The question of whether you need to give permission in writing to a photographer to sell photos on stock photography websites like Alamy depends on the situation and the photographer’s ownership of the copyright. In most cases, the photographer is the owner, but clients may own the copyright if a “work for hire” is involved. Stocksy is a popular stock photography site that offers high payouts to contributors.
Copyright generally belongs to the person who created the image, but there are exceptions. For example, if a photographer sells a photograph of an unrecognizable property without getting into trouble, it must be ensured that no private information is shared and that the property owner wouldn’t find the photograph offensive.
It is not illegal to take concert photos, but selling them for commercial use without the permission of the band or venue owner becomes unlawful. There is a slight bit of leeway for people selling shots for art’s sake, but photographers have the right to alter the photos in any way they choose and sell them to any third party to be used in any way they choose.
As a photographer, it is important to know your rights in every aspect of the medium, from where and what you can photograph to what people are allowed to do with your photos without your permission. Licensing photos gives clients the right to share the images online and in-person, promoting the photographer to potential new clients.
📹 Make money as a photographer WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA!
My name is Simon d’Entremont and I’m a professional wildlife and nature photographer from Eastern Canada. This video will …
Do I own the photos I take?
A Note on Works Made for Hire. The person who takes the photo is usually the author and copyright owner. A work made for hire is an exception to the rule. A work made for hire is when a photographer creates photos for a publication or for a specific purpose. For more info, see Circular 30. If the photos were created as “works made for hire,” the employer owns the copyright. The images can still be registered as a group if all the photographs were created for the same employer, the employer is named as the author of each photograph, and the photographs are identified as “works made for hire” in the application.
If your work is used illegally. If your work is used without your permission, you can sue. If your work is a U.S. work, you must register it with the Copyright Office before suing for copyright infringement in federal court. If you sue someone for using your work without permission and want to be compensated, the timing of your registration matters. See Circular 1 for more. Copyright lawsuits are usually decided in federal court. You can also use the Copyright Claims Board (CCB) to resolve copyright disputes involving damages of less than $30,000. It is a cost-effective and streamlined alternative to federal court. To use the CCB, you must have filed an application to register your copyright. Read more about the CCB here.
Why don t photographers give you all the photos?
I’ll explain. Think of your wedding photographer as the head chef of a restaurant. Taking your photos is like making a specialty dish. The editing, color correction, and skin retouching are like preparing and cooking the raw ingredients. You don’t ask a professional photographer to give you their RAW photos because that would be giving you only half of an unfinished work of art.
If gte mso 9 Normal.dotm0012531447University of Kansas122177712.00false18 pt18 pt00falsefalsefalse / Style Definitions /table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:Table Normal; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Times New Roman; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; I hope this explains why photographers don’t give out RAW photos. It’s not mean. It’s not because we’re stingy. We value our art and want to give our clients the full experience they’ll love, including our editing style.
Can I sell photos I took with my phone?
Can I sell photos taken with my phone? Yes, many platforms accept photos taken with smartphones as long as they meet the platforms’ quality and content requirements. Some platforms, like Foap, are for smartphone photographers. These apps make selling photos online easier. There’s an app for selling stock photos and pictures of feet. Some of the best stock photo sites have apps to sell photos online.
Who owns the rights to my image?
The copyright belongs to the creator of the image. In the case of a photograph, this is the photographer. There are some exceptions, such as if the photographer is an employee. If you hire a photographer, the copyright usually belongs to them or their employer. You need the photographer’s permission to print, share, or post the photos. You can’t make money from selling the photos, enter them in contests, submit them to publications, or edit them without the photographer’s permission. How do I get permission to print and share photos? When you buy digital images from a photographer, they usually let you print and share them in one of two ways:
Who owns pictures taken by a photographer?
