Food blogging has really taken off in the last few years, as have almost all things internet related. If you’re spending so much time on capturing great photos of the food you make, why not try to sell those photos?
There are many easy ways to use stock photography websites to help you get started selling your photographs. Contrary to what you might think, you don’t have to be a professional photographer to make money with stock photography.
If you want to get started selling your photos online, here are some of the best stock photography websites I have found. They are all free to signup and easy to use.
Personally, I make more money using Shutterstock and iStockPhoto than any of the others. But money can be made from all of these sites. Basically, a photographer submits their photos to a stock photography site, the site hosts the photo to make it accessible to designers and anyone who might like the photo, and when a photo sells both the stock photography site and the photographer share the profits. How much profit each party keeps depends on the stock photography site.
Shutterstock is more focused on volume of downloads. The price is quite cheap for designers who buy in bulk, which means photographers don’t get much commission. But at 25 cents per download, things can start to add up pretty quickly. At iStockPhoto, prices are a little higher, so the average picture commission tends to be around $1 per download. It’s hard to say which is better, the good thing is that photographers don’t have to be exclusive with one site. Try out as many different stock photography sites as you like!
Photo Quality
Just because you don’t have to be a professional doesn’t mean you don’t have to take a good picture. These sites don’t mess around with junk. Don’t be intimidated, just use this as a learning experience. Your photos may get rejected at first, but if you are persistent and willing to learn, you’ll get accepted. Make sure your photos are interesting, well framed and focused properly. Don’t over “photoshop” your image. Make sure it is well cropped, properly exposed and sharp, but don’t go overboard with computer editing.
What Kind of Camera?
Probably you will need at least a beginner level digital SLR. The good thing is that prices have dropped in recent years, so great cameras are affordable for all. I recommend a Canon Digital Rebel and the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens for the price conscious. Nikon, Pentax and Sony also have great beginner DSLRs.
Get Organized
Put your keywords, title and description into the metadata of the photograph so you only have to write it once. Keep track of where you have submitted your photos and submit to a few different stock photography sites. It doesn’t hurt to get more exposure.
While stock photography may not be a huge money maker for everyone, most photographers will have fun making a little money off of their photos.
If you think you would like to try stock photography and found this article helpful, please click through one of the links above. Some sites offer a little commission for promoting them, thanks!