How to Make Money in Photography: With or Without a Camera

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There has never been a better time to get into the field of photography.  In the past, you had to buy an expensive camera, take lots of pictures, and then send them via email all over the country to different magazines and other outlets just to have a chance at having them published.  

Times have changed. Drastically. Now with just a reasonably priced camera, you can start making money in photography in just a short period of time.

There are a number of ways to approach photography, but we’ll keep it simple and stick to the most straightforward methods that will help you get started making money in photography today.

 

 

 

 

 

SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

This website is one of the best ways for you to get started in photography.  Shutterstock is incredibly popular and gets a ton of traffic from people and businesses searching every day for images to purchase.  

Keep in mind, there will be lots of competition, but if you find your niche and take some unique pictures, you could start earning some money right away.  

The best part?  Once your photos are uploaded, you don’t need to be present to make a sale.  So no matter if you have tons of time on your hands, or just a few hours to spare each week, you should be able to take a few great photos and get them uploaded.  The quicker you get started the faster you can start earning some money.  Take a quick look at shutterstock.com

 

 

 

 

How’s The Pay?

Shutterstock uses a 4 tier system for payouts, based on your lifetime earnings.

Tier 1 – $0.25 per download, based on lifetime earnings of $0-500

Tier 2 – $0.33 per download, based on lifetime earnings of $500-$3,000

Tier 3 – $0.36 per download, based on lifetime earnings of $3,000-$10,000

Tier 4 – $0.38 per download, based on lifetime earnings of $10,000 or more

While the per picture download amount doesn’t seem like much, those downloads add up quickly over time.

For example, let’s say you notice an emerging diet trend that uses passion fruit – let’s call it the Passion Diet.  You decide to go out and buy the fruit and take a lot of photos of it.  

You take photos of the fruit next to drinks, displayed on plates, even a few pictures of your friends holding or eating the fruit.  The trend goes viral, now every blogger all over the country is looking for pictures of passion fruit. If you already have photos uploaded on Shutterstock.com, you’ll have sales of your photos coming your way in no time.

Another option is just to keep track of trends in general.  Use social media to your advantage.  Watch what is trending on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.  If there is a trend, there is going to be a blogger or website writing about it and they’re going to need pictures for their site.  This is just one of many tips you can use to increase the chances of getting your pictures selected and sold online.

 

 

 

 

Ready To Get Started?

Before you start taking pictures for Shutterstock.com, you will need to have a camera.  The process of finding the right camera, with the right specifications can become a job in itself.  Don’t worry, we’ve done most of the work for you. 

Based on your budget and level of expertise, we’ve listed 3 cameras for you to check out.  You can start with a low cost beginner camera or aim high and go with the more advanced level camera, it’s entirely up to you.  No matter which camera you choose, they are all capable of taking amazing photos that will get attention online.

 

 

Beginner Level Camera:

This is the perfect beginner camera if you’re just starting out and not looking to spend too much money.  This camera is typically priced under $200 used. 

If you don’t care for used camera equipment, that’s okay, you can find a new and upgraded Nikon D3500 here.

 

 

 

 

 

Intermediate Level Camera:

This camera is most certainly an upgrade.  Whether you’re looking to start taking photos to sell online or just keep it for yourself for personal use, this camera should suit your needs.  Not to mention it shoots in crystal clear 4K video. If you’re looking for a great intermediate camera to start taking photos with, the PENTAX K70 is a great place to start.  If you want to save money and want the camera itself without the accessories you can find the PENTAX K70 cheaper here.

 

 

 

 

 

Advanced Level Camera

CANON EOS T7i 

  • DSLR Camera
  • 24.2 Megapixels
  • Built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Technology
  • Optical Viewfinder
  • CANON USA Warranty
Accessory Bundle includes:

64GB Memory Card

Tripod

Additional lenses

And More

Find it Here

This is a well reviewed camera that comes with an accessory bundle that has everything you need to get started taking photos and then some.  Just a slight increase in price from the PENTAX K70, but with all the extras, it’s well worth it.

If you’re on a budget but still want the power of the Canon EOS T7i you can find it cheaper here without all the accessories.

 

 

 

 

 

Other Online Photography Options:

 

FOAP.COM

Ever heard of it?  Well after you read this, you’ll wish you had.  Foap.com is an excellent place to start if you’re looking to sell your photos online.  It’s actually geared toward amateur photographers and regular everyday people, so if your 100% new to photography this is probably the easiest website to start with.

On top of that, you don’t need to upload photos on your computer, you can simply send them to Foap.com from your phone.

Basically FOAP.com caters to brands and businesses that need pictures and videos of every day people doing every day things for their marketing campaigns.  

To get started, all you have to do is sign up, and start uploading the photos and videos of your choice from your phone and if a company likes them, they’ll pay you well for your work. Do you know what the best part is? FOAP.com splits the commission with you 50/50.  

So if you’re looking to dip your toe into the waters of photography and you have a cell phone that takes good pictures and video, Foap.com may be the best place for you to start.

 

Don’t have a good camera on your phone?

Here’s a quick list of reasonably priced phones that take amazing photos:

 

Best Budget Phone for Great Photos

 

 

 

Best Phone for Taking Amazing Photos

 

 

 

Best Phone for Taking Incredible Videos

 

 

 

 

 

HOW TO TAKE BETTER PHOTOGRAPHS

 

Taking photographs is one thing but actually being good at is quite another.  If you want a quick guide to taking better photographs, check out Tony Northrups How to take Stunning Digital Photography.  Its 200+ pages on how to take better digital photographs.  

Some of the content includes:

  • Adjusting Exposure
  • Shutter Speed
  • Finding natural light for beautiful landscapes
  • Trouble shooting dark or blurry pictures
  • Taking great pics of your pets
  • Wildlife photography
  • How to take great pictures at night
  • Underwater photography
  • and  a lot more….

It’s a great comprehensive starter book with over 14 hours of online video content that will touch on all of the important aspects of photography including the basics such as adjusting the settings on your camera to take the best pictures right from the start.

 

 

 

 

WANT A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE MONEY IN PHOTOGRAPHY?

If you want more tips on how to make money in photography by selling photos online, there is an excellent ready made system that will show you how.

The course provides a step-by-step process to show you not only how to sell your photos online but will also give you access to an extensive list of websites that are open to buying pictures from brand new photographers that are just starting out.  In addition to that, you will get helpful tips from people that are making money selling photos using this system.

This course has been featured on

  • Photography.com
  • Entrepreneurs.com
  • Wired
  • Home Business Connection

If you’re looking to make money in photography and want a tried and tested system to help you get started right from the beginning, you should definitely take a look at this course:

Learn more about it here – Photography Jobs Online 2020

 

 

 

 

 

Find More Ways To Make Money Here….