The copyright belongs to the creator of the image. In the case of a photograph, this is the photographer. There are some exceptions, such as if the photographer is an employee. If you hire a photographer, the copyright usually belongs to them or their employer. You need the photographer’s permission to print, share, or post the photos. You can’t make money from selling the photos, enter them in contests, submit them to publications, or edit them without the photographer’s permission. How do I get permission to print and share photos? When you buy digital images from a photographer, they usually let you print and share them in one of two ways:
Can a photographer post my photos without permission?
Publishing and rights. The photographer can publish images on social media without permission. However, there are exceptions in these cases:
- A breach of the Privacy Act 1988
- Was taken while trespassing on private property
- Citation needed
- A breach of duty, such as sharing confidential information
A photographer can generally not be forced to show or delete the images unless the photographic practices were at breach of the law.
Can you sell pictures you take on your phone?
It could be stock photography. Now. All newer cell phones have cameras good enough for stock photography.
Can photographers sell photos of you?
Read your contract. Read your contract to find out who owns the photos. If they don’t say it, it doesn’t mean anything. You can ask for more information. Also, photographers often sell you the right to print and share their photos of you. They won’t sell the photos outright unless you pay a lot.
Learn more about photography. Sign up for my free monthly newsletter for photography tips. Ask me anything. I teach photography classes near Pittsburgh and online.
Is it illegal to post pictures that aren’t yours?
Copyright laws for social media are the same as for other media. If you want to use an image that isn’t yours, you need permission. This can be done through a license or directly with the creator. Instagram says you can only post content that doesn’t violate someone else’s intellectual property rights. When someone shares an image on a public social account, it isn’t public domain. They still own the copyright. However, social media is about sharing, so there are ways to use copyrighted images.
Can a photographer keep your photos?
Photographers usually keep photos of their clients for at least 90 days and up to a year. If you want to know how long they keep them, ask your photographer.
Why photographers store photos; how long photographers keep photos; common practices; advantages of long-term storage; challenges in long-term storage; conclusion. In the digital age, photos help us remember and capture moments.
Can you sell photos you have taken?
You’ve found a way to make money from your photography. You might have thought about selling photos online, but there are so many free, high-quality images online. You can sell photos online and make money from them. Buyers will pay you for your photos. Selling photos online is a great way to make money and build your brand. If you’ve been thinking about selling your photos, now is the time to start. You can sell photos online quickly and easily. You can grow your sales portfolio at your own pace. This is how to sell photos online and turn your hobby into a business.
📹 MAKE MONEY as a BEGINNER photographer!
This tutorial breaks down five clear, actionable steps that you can take to immediately begin making money as beginner …
I watch your articles over 99% of the rest of YouTube photographers because your articles are plain fantastic. Clear cut, no nonsense and most importantly informative articles that aren’t always trying to sell me on something, be it a sponsorship or product that put me in a virtual classroom. As an aspiring photographer, this kind of information delivered this way is priceless. Thank you.
I love these tips! They remind me of how I “accidentally” started getting professional photography requests. I’ve never wanted to be a professional photographer, but I really enjoy shooting wildlife, sports, and music events that are of professional quality. If I would shoot a football game for families I knew, I made the images accessible to the families and coaches of the team. If I would shoot a concert, I would make the images accessible to the band and the owner of the venue. Without even trying, I was starting to get requests from teams and bands I didn’t know to shoot their games and shows and were willing to pay me. It was also an indirect way of getting valuable feedback as to my talent and growth as a photographer. I’m still happiest being a “non-professional” photographer who does professional side gigs, but it is nice to know that I have an outlet that I enjoy that makes me a little money and would develop into something more full time if I wanted.
