Make Money from snapping Pictures at Home & Selling it Online

Many photographers have the dream of selling their fine art photography and seeing their prints hanging in collector’s homes. I’m sorry to burst your bubble but that is probably the most difficult way to make money. Even the biggest names in photography don’t make a living solely by selling prints. Yet, it is conceivable to make a little bit of extra cash with your pictures and here is a realistic easy way to make money with your photography.

Think Locally!
Instead of trying to reach the world at large and compete with hundreds of thousands of other talented photographers trying to sell their work, think locally!

You could spend several weekends every year sitting in a booth at an art fair only to sell enough to break even and pay for your entry fee. Yes, art fairs are good exposure, but photography is not the biggest seller and there are usually several photographers trying to sell prints at the same event. Also, those art fair weekends are valuable days for any photographer, wouldn’t you rather be out shooting than selling?

Another option is to show your work at a restaurant or a coffee shop. If you do, make sure there is an opening party to create a buzz around your work and invite everyone you can think of. Do not leave your images on display for more than a month, no one will notice them after a few weeks.

I’m going to tell you a little secret…
Are you one of those shutterbugs who take pictures of almost everything from what you had for breakfast to the squirrel out your kitchen window? Or the comical look on the face of your pet? Instead of quickly posting to your facebook page, you may want to turn your fetish for photography into a money making venture. That click on your smartphone camera ­could mean money in the bank. One way is to sell your photos as “stock photos” via phone apps that attract companies looking to buy unique, natural or local photos.

Foap is one of the apps that give smartphone users and photographers the opportunity to earn money from their photos. With this app, you can upload your photos to the Foap Market where they are rated. Photos that make the grade get published in the Foap Market. Photos sell for $10; you get $5 and they get $5 for each photo sold. The best news is that the same photo can be sold over and over again and you earn each time!

According to Foap, providing a variety of photos seems to be the key to more sales and they recommend your portfolio contain:

1. Photos of people
2. Photos of differing work situations (at the office, carpenter, steward, etc.)
3. Photos of travel
4. Photos of cities
5. Close-up photos
6. Photos of things (screws, medication, signs, books, computers, tools, bags, cables etc)
7. Photos of nature
8. Photos of animals
When it comes to selling your photography, the web has a plethora of sites to choose from. For the business minded photographer who wants to turn their creativity into cash or a full-fledged business, here are some other websites to consider:

Alamy – claims to be the world’s largest stock photo library, earning photographers 60% royalty fee on any images they sell.

Fotolia – each time one of your photos sell, you may earn a royalty between 20% and 63% of your sale.

Dreamstime – royalties range from 25-50% but if you become a Dreamstime exclusive photographer, you could enjoy 60% royalties on all of your images.

123RF – if you like to upload lots of images, this could be a good choice for you. Royalty is based on your contributor level.

Can Stock Photo – claims to pay some of the highest commissions in the industry.
 PhotoShelter – if you want to retain complete control of your work, you might want to consider a professional website with built-in commerce from PhotoShelter.

iStock Photo – sales here may earn you a royalty rate of 15% for each download or up to 45% as an exclusive contributor.

SmugMug – will help you build an online showcase for your work with an option for a storefront.

Shutterstock – earnings range from $0.25 to $28 for an image that sells. Their free Contributor Success Guide is there to help you get started.



Overall, what can you earn by selling your photos? One formula I came across had a “rule of thumb” earning potential that estimated $1 earned per month per image submitted (based on a mean average of some selling lower and some higher). Certainly doesn’t sound like much. But the key to higher earning is to submit a higher volume. If 100 images could bring in $100 a month, then calculate that out by 1,000.

Not every image submitted will pass quality control. The best way to earn is take great shots, learn the ropes, and try more than one website. The beauty is that you can usually post the same photo to more than one site, increasing the potential of sales!

Wherever your photo passion takes you, we hope & believe that it includes taking a cool cash to your bank account!