
Give Photo Tours
A new trend in the tourism industry, photo tours break away from conventional sightseeing taking visitors on tours of the city, not merely to see sites, but to learn how to photograph them. Skilled photographers can advertise their services to provide these unique tours around their neighborhoods.
If you are a photographer, there are several ways you can make money while doing something you love. What do you think is the best way for you to increase your income?