I started down the stock photography and social media rabbit hole and, honestly, found it demoralizing. And I was starting to just try to “crank out content”. I took a pause this year and just went back to doing photography for me, working on art I find compelling. I’ve been getting a whole lot out of your articles and the quality of my work is improving dramatically. As you mentioned, my work started getting noticed and I’ve started doing some non-profit volunteer work that has been getting me some great exposure. My business cards are circulating around the local community and a just one of the photo gigs I’ve gotten has been worth more than all my stock photo efforts to date. Thanks again for all that you do here. I can’t say it enough.
dude, although I’m just a hobbyist, with no intention of gaining any money with photography or anything like that, still I have to say: these were 15 minutes of real SOLID advice, the kind of thing that can change someone’s life, I’m impressed nice to see this kind of material available for anyone, great job!
I think I heard Joel Grimes say something like ‘you don’t need to be the next Britney Spears of photography to make good money’. Basically to work in your community and not to take on 100 clients when you can only handle 5 right now. Would love to see more content like this and get into some details and examples!
I have scoured the bowels of YouTube to find advice on photography and they all focus on their bias towards brands and offer little to no advice and even worse just bad and completely wrong advice. You website is always my go to. You sincerity in wanting to truly help people out become better photographers is a breath of fresh air and I hope you never stop. I’ve learned more from you in your short articles then I ever have in hours of others. If you have more workshops in the future I hope to join you one day and show the beauty of nature to others. Thanks for your work.
A good one I got into was real estate photography. Not a lot of people talk about this option. Started charging $200 per 1 story house and $400 for a 2 story home under their enlistment. And then once you start getting better you can up charge your services. And then play with numbers when it comes to 1 story to a 2 story home. Some people I know charge a flat rate per or by hour. It’s honestly up to you.
it may be different in Canada but here in the US, calendars have proven to not be worth my time. I printed them for 4 years. I “sold” about 50 to 75 each year. By the time I found a printer that produced quality product on good paper, had them shipped to me and then I mailed them to the clients, margins were skinny. Last year, I didn’t realize there was a substantial increase in postage for padded envelopes and actually lost about $.50 for every calendar. However, I had quoted a price and was not going back to increase it by several dollars so I decided to eat the cost. Last year was the last time I’m gong to print them to sell. From here on out, I will be printing about 20-25 to give to friends and family as Christmas gifts. I never did it to make money but at least break even on my cost plus enough for gas to and from the post office and cover the cost of the envelopes and mailing labels. I found them to be more trouble than they were worth and will no longer do that.
Great article and well worth perusal. I sell my prints and always talk to potential clients. I see so many artist and topographers just sitting in the back of their booth on their phone and can’t figure out why nobody looks or buys their work. Business is totally different in any field. You can be the best at what you do but blow your brains out because you don’t understand business.
For me, knowing what would sell is the biggest challenge. I’ve submited photo’s loved by the FB groups I’ve shared them on etc, just to get feedback that the photo looks great but isn’t something they think would sell. With all the sites available who sell prints online etc these days, the biggest challenge is getting that shot which is different enough from the rest.
Really admire your work, beautiful images. This website is a goldmine of fantastic, clear information with something for everyone. I’m a film user considering the switch to digital. This website has been the most informative and helpful. The editing you do is so similar to crop, dodge and burn on multigrade papers, that it makes the ‘digital manipulation’ argument irrelevant. Thank you.
Wonderful article, Simon. I’m an armature at many things, but a professional at my vocation (23 years and counting) and am self-employed. I love the tips you are giving to the fledgling photographers who are looking for a way to make their passion a profession. It reminds me of the conversations I have with musicians. There’s a perception I think that the only choice people have to make a living is by social media. It’s just one of many tools. I think the last few years really highlighted the importance of face-to-face transactions as a great way to build a career in a global society that has been increasingly isolated through the massive increase in time spent in shallow social media relationships. The recent research findings of correlation of time spent in social media and the positive correlation with depression is an evidence of this. I think you are giving some great pointers for the next generation to think ‘old-school’ and get out face-to-face with potential new admirers.
