How to Make Money Online as a Photographer (14 Proven Ideas)

How to Make Money as a Photographer

Posted 4 years ago by Max Komonov

have been leaving their jobs to听strike out on听their own. If听you鈥檙e a听passionate professional or听hobby photographer, using those skills to听make money is听only logical. If听you already have a听photography blog, it听shouldn鈥檛 be听hard to听monetize your site. You can also sell prints online through an听ecommerce store, join stock photo sites, 补苍诲听尘辞谤别. Here鈥檚 what you need to听know to听get started making money online as听a听professional photographer.

How Much Does a听Photographer Make

How much you can make as听a听photographer depends on听several factors, but it听can be听a听very rewarding and听lucrative career. average $45,000听to听$72,000听per year. That might not seem like much, but when the听median income in听the听US听is听just under $36,000听per year it鈥檚 nothing to听scoff at.

Of听course, how much you can earn as听a听photographer depends on听what photography services you are planning to听offer, or听where you will sell your photos. actually earn very little, at听an听average rate of听less than $1听per image per month, and听most of听them offer services or听prints elsewhere as听well. Stock images with high-quality photos get more exposure and听earn more.

You can also sell prints online. Framed wall art can go听for听as听much as听$300听to听$400听per piece, depending on听the听quality of听the听frame and听photo. Canvas prints can go听for听as听much as听$250听a听piece. You can also sell calendars and听other custom items through print-on-demand services.

Wedding photographers earn a听lot more than other photography services, with average freelance photographers earning over $87,000听per year on听average. You don鈥檛 have to听limit yourself to听just weddings听鈥� any听event photography small business will average the听same.

Finally, portrait studios can be听very profitable. You can charge from $150听to听$300听per session, adding to听the听fee with each person in听the听shoot. If听you鈥檙e new to听portrait shoots, you might be听wondering how much a听beginner photographer can charge. Ultimately, if听you offer high-quality services and听already have the听talent and听skill, being a听beginner shouldn鈥檛 stop you from setting fair prices.

14听Ways to听Make Money With Photography

Not sure how to听make money with your photography skills? There are a听lot of听options for听a听professional photographer, and听you can choose to听offer as听many photography services as听you like to听increase your earning potential. Here are the听most popular types of听photography that make money.

1.听Monetize your photography blog

If听you already have a听blog where you post content or听photos, it听is听a听very easy matter to听monetize the听site. You need to听purchase a听domain name and听upgrade to听a听business plan if听you are currently using a听subdomain with free hosting. A听photographer blogger can link to听an听online store to听buy prints or听custom items, or听you can make blog posts featuring travel photography and听affiliate links to听associated products.

2.听Real estate photography

The pandemic has pushed the听real estate industry into using remote technology to听buy, sell, and听rent homes. This has created an听increased demand for听real estate photography. Offering those services could earn a听pretty penny as听the听market is听still fairly fresh.

3.听Stock photo websites

Many photographers offer stock photography on听one or听more stock photo sites, but you won鈥檛 earn a听living from stock photos. There are two primary reasons to听upload photos to听stock photo websites.

First, if听you have photos that are not being used elsewhere, these sites can give you a听chance to听go听ahead and听earn a听bit from them on听the听side. Second, if听you can build a听name for听yourself in听stock photography, you can use them to听drive traffic to听your site and听your more lucrative photography services.

4.听Photo contests

Photo contests are a听great way for听beginners to听start building a听portfolio and听increase awareness of听their work. When you join photo contests you are primarily doing it听for听exposure rather than money. (They don鈥檛 pay much if听anything.) Social media photo contests can give you a听huge boost in听traffic to听your online store, photography bio, or听online portfolio.

5.听Selling prints online

You can always sell photos directly from your own website, blog, or听online store. It鈥檚 easier (and cheaper) to听set up听than you might think. You can sell photos digitally, photo prints, or听framed prints. By听using a听print-on-demand service you can also offer photography calendars and听other customized items.

6.听Wedding photography or听event photography

If听you don鈥檛 want to听have your own studio, you can shoot weddings and听events on听location. A听wedding photography business is听quite lucrative, and听you can offer the听couple a听digital album, framed prints, or听customized items.

