15 Ways to Make Extra Cash Online with Photography (2024)

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Make money online selling photos for cash

Life is fun and this planet is blessed with beautiful places and sceneries. Most of us don’t have to go far from where we live to find nature and sceneries. Taking photos of these places can earn you some extra money when you sell photos online.

  • 15 Ways to Make Extra Cash Online with Photography (1)

If you roam the planet and bring your cell phone or camera, you probably can’t resist the need to take pictures of everything that catches your attention.

You travel all the time, take pictures of your city while walking, your park, galleries, nature, animals. Your camera or cell phone is your trusted companion to snap photos of all you see.

The true is some people have the photography bug and can take really good pictures with a simple phone.

5 Ways to Make Passive Income with a Photography Blog or Website

I have a friend who takes amazing pictures, not using a professional camera, but using his cell phone. He also has a good camera. He snaps pictures all the time and he is good at it.

I’ve been bugging him to try and sell some of his pictures online for a while. He has a lot. Maybe after he reads this article he’ll use the resources and start to make money online with his photos.

Why Sell your photos online to make extra cash?

Learn how to sell photography online to make extra money. Why? You can take this cash and use it to improve your financials or your lifestyle.

This is something you can do as a side gig, you don’t have to quit your job. From the comfort of your home you can upload, edit and put your creations for sale. If you’re already taking photos all over the place, why not sell them?

The demand for digital photography is such that you don’t have to be a “professional” to make money. You do need to capture beautiful moments and the better your equipments, the better your photos will be.

But, you don’t have to take professionals pictures of weddings and celebrations to make extra cash. You may, however, need to upgrade your skills and learn how the photography gigs work.

Some reasons why you may want to make that extra cash with your photos. You can take the money and;

  • Save it
  • Stop living paycheck to paycheck
  • Pay down debt
  • Reduce your stress level, by working less hours
  • Travel

Related content: 10 ideas to make money with side hustles

See, there are many reasons to start a photo business online. Remember also that you’re not just making money, you’re also learning new skills. In this process you’re becoming a better photographer and a brand new entrepreneur – cool.

Start your Own Photography Site

If you’re interested in earning passive income, a website is one way to create it.

Starting a website with Bluehost costs very little and can be done by anyone. You can create a website easily in 8 simple steps in less than 30 minutes.

There are many ways to monetize your site and it only takes a bit of social media action to get your first visitors.

Over time your site becomes a digital asset that you can sell if you chose to. This won’t happened over night, but there is a very active market for buying and selling websites based on their value.

Read my step-by-step guide to creating your own website.

Money Making Ideas with Photography

So, you’re now set to explore some photography gigs that will make you cash. Here are some of the online options to do that.

Stock photos sites

Media companies and businesses, also bloggers buy stock photos to display on content, advertising and marketing and brochures. If you create beautiful photos, here are some stock photos sites that will pay you for them.

Here are some photo keywords for selling stock photo online.

1.500Px This site claims to have 13 million engaged photographers signed up. You can join for free and upload your photos. Submit your creatives via Photo Manager, use quality keywords in your descriptions and you are finished. 500px will contact you when the photos are accepted.

2.Animals Animals You get paid 50% commission. This photography site has an animal division and an earth division.

The animal division has a portfolio of creatives Fromm the animal kingdom and the earth division has plants, flowers, trees, landscapes. The commission from sales is split 50/50 between photographer and the site.

3.123rf You get paid 60% commission. This site has portfolios of wide categories. Some of these include, fashion, family, travel, wedding, animals, landscape, celebrations, abstract, romance and more.

4.Depositphotos Register on this site for free. Your commission will vary depending ion the type of license sold and on your author status.

5.Dreamstime You can earn between 25% and 60% from the sale of your creatives.

6.Fotolia You can earn 30% commission on every creative sold by you.

7.istockphoto is combine with Getty Images. The site pays 15% commission on your creative.

8.Shutterstock The site claims you can make $120 per creative.

9.Smugmug You can set your price and earn 85% commission.