So far ive grown my social media to pay a couple hundred a month. However I’ve missed a lot of opportunities because of my day job. I work 6-6 m-f and people want stuff done on the weekdays. I feel like my day job is holding me back also the quality of my work suffers on the weekends because I’m rushing through it either because I have to be to work early, I’m exhausted or I’m trying to split time with my family. I really love photography and have thousands of followers. This is something I don’t want to give up.
I feel that people hugely under value working for “free” in exchange for experience and connections. I do large events now all because I offered to shoot for free in exchange for tagging me in their posts with my photos. I offer this to a lot of young photographers looking to improve their skills with shooting moving cars/motorcycles at a race track, none have taken me up on it and they miss out on huge connections.
Two years ago I shot a Calendar of local rescue//adopted pets and sold the Calendar to raise money for a local animal rescue organization. I was able to raise just over 3k 😊. I’ve just started a second Calendar for 2025, I’m hoping it does as well (100% of the proceeds went to the rescue, I had a business donate for the printing)
Here in Germany we call it “Mundpropaganda” and that’s exactly how it worked 30 years ago. As a guitarist, I attended many local band concerts, always with my Canon A1 Prg. and a good zoom. I later gave the prints I made to the bands and my phone number. I did that for a few weeks because it was my hobby as well as music and then the calls started coming in, even from bands I didn’t know. It was easy money, for nothing. Was just my hobby…
As a hobbyist, my goal is to cover costs of any new equipment I buy. I made it this year! I take plant close ups and edit in real life and stylized. Surprisingly, I found that cards are a good commodity. Low cost to make and a good mark up. Also, I have nursery friends that let me set up at their places for free if they are having an event. Another hint is check out different printing companies, the one I use for metal prints offers me a gallery for free. Good luck to all.
DUDE! I love these articles, literally confirmation that I’m doing things the right way haha. I have prints on consignment in local prominent business’s in my hometown, and also set up at local makers Market type events where people sell their wares, and sell prints. In addition to holding my own events at local establishments. I have found experientially that my Instagram success and subsequent overall usefulness as a media transmission platform, has a direct correlation to the effort I put in out in the real world. Example being, my main source of followers and post reach are all people that I first met out at events, who in turn followed, shared, so on. GAHHHHH your articles are fire 😅😅😅😅😂
Woo what great advice now if I could get the courage to move but I will try I been working more on my shooting in the last few months and I have my own style which I like so I take your advice and see what happens. As I have told you before I very much respect and love your style in passing on advice it kind with the big head of far to many artists.
Great article. I’ve personally done the approaching a new local business. This one a restaurant right next to where my photos I have on display were taken. I’ve since moved from the area but still am selling my prints because of that exposure alone. And whenever I go back for a visit it’s a great feeling to see them still happily displayed and a friendly welcome from the owner.
I’ve sold my prints in our local art gallery as well as when our local town has their monthly Street Art Fair in the heart of the town during the summer months. Sadly I’ve built up alot of inventory and now have too much goods. Good ideas here Simonb about the local businesses and shops. I need to get into some of those places. Thanks keep it up. – SJS Photography
Thanks Simon. I’m no where near at any level where I could even be thinking about selling work, but it still was great info in general and to keep in mind in the future. I do not use social media as I feel the privacy trade offs and the posturing of fake lifestyles to look good really irk me. I also can’t stand people that share every nonsensical detail thinking people actually care. Lol. Anyway rant over, I would however be willing to use social media as a tool to expand my work and reach, but I would still be in the position of starting with a small following so these other avenues are great ideas to kickstart that social media following. Thank you. You make such great informative articles and from what I see in your articles I love your work!
I doubt I would have ever searched for this topic, but this is another fantastic article with a tremendous amount of tips and useful information. Maybe I never pursue the professional route, but plenty of great ideas on how I could help a non-profit or local organization that is special to me. THANK YOU, Simon!
Great article Simon, as always! I employed many of the ideas here and had some success’s here and there, but I would caution on doing too much “freebie” stuff as people will take advantage of you on the promise of “exposure”. Be sure to evaluate the gains from said “freebies” periodically and be sure they align with your goals. Likes and Shares are great, but in the end, you can’t pay your power bill with them. Keep doing what you do Man, LOVE your website and content!