Shooting events of听any听kind can be听a听big moneymaker, and听you should definitely consider offering them among your photography services. If听you photograph expos, conferences, or听retreats you can partner with a听print-on-demand service to听offer attendees the听ability to听order keepsakes like tote bags, t-shirts, 补苍诲听尘辞谤别.

7.听Shooting portraits

A听portrait studio can also be听very lucrative. You can offer portraits for听professional headshots, family photos, or听photo shoots designed specifically for听babies and听children. You can also offer portrait shoots at听schools, universities, large companies, or听any听other entity that requires photo identification.

8.听Product photography

With 90% of听people shopping online stunning photographs of听products are in听high demand. Even if听a听small business doesn鈥檛 offer online ordering, presenting images that clearly describe the听product can increase conversions and听sales. Marketing agencies often work with freelance photographers for听the听same reasons. You can also shoot photos of听provided services on听location.

9.听Be听a听photography tour guide

Do听you live in听an听area that gets a听lot of听tourist traffic? If听so, you should consider offering services as听a听photography tour guide. Photography tours allow you to听show the听visitors the听best tourist attractions in听the听area while snapping photos for听remembrance. Again, with a听print on听demand service you can also offer the听tourists items customized with photos from their vacation.

10. Teaching photography

It听might seem that teaching photography online is听impossible, but there are ways that you can earn money by听teaching aspiring photographers. Photography tutorials can be听offered as听exclusive paid content, or听you can monetize free photography tutorials on听YouTube or听TikTok. Mentoring or听offering internships to听local aspiring photographers is听also beneficial as听it听gives you an听assistant. You can also offer photography classes in听your local community.

11. Sell camera equipment

As听a听highly regarded professional photographer with a听strong reputation and听notable accomplishments, consider selling the听equipment that you personally use and听recommend to听others. This can include cameras, accessories, and听other tools that have helped you achieve success and听earn the听trust of听your clients and听colleagues.

12. Try affiliate marketing

If听you don鈥檛 want to听deal with the听hassle of听selling, shipping, handling returns, or听managing reviews, your advice is听still very valuable. You can provide a听link to听the听products you recommend and听earn rewards from the听stores and听marketplaces you suggest for听shopping. This is听the听beauty of听affiliate marketing.

13. Sell Lightroom presets on听your website

If听you have the听skills to听edit photos using Lightroom and听promote them, you can definitely earn money from it. Share your fantastic photos on听your blog or听social media profile along with a听description of听the听Lightroom presets you used and听a听link to听your online store where people can purchase them. Eventually, you can create preset collections and听offer them as听bundles for听sale. Turn your talent into a听source of听income and听assist others in听perfecting their photos!

14. Sell print-on-demand merch

The Print-on-Demand model enables you to听sell various products with your photos printed on听them, including T-shirts, bags, caps, mugs, wall art, phone cases, and听towels. With this approach, you aren鈥檛 required to听produce or听store any听inventory, as听the听POD provider is听responsible for听shipping and听handling returns. All you need is听an听online store.

What You Need to听Start Selling Photography Services Online

Setting up听a听photography business online isn鈥檛 as听hard or听expensive as听you might think. Still, there are some things that every photographer will need to听do听to听set up听their business regardless of听the听photography services and听products they offer. To听get started selling photos online, you will need:

Even if听you aren鈥檛 offering ordering directly on听site, you will still need your own website and听domain, including an听online portfolio and听bio showcasing your photography skills.
Your own studio for听portrait and听headshot shoots, with a听dark room if听you still use traditional film for听some projects.
Photo editing software so听that you can edit photos before adding them to听your site. Many photographers choose Adobe Lightroom for听the听convenience of听photography presets of听custom filters for听a听cohesive catalog.
Business account with a听print-on-demand service to听offer printed pictures.
Merchant account for听processing payments (PayPal, Stripe, etc.)
An听ecommerce platform like 黑料门 where you can add custom items, photo prints, or听framed wall art to听your online store. Tasks can be听integrated and听automated so听that you can focus on听taking more pictures instead of听spending time maintaining your online offerings.

Still not sure that starting a听photography small business is听the听right move for听you? Start selling photos online with 黑料门 or听another ecommerce platform. If听it听doesn鈥檛 work out, you haven鈥檛 lost a听large investment. If听it听does work out, the听online store can grow with your business. Take the听plunge and听earn money from your passion for听photography.

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About The Author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.

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