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Writer's pictureMark Paulda

SEVEN WAYS TO MAKE MONEY AS A PHOTOGRAPHER

Updated: Dec 1

Today, photography is everywhere around us. Every photo we see on the commercials, on our phones, on the street, someone had to make. Today, it is never easier to start earning money online and offline.


If you’re someone who loves photography and doesn’t know how to make money out of it, we’ve got you covered. With seven simple ways to make yourself known, you’ll be able to create a path towards recognition and success.


SEVEN WAYS TO MAKE MONEY AS A PHOTOGRAPHER


1. Sell Your Photos Online

With many online stores that can sell your photos to marketing agencies and teams, you can start posting your best pictures and get money right away. Prepare a good description, add a lot of tags, and set a reasonable price. The entire process is very straightforward, and it will put your name out there.


ways to make money as a photographer

Platforms like Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, Alamy, 500px, and many others allow you to make a profile and start selling stock photos in less than 10 minutes. All it takes is for you to select the best pictures among those you already have or make new ones for the trending niche.

What’s more, you can also sell mockup images, photoshop templates, artistic photo books, and video presets. Once everything is out there, you should market your profile through social media to make it visible to various people that might become your customers.


2. Become an Event Photographer

Everyone likes to have beautiful photos from birthdays, weddings, and other celebrations. Since weddings are a highly rewarding niche, most event photographers focus on it as their primary income source. If you enjoy doing portraits and outdoor photography, you have the necessary know-how to make stunning wedding photos.


busy office environment

If you’re a novice, you’ll probably have to do a few weddings for free (or be a second shooter) to get the material for your social media and portfolio. Afterward, the photos you’ve made will serve as an online portfolio, and then you could start charging a fee as everyone will recognize your unique style and want you as their photographer.


3. Offer Your Skills on Freelancer Platforms

Freelancer platforms like UpWork or Fiverr are a good place to start earning money as a photographer. There, you can offer to take photos of Amazon products, edit photos, and create photo albums from other people’s photos. You’ll have a chance to learn more about several types of photography and make a great portfolio.


Sometimes, big companies are looking for young professionals on freelance platforms, and that could be a good chance to get a few regular clients and jumpstart your career.


4. Monetize Instagram Account

Instagram is one of the best platforms for photographers that want to monetize their skills. You can even think of an Instagram profile as your second portfolio where you can connect with your audience, showcase your talent, talk about the equipment you’re using, and a lot more.


instagram logo

5. Become a Blog Photographer

Famous bloggers are often looking for new talented photographers to work with them and retouch photos from their posts and stories. Since many of them are traveling worldwide, they need someone to follow them, take pictures and enjoy the spectacular surroundings they often visit.


Once you do a project and share it on social media, other people will start noticing your profile, and you’ll have more offers than you can handle.


6. Create Photo Books

One of the best gifts that are trending in the past few years is a photo book. You can create albums of your photos of animals, architecture, or landscapes and sell them on Blurb, Amazon, or even create a Kickstarter profile. Of course, you should offer your services to others since you can use photos of their kids, pets, or from holidays and make a lovely collage in the book format.


photographer looking at his photography book

7. Participate in Photo Contests

Photo contests are not as glamorous as weddings or travel photography, but they’re a wonderful way to win a considerable amount of money or win an expensive piece of equipment. Regardless of the prize, any contest can bring you more followers, contacts and make yourself known in the online photography communities.


Photography is a fulfilling hobby for many people, but many don’t know where to start once they want to make it into a full-time job and a primary source of income.

With a few photography courses and a lot of practice, you can turn photography into a lucrative business and enjoy every day with a favorite camera in your hands.




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