Been perusal you for a little while now. Congrats on winning mention in the Canada wildlife photo contest, I saw you on my feed, not sure what publication it was, but saw your name! Thankyou for all this helpful direction, the border state photos for tourists really got me! But all of this was just what I needed to learn, it will make a great difference in my future, so thank you Simon🙏💖
Hey Simon, if you take suggestions: A article that talks about how to properly display your photos at home would be really cool (ie. you talked about matting today, but how do know if a mat is a good idea? How do you pick the size/width/color of a mat? What about framing?). I can’t be the only person that needs to lean on things like the rules of composition because I just don’t have an artistic eye (yet?). Thanks for all that you create!
I’ve been an amateur photographer for about 4 years. I’ve always had trouble visualizing the value of my work and why should people choose my photos over some others. I think this article just solved that for me. I really like these ideas. I will explore these ideas in the future. Thanks for the great insights.
A lot of good advice here. I would add that it’s best to avoid ordering a lot of copies of anything early on in your journey. Your standards may change quickly, leaving you with product you’re reluctant to sell. Also, if you sell on consignment, realize that cards and calendars will become shopworn and unsellable over time. Consider providing a sample or catalog sheet for people to handle.
A first class article – thank you. It’s packed with useful information, tips and ideas. I often get requests for my work, but I rarely take them up because I’m reluctant to go down the rabbit hole of trying to sell and market photography in the social media age. It was very refreshing to watch you explain the alternatives with some good, old-fashioned common-sense techniques. Thanks!
Hi Simon, beautiful article as always and above all many ways to try to get out of the anonymity of Instagram, where by now success is no longer even calculated by the “nice shot” factor, because it often happens to see photos taken poorly, (out of focus, moves etc.) with more likes than some taken very well, and many times one would feel like giving up and continuing to shoot only for oneself since it has become difficult to be noticed, perhaps even for just one shot. Great that you made the difference between a real photo, made according to all the trappings and those who do with A.I Thanks again for sharing
Great advice Simon fortunately I don’t have to rely on Sales, but have done all of these avenues in the past . Calendars, Stock photography,Exhibitions but I prefer selling direct to the Public best, lucky to have my own display. I also like to print my own up to A2 which is a costly business . Awesome
Yes… yet another very good Simon article. The Marjorie thing was hilarious, and I don’t need business cards or labels because all my photos have my shadow in them. Anyway… back in the eighties, wandering the streets of London (not-Ontario) with Ilford in my Oly, everyone ignored you because you were obviously just another hobbiest photographer. Roll on a few years and everyone ignored you because, Asian or not, you were obviously just another tourist. Now i can’t move in public without people coming over and asking ‘Are you a Photographer’. I always answer ‘No, i take photographs’. It seems that there’s the perception now that anyone with an actual camera and a big lens must be, somehow, doing it for pingers. I sometimes think about whether or not i want to monetize this investment of mine – i do put in a lot of hours. The handbrake for me is that i’ve turned past-passions into income before, and i’m really conscious of the risk of sacrificing the joy to the imperatives of making a living from it. Great guerilla-marketing advice though, Simon – we wish those who take it every success. Cheers and all the best.
Last thing I want, is to turn my passion into a business. Still developing my skills. Going to experiment with a variable ND filter (mostly article) next. If my YouTube website ever takes off, maybe I’ll monetize it. At age 70 and retired, my work is a spiritual journey. It’s only been year 6 camera years for me. 2018 was the 1st year, drove around on a Vespa and took pictures of old churches with a crappy Sony Cyber-shot vintage 2010. 🙂 I do need to get some business cards.
