Make money online by selling photo

It should be noted that stock is not the only way to sell photos, just the biggest.

I have several web hosting clients who sell prints or use Cafe-Press with photos.
The possibilities are endless for selling on your own but getting traffic is key.
Most of my clients who do it are artist with a following already.
Some sell poster size prints, note cards, coffee mugs, you name it.

It really comes down to whether you want total control over usage rights.
With stock you could see your photo on a billboard but only make a buck.
And chances are you would never even see where it was used by whom.
Some agencies give you more control than others so read the fine print.

 

Wow, affiliate marketing in this niche too?

That is pretty amazing.

This would be great for me since I love photography but I am very focused on something else right now.

 

talfighel: love photography but I am very focused
Some of my best photos are out of focus...

Photos on your own blog/website with tags and titles draw traffic.
You can add sense, amazon, or affiliate ads along the borders.
People post pics on FaceBook for no cut in the ad revenue.
Easy set it and forget it anyone can do on the cheap.

 

This topic has focused on micro-stock photo sites but there are bigger bucks to be made.
Besides the above mentioned micro-stock sites there are dozens of other ways to sell photos.
One that I used for years with some profit was CafePress selling designs on multiple items.

The latest that I discovered that really has some kick to it is FineArtAmerica.com
You can upload art or photography to be printed on canvas or archival photo paper.
They do the printing, matting, framing, any way your customer wants to order your work.
You set the price mark up you want to make on each size and material they print on.
They guarantee satisfaction to your customer and send you payments via PayPal.

The sweet spot is the built in interface to post your works on your FaceBook and fan pages.
Some of my "fans" and friends have asked for prints of some of my more unique photos.
You also can post widgets of your photos or albums on your own websites or blogs.
Instead of selling 400 copies for a quarter through micro-stock you can make $100 on one.
Or whatever mark up you feel comfortable with charging for your unique work of art.

Did I mention you can do it for FREE? Yep, it cost you nothing to upload and try it yourself.
If you want the "premium package" it's only $30/year and has even more benefits.
There is no need to upgrade but it does offer additional promotion of your artworks.
Even for free they host your pictures and promote them to their members and visitors.

The quality of your camera does not matter, just the quality of the picture itself.
They will only print up to the size that your picture will look good at based on megapixels.
If you have an ancient 3.2MP photo they can still print a nice 8x10 from it.
If you have a 14MP camera then you can print a 3 foot canvas from it.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so don't judge yourself to harshly.
I am much more critical of my photos than most of my customers.
Sometimes just being unique is good enough to make a buck.
Think like Picasso instead of trying to be Ansel Adams.

 

I put a new photo on Cafe Press items today and had the first sale within 1 hour!
(Thanks to sharing on FaceBook of course, they use AddThis to share anywhere)

Anyone can sell items from CafePress as an affiliate without having to create them.
There are widgets for blogs & websites plus sharing buttons for all the major sites.
May not be big bucks but it is Just2EZ and FREE to join or create items.

 

Jimmy,

I really love this idea of selling your photos and particularly the info you shared about using cafe press. I'm absolutely horrid at taking photos for some reason, so it's probably not the best option for me in particular, but I can see the opportunities for others and will be happy to point people that way in future.

Thanks for sharing your experience and congratulations on that 'quick sale.'

Blessings,
Angie

 

Angie, anyone can promote other people's CafePress items as a free affiliate.
Some affiliates promote my items on their blogs or websites, a win/win.
Affiliates can make up to 15% commission on other peoples items.
There are items to fit every niche out there for affiliates to sell.
So, you don't have to be a creative type to profit from it.

 

That sounds much more up my alley! Thanks for the tip. I'll have to look into it and see what kind of products might be available for the various niches that I target.

Blessings,
Angie

 

This sounds intriguing. I don't know if I could make any money in this, but it sounds like it would be worth a try. I do happen to have time on my hands.

 

It doesn't require a lot of time and last a long time once you create something or post ads/banners/widgets.
As with any endeavor, marketing makes a lot of difference in how much you can earn.

See the specific threads on this forum for;
CafePress: http://www.work-at-home-forum.com/threads/cafepress-affiliates-and-creating-free-stores.8355/
&
Zazzle: http://www.work-at-home-forum.com/threads/zazzle-free-stores-and-affiliate-program.8370/

Both offer free stores to sell your creations, or free affiliate programs if you have no creativity.
The only excuse not to do it is just an excuse, or you don't like free money and have plenty.

 

Being the lazy cheapskate that I am (free & EZ is my motto)...
most of my photos are only in digital format, not printed.
Even ones that are for sale on other sites I didn't have.
Until now! Got Ink? Got bottles to fill old cartridges.
Funny, that was the business I started on-line with.
Back in 1994 I was re-inking for others at a profit.
Anyway, I have 5 years worth of photos to print.
No way I was going to pay "retail" for them!
So, thanks to an Amazon gift card, I got ink.
And INSPIRATION to take better pictures.

The ink is so vivid my bad photos looked pretty great.
My wall is now covered with 8x10's of photos for sale.
(they were sold on canvas by FineArtAmerica already).
First thing I see in the morning and the last at thing night.
Always wondered what they looked like on someone's wall.

Now I am inspired to create more from my 70,000+ pics.
If 1 in a thousand is good enough to sell I'm happy with it.
Got plenty of ink, may need more photo paper though.

The point of this post was be inspired to do what you love.
I love taking pictures (mostly babies, birds, and Bell Rock).
Having a VISUAL reminder of WHY inspires to do more.
It's easy to forget why or have doubts with no visual aid.
Some people create vision boards, mine is walls full.
It's not money that motivates me, it's the beauty.
Making money from it is just icing on the cake.
It costs nothing to take photos or sell them!

I try to be a little of both but come close to neither.

 

One of the experts in this strategy is Tony Laidig. He has a number of courses available, one being Real Fast Stock Images. Google him and you will find a wealth of information on this topic.