Selling Stock Photos for Easy Money

There is a new breed of entrepreneur in the photography market.  Thousands of camera buffs are utilizing the reach of the internet to build passive income streams by selling stock photography.  The demand for stock photos has increased in recent years with the influx of businesses using websites to market their services.  They use stock photography services to supplement their content with image sources that are easy to search and order from.  It is on these sources that amateur photographers are placing their own pictures on for sale.

Understanding Stock Photography
The common perception of stock photography is a staged image featuring professional models in different poses which can be used in advertising or publication pieces.  While this description is relatively accurate, the modern definition is much broader.  Today publishers and webmasters search stock photo catalogs for images of anything from nature pictures to celebrities in action.  This demand makes for a wider range of shots offered by suppliers.  To provide enough selection, suppliers have opened the doors to anyone who can provide quality images that may be of use to their customers.

Making Money as a Photographer
The beauty of selling stock photography is that it is relatively inexpensive to get started.  As long as you have a digital camera and some basic editing software, you can begin selling your digital images almost immediately.  By creating an account at a supplier and uploading your pictures you will gain instant exposure to thousands of hungry buyers.  Each image that is purchased from the supplier will earn you a pre-determined commission from the sale.  Although the commission per picture can be relatively low, persistent photographers earn hundreds per day by having numerous images available for download.  The key is to learn the system and then focus on building your inventory.

Building Your Own Portfolio
In order to preserve the quality of their offerings, suppliers typically do not accept every submission.  An image must be well focused and desirable in order to be accepted.  Those who make the most money from selling stock photos tend to focus on one or two specific subject niches.  They brainstorm creative settings and poses that may be of interest to their customers and then flood the market with high quality images.  They understand that some pictures will not sell at all, but it only takes one popular image to bring in a steady stream of sales.  Thus, it is best for you to start with a niche you are interested in and have easy access to.  Track your sales and find out which shots are selling.  Compound your success by building on what you have learned.

Selling stock photography is an easy and fun way to build a consistent revenue stream from a hobby you already enjoy.  The only barrier to entry is the time it will take to learn the ins and outs of the stock photo market.  An excellent guide to getting started is "Make $$$ Selling Photos" by John Carroll.  John not only provides instruction and advice on selling stock images, but his main income model is based on doing freelance work for banks and property owners.