Bravo Peter! Standing O for this post. As someone who has been a photographer for 50 years, I have seen a lot of change. I have learned that the journey is the destination. If “Bangers” come along the way so be it. But documenting the whole journey is what I have focused on. Try to see everything along your way to a destination. Engage with the people you are with. There is so much to learn along the way. Photography is the tool we use to go through life and document what we can. As an art form, that is the bonus.
It’s funny because except the calendar, prints and so on, I do exactly what you adivsed. My go to is sport and I started with my own swimming team. Then I wanted to practice to reach a certain goal (big fan of Charles Flautre’s pictures). So, at every swimming events I swam at, I brought my camera. I also put myself out there : shooting sport de niche or swimming events that lack of coverage then share them to the events organizers. The best away to take advantage of social media when your own coverage is low is sharing + credit. Now, I’m at the stage where people knows I’ll take picture when they see me at a swim meet and they wait for them to be published. Some of my pictures were used for poster, t-shirt prints, promotional swim event… in 10 months, it’s insane. For the moment, I don’t feel confident enough in my skills so I keep the website for later and keep practicing 🙂
Really informative tips Simon. What I would like to know is the business of being a professional photographer. Tax issues, both provincial and federal. And at what point do you call yourself a professional? When your entire income comes from photography or something less? I guess this would be a whole article on it’s own.
I feel like there was a real missed opportunity with “pain in the butt” coming immediately after “handling prints with glass” 😂 In all seriousness though, great article as always, with lots of useful practical tips. I used to think trying to make my hobby into an actual job would ruin it (besides always thinking my photos were nowhere near good enough for anyone to want to buy), but as my interests in photography have both deepened and widened, I’ve begun to see how it might just be the way forward at some point in the next few years.
Just finished perusal this! Absolutely amazing! So many key points made so simple! Really thankful I stumbled on your profile! I’m going to check out some other articles and I’ve even been motivated to make a website, use Instagram and Facebook for the most part but this has motivated me so much! Many thanks!
Excellent article Simon (again!) and I can see this information as being extremely useful for someone considering monetizing their photography. I may have missed it, but what is your position of adding a watermark to your photos, either online/digital images or especially when selling prints? I know there is some debate on this practice.
Man, this seems like a super hard business endeavor, this day and age. Good luck guys….. but you know the old saying; “If it were easy, everyone would do it”. Rule #1 when going after something; Don’t let anyone tell you no. It takes a special kind though. You better be prepared to work 80 hours a week if you want to avoid working 40. Not even kidding. It will take years of it too.
Great article, as always. As someone approaching retirement from the “day job”, I’m not out to become another Simon d’Entremont, or Thomas Heaton, but I do wonder if its possible to earn some income, even just to cover the costs of my hobby. I think confidence is a big ingredient, and making that first step does seem daunting. Anyone got a template? 😂
Thank you for these tips! Some of these methods truly work for me! I have used these methods for a long time. That’s how I make money in photography and articlegraphy services. We help other to help our self too so don’t hesitate to offer our service for free sometimes. We provide free services sometimes to get more chance to practice our skills.
I am not a professional, but I have been shooting for 30 years ! It would be nice to be able to get a buck or two for the shots I take.. I am getting older, my job is manual and getting a little harder .. I have full access to historical events in the UK, but I normally just away images of the event to the participants.
Great article,👍 question, cause your cinematography is outstanding. I’m 10 years experience and don’t know this question, if a DSLR in article mode has control of aperture, iso and exposure lock but no option for shutter speed control, I shoot 30 fps 720p, I set my exposure by pointing at different brightness levels of light then lock it. The article is crisp and has that slight motion blur when paused, 24fps it’s more normal blur which I get this just fine of course. Like cell phones also I use my stock app and the article is not stuttering or anything, same with my Pentax k7. Any help on this would be great, I just want to know the tech behind it, how it’s achieved👍📷
Your last tip should theoretically get me sales just by virtue of the extra work put into my shots. I do water drop collisions, but without an automatic valve and trigger. They’re all done by squeezing an eye dropper and pressing the shutter button manually. Takes a LOT of work and pure luck timing. The water drops may not look as good as someone using an automated system, however. You be the judge, macrodrop on the insta app. Are water drop collisions even sale worthy?