10.Pond5 Set your price and earn 50% of each sale of your creative.

How to make money with photos apps

For casual and professionals photographers there is a whole market for their digital/mobile shots. Explore some of these apps to make money online with your photos.

11.Foap this site accepts videos and photos from iOS and Android mobiles. It charges $10 per photo and the creative gets 50% commission. There is an approval process in placed for this site.

12.Alamy You get paid between 40% and 50% commission on your creatives. This site accepts a wide variety of photos.

13.Stockimo You get 20% commission on this site.

14.Twenty20 You earn 100% commission from selling the rights to your photos. Every time a customer downloads your work, you get paid commission.

15.Sell prints.

How to Sell your Photography Prints

Digital downloads are not the only photos you can sell and make money with. If you are a photographer producing beautiful landscapes, architecture, travel or street photography, there is a market for that too. Some of the sites above also buy photo prints from you.

Creating your own photography blog to sell and to blog about your art is probably the best way to sell your prints. Third party sites like ebay, Etsy and Shopify are options to sell prints from your photography business.

Check Out this article, How to start your own WordPress blog.

Summarizing Easy ways to make extra cash with photography

The Bottom line is that photography is a great skill and hobby that can be monetized in different ways. You can choose the digital/mobile platforms to sell downloads of your work or the more traditional way to sell prints.

Selling your photos online is easy, to make the good money you may have to improve your skills. There are a number of paid courses that teach you the tricks to being a better photographer. Remember that you’re also becoming an entrepreneur while you improve your craft.

15 Ways to Make Extra Cash Online with Photography (2024)

FAQs

Can I earn money from photography online? ›

Earning income from selling photos online is a great way to generate passive income for yourself, and also build your brand as a photographer. If you've been hesitating about selling your photos, or aren't sure if it's worth investing time on, there's no time like the present to start.

What photography website pays the most? ›

500px offers some of the highest royalty rates in stock photography. As a paid Awesome member, you earn 70% royalties on non-exclusive photos and up to 100% on exclusive photos licensed. Free members likewise earn 60% on exclusive photos.

Which app gives money for photography? ›

Shutterstock gives millions of customers access to your work. See your content around the world — even on billboards or in movies.

How much does 500px pay for photos? ›

Just to provide context to the people that don't use 500px: Whenever a submitted photo is accepted by 500px licensing, they can sell it and give you a percentage (60% or so).

What kind of pictures make the most money? ›

Here are some of the types of photos they buy the most: People: Pictures of people of all ages are very popular. Currently, photos that feature people from different countries and cultures, active elderly citizens, and models who have imperfections and look more like regular people are high sellers.

What niche of photography makes the most money? ›

Fashion Photography: $500 -$ 1,000s per day

It's a close call between fashion and commercial photography and perhaps one could argue that fashion photography is actually a subset of commercial photography. But our research shows that fashion is the niche that pays its photographers the highest sums.

Is it worth having a website as a photographer? ›

One of the main advantages of having a photography website is that it allows you to create and establish your own brand identity. A website gives you more control over how you present yourself and your work, from the design and layout to the content and tone.

What kind of photos to sell online? ›

Stock photos: These are generic photos that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as website design, marketing materials, and blog posts. There is a large market for stock photos, so there is a good chance that your photos will sell. Fine art photos: These are more artistic and personal than stock photos.

Can you make money with photography as a side hustle? ›

From taking stock photos to selling prints online, there are plenty of options out there. By exploring the possibilities, you can start your side hustle and begin making money on the side. Remember, building a photography side hustle requires continuous learning and improvement.

Can I sell photos taken on my phone? ›

Can I sell photos taken from my phone? Yes, you can sell photos taken from your phone. As phones become more sophisticated, natural images continue to grow in demand. High-quality cell phone photos are acceptable on sites like Shutterstock.

How profitable is photography? ›

Do photographers make good money? Full-time photographers can earn anywhere between $30,000 and $75,000 per year, averaging $42,494 in 2023. However, some do earn much more.

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