You live and breathe pixels. Every chance you get, you grab your camera and use it to capture the amazing world around you. Your family has tactfully suggested that you take vacations on your own next year because they are sick of waiting around for the ‘right light’ with you. Sound familiar? Why not turn that obsession into a business and sell photos online.
In this article, we’ll dive into the world of professional photography and explore different ways that photographers just like you have turned their passion into a profitable venture.
How to Sell Photos Online: What Type of Photographer are You?
A word of caution before you start to sell photos online.
Before we jump right into the deep end, I need to mention a teeny tiny matter that will make or break your photography business: your technical skill as a photographer. Or lack thereof.
Just because your mom likes your photos, or you took 1000 portraits of your best friend and three of them turned out amazing, doesn’t mean that you should launch a full-blown photography career.
Before anything else, take an honest look at your work. Is it something that YOU would pay for? In the world of professional photography, not every participant gets a prize.
If you’ve just admitted to yourself that your photos need more work, there are a ton of free resources on the internet teaching photographic technique.
Even better, find a local camera club or community college class. This article series is not designed to teach you the difference between f-stops and shutter speed. Starting a new business is hard enough without having to learn the craft of photography at the same time.
Go and learn, then come back. This article will be here waiting for you. It’s OK – really.
If you’ve decided that your work is worthy – great! It’s great to have you here. Let’s jump in.
How to Sell Photos Online: Choose a Photography Niche
When you first started taking photos, it’s likely that you tried to capture everything that moved (and probably lots of things that didn’t). The photo itch can be insatiable at the beginning, and it’s a great way to learn the craft and figure out your camera.
When you get ready to sell photos online and transition from a hobby to a business, it’s best to settle into a specific niche. If you’re struggling to figure out what you like best, try our handy flowchart!
For more reading on what you need and how to find your niche, check out these helpful resources:
- What You Need to Sell Photos Online
- Client Shoots and Workflow
- Sell Photos Online: Art Photography
- Sell Photos Online: Stock Photography
- Sell Photos Online: Photography for Publications
- Licensing and Copyright for Selling Photos Online
Until then, keep taking photos! If you feel like you know what you want to sell and you’re ready to get going, let’s talk about where to sell photos online.
Where to Sell Photos Online
Spend more time taking photographs while you sell photos online.
A lot of photographers head toward a site like Etsy when their Instagram starts taking off, but that’s not the best way to start selling photos online.
The best way to sell photos online is from your own independent website. Selling from your own site lets you choose your own prices and control the terms and conditions, as well as exactly how your audience sees your photos.
A simple and powerful ecommerce solution like Selz is designed to help you sell photos online. You can create an original website for your photos or turn your photography blog into an online store without a lot of effort. Selz also gives you the tools you need to grow your sales.
Add one of your photos to your Selz online store and price it at a $1. Add the product and shopping cart to your test page, and then buy it yourself. You can do this in less time than it takes to grab a coffee with Selz.
Sell More than Photos Online
Once you’ve started adding photos to your new online store, don’t stop!
In addition to selling photos online, you can sell ebooks, drop shipped merchandise with your photos printed on it, and more! Maybe you’re fast and effective with Photoshop – Photoshop plugins are popular digital products. You might be interested in both photography and teaching. If yes, think about selling photography courses online.
Use all of your creativity to continue to grow your business, and share your photos with the world!
Barbara Schaer
Thank you, really enjoy this and it is very helpful!!