Amazing article. I’m a 16 yeayrs old boy. I have a canon T7/ 1500D with it’s two kit lenses and was wondering which type of lens I should buy because I do both macro, landscape and portrait. Have been perusal your article for a while now. I have learned many good points regarding megapixels, lenses, best time for taking photos etc. My budget is under $500 and I found very few lenses under this price. Yeah I have my eyes on the nifty fifty but are there any other lenses you can suggest me?
Really helpful article Simon. As a relative noob wildlife photographer of only 3 years I finally feel I am producing some images worthy of selling. I use Picfair and have some images up on Adobe stock. So far I have made the grand sum of 33c US 😂. My biggest issue is deciding on price for Picfair. I have some starred images and get plenty of views but no one has bought via that platform so far. What would be your guidance on pricing for the base image given Picfair take care of the processing, printing, framing etc. and determine the final price
Here’s sort of a random question: How does one deal with glass fogging up? Where I live (Connecticut, USA) is currently experiencing a midsummer-like heat wave with very high humidity. When I step out of my air-conditioned house into the humid air, it’s only a matter of seconds before every bit of glass on the camera fogs up: Lens, viewfinder, LCD, screen. Even if I wipe things off with a microfiber cloth, the fog comes back almost immediately. Suggestions? Thanks in advance!
hey there! I’m a first-time photographer in my first week with my new zv-e10 I’m interested in trying out some photo editing! Wondering if anyone could help me with some tips for good free editing software or if it’s worth paying for Lightroom even though I have no experience. I’m trying to learn as much as possible about photography so I’m trying to stay away from super simple editors as I feel there’s so much more to learn from the more professional type editors! Any help is super appreciated.
Hi Simon, I am not a professional photographer but I am doing this now as a hobby for about two years. I think I am making decent work. Often I hear people whispering “wow” when I show of my work. So, I don’t want to put a lot of effort into selling my work, but I don’t mind making a few bucks from my work either that I already made. Are stock websites a good opportunity for an amateur or is it hardly worth the effort?
This is where I’m torn, I’ve been asked if my work is for sale, can I purchase this image, could I hire you to take a photograph of my pet, etc – I’ve said a resounding NO each and every time. For a few reasons, 1 – I don’t believe they are that good, 2 – at a huge loss as to the “value” of an image and 3 – I can’t think of a quicker way to ruin a great pass time then to turn it into a J.O.B. – to each their own, but the public can be hard to deal with, just saying.
Truly earning full time income from nature photography itself is extremely difficult and there are literally only a few people in the world who do it. Hence, many nature photographers who “want to go full time” don’t actually do nature photography itself as the basis of their income. Instead, they pursue things that are tangentially related to nature photography. Arranging and guiding photo tours for paying clients is NOT earning money as a photographer. It is earning money as a tour leader. Making articles in which you discuss and teach others about nature photography is not working as a nature photographer. It is working as a content creator. Taken literally and actually, earning money as a nature photographer means that the images you take are what you are driving your full time income from. Everything else are just para-photography endeavors.
prob you won’t even gonna read it but anyways. I started perusal your articles like a week ago (i think) i’m a beginer but i do have some experience and i need more because i actually wanna start to earn money constistenly so i found your articles extreamly helpful so for that i suscribed and liked this and all future articles. hope one day i can return all of your help with a framed crazy picture, but until that day, Thank you very much.
I’m a top rated sports photographer. Be warned that nobody will ever take you seriously, if you shoot for nearly free or for contacts, people will never ever take you seriously, even in 10 years. Nobody will pay for what they got for free, no matter how good you have become. Even government and public organizations will lie, promising a plethora of work and customers. People became more entitled like never before. Fugly women will demand free photos…and that you pay them. Nobody has the slightest idea of the incredible hard work and the various different knowledges you had to do, years without a real salary.
Working for free never pays. (Lol) I find people take advantage of me when I offer anything for free. Learn to barter, perhaps a credit, or complimentary items like a membership, tickets, homemade goods, gas etc…everyone’s time is worth something. (Just my two cents for the algorithms, ha, see what I did there?) 😂
Don’t work for FREE. Don’t give FREE stuff to non profits. Just cause they claim they are non profit doesn’t mean you have to be. No one will reliably give you photo credit in todays day and age. Even if they do that, it doesn’t promise any referrals or a payday. Giving your work away for free is the best way to go out of business or to put other artists out of business. This guy has terrible, terrible advice unless you wanna keep your day job. Or you have that sugar daddy supporting your hobby.
13:16 – That’s not obvious. The obvious conclusion is that most people wont pay more from Margery’s garden, hence everything (most everything) being made in China these days. Most will buy the cheapest, and in reality Margery can’t sell hand crafted at the made in China price, because she would have to sell at a loss. She couldn’t compete in the real world and sell at the same price. It’s just not how the world works. If it did, the market would still be flooded with made in USA products here in N. America…. and it’s not because in reality, it’s far cheaper to pay kids in sweat shops to make them….. and capitalism promotes greed at it’s core. Profits and savings, over morals and ethics….. Nikon builds the vast amount of their products in China, not Japan anymore, not because it’s obvious that we all hated those all metal housing lenses, with the high end crinkle coat finish and built in hoods, and now lust after cheap plastic housings for our high end glass. They obviously knew they could make more profits for their co. and shareholders by selling us inferior, cheaper, disposable goods, just like everyone else.
I wish you went into more detail with the first option, how do you find sports events? Who do you talk to? Do you just show up and take pictures? Who do you give the pictures to? Same with real estate photos. Do you use an app to help people find you and you can advertise your work. Need a lot more info
So glad I found this website! Photography has always been a passion of mine but I’ve never had the knowledge or confidence to make into something i can do for a living. I don’t have much gear right now, only my camera, an all-right lens, and a battery grip. Do you recommend acquiring more gear before taking on shoots? Also how do you feel about apprenticing with photographers who are already in the business? Regardless ill definitely be signing up for your online course!
Great article but how do you go on for approaching someone for a sports event for example? I see so Many articles saying what sort of thing to shoot but never really anything on that initial point on contact a lot of local clubs near me don’t have widely available contact info unless you’re actually contacting to join/sign up for the club, also pricing is it better to do a flat rate so no matter how long the job takes start to finish you get X amount of money or is it better to do hourly? If hourly what is a good starting price as I feel I get less work when I try to go with an hourly rate because people want to know exactly how much or how long it’ll take but each job time is different depending on the event/shoot but if you consider travel, the event/shoot itself, the editing time you could be running upwards of like 10+ hours and then its a case of well that’s expensive I’m not paying that kinda price whereas with flat rate its more like right its this price and that covers everything?
Hi Kevin, thanks for this awesome presentation. For a years I worked hard to save money in order to purchase some photography equipment for my Food Photography business. Now, I have all stuff that you need for start a Photography Business. But, I am afraid of what if I couldn’t be successful and beside that I have no idea how can I start this business and what should I do at the beginning. What’s your thoughts on this?
Hello how are you?\r Congratulations on the article, I just found it in a YouTube search.\r Can you help me understand something?\r How can I, a Brazilian photographer, work as a freelancer in sporting events such as races, obstacle races, trail races, etc.?\r Is there any company that hires foreigners to work as freelancers? If yes, what do you need? My intention is to start at the beginning of 2024 at sporting events around the world.\r My dream is to be a sports photographer around the world covering this together with a team.\r It’s a shame that here in Brazil we don’t have much information about access in America and Europe.\r \r I thank you for your attention.