selling photos
- Thread starter ferg822
- Start date
Wow, that's not a wide open question?
I think I would go with the Beerguy's forumla. Find person, sell photo, collect money.
Okay seriously. And believe me, this is only some ways. First you can google "stock photo's". Go to stock photo companies and read their submission or sales policy.
Look for local areas of interest. For example, if you had a $5000 500mm f/4 lens and took pictures of the local football team during a game, I'll bet you would have the best photos in town and the players, parents and yearbook commitee might really want them. Maybe even the local paper.
Check your favorite magazine. Read their submission requirements. For instance, I am now in the photographer pool for a nature magazine. One of 200. They instructed me on their requirments for submitting pictures. When they need a specific picture they will actually e-mail me what they are looking for and that they are accepting submissions. Only those in the pool are allowed to submit. The last request was for pine marten. I couldn't find one. The only picture I have had published was of a weasel in a bullberry tree. I recieved $300.
You can do photoshoots. I did one of a girl and her horse before a horse show. Also weddings and graduation.
One thing that's most important. No one wants to buy crap. If you think your pictures are good, campare them side by side to a pros. If they don't stack up, you won't get paid. I don't care if you have a shot of a monkey screwing a buffalo. Exceptions are made of course if its Brad Pit or George Clooney sccrewing the buffalo. And Paris Hilton or Brittany Spears getting screwed by buffalo has been way overdone.
Mike
I think I would go with the Beerguy's forumla. Find person, sell photo, collect money.
Okay seriously. And believe me, this is only some ways. First you can google "stock photo's". Go to stock photo companies and read their submission or sales policy.
Look for local areas of interest. For example, if you had a $5000 500mm f/4 lens and took pictures of the local football team during a game, I'll bet you would have the best photos in town and the players, parents and yearbook commitee might really want them. Maybe even the local paper.
Check your favorite magazine. Read their submission requirements. For instance, I am now in the photographer pool for a nature magazine. One of 200. They instructed me on their requirments for submitting pictures. When they need a specific picture they will actually e-mail me what they are looking for and that they are accepting submissions. Only those in the pool are allowed to submit. The last request was for pine marten. I couldn't find one. The only picture I have had published was of a weasel in a bullberry tree. I recieved $300.
You can do photoshoots. I did one of a girl and her horse before a horse show. Also weddings and graduation.
One thing that's most important. No one wants to buy crap. If you think your pictures are good, campare them side by side to a pros. If they don't stack up, you won't get paid. I don't care if you have a shot of a monkey screwing a buffalo. Exceptions are made of course if its Brad Pit or George Clooney sccrewing the buffalo. And Paris Hilton or Brittany Spears getting screwed by buffalo has been way overdone.
Mike
This is actually a good start:
http://www.amazon.com/2008-Photographers-Market/dp/1582975019
The same publishing house has several more titles that might be of value. You need to be careful about properly valuing your work. People associate price with quality. If you're trying to sell a 16 x 20" fine art image and are asking $20 you'll get ignored. It's also difficult to raise the price once you set the bar.
http://www.amazon.com/2008-Photographers-Market/dp/1582975019
The same publishing house has several more titles that might be of value. You need to be careful about properly valuing your work. People associate price with quality. If you're trying to sell a 16 x 20" fine art image and are asking $20 you'll get ignored. It's also difficult to raise the price once you set the bar.
gregr
New member
You've received some good info. Here's another suggestion- and if I do say so myself it is an excellent one 
Get John Shaw's "Business of Nature Photography". As with all his books the examples are of nature related subects but the concepts cover any type of photography. He da man.
Get John Shaw's "Business of Nature Photography". As with all his books the examples are of nature related subects but the concepts cover any type of photography. He da man.
MrSandman
Team RC
I actually have had a small gallery on a stock photo website for the past year that has received some action. When i first opened the account i uploaded 4 photos and have forgotten about it since. This thread actually reminded me of that so i went and logged back in to find out that some people actually downloaded my photos!! 
I made almost 20 bucks by doing practically nothing. I figured, i'm too lazy to go around pushing my photos on people, so why not let this website sell it for me? Personally, i really didn't care about keeping the photos all to myself. If i didn't share them (or sell them) they would likely waste away on my hard drive. Plus, i thought it would be pretty cool if one day i would be flipping through some magazine or walking down the street to find one of my photos used in some advertisement. Who knows. Anyways, its definitely an option, however, they won't accept any photo. Your uploaded photos are critiqued and analyzed by a team of people and they look for things such as style, originality, composition, and especially any trademarks, brand names, likenesses, etc. since those can lead to copyright issues. So, if you think you've got some skills, try a stock photo site and see if they'll accept your photos. If they don't like it, they'll let you know why and you can learn from your mistakes, heck....and you might make a little change along the way too.
I made almost 20 bucks by doing practically nothing. I figured, i'm too lazy to go around pushing my photos on people, so why not let this website sell it for me? Personally, i really didn't care about keeping the photos all to myself. If i didn't share them (or sell them) they would likely waste away on my hard drive. Plus, i thought it would be pretty cool if one day i would be flipping through some magazine or walking down the street to find one of my photos used in some advertisement. Who knows. Anyways, its definitely an option, however, they won't accept any photo. Your uploaded photos are critiqued and analyzed by a team of people and they look for things such as style, originality, composition, and especially any trademarks, brand names, likenesses, etc. since those can lead to copyright issues. So, if you think you've got some skills, try a stock photo site and see if they'll accept your photos. If they don't like it, they'll let you know why and you can learn from your mistakes, heck....and you might make a little change along the way too.
Rosseau
New member
www.deviantart.com has a prints section.
For free, or a small fee (I can't remember) they will host your images and offer them for sale to individuals. Millions of people use that website. I've even bought a print off of someone...
...I just noticed how close the words free and fee are to each other...
For free, or a small fee (I can't remember) they will host your images and offer them for sale to individuals. Millions of people use that website. I've even bought a print off of someone...
...I just noticed how close the words free and fee are to each other...
Blazer88
Premium Member
I have been lucky in terms of selling photos. A manufacturer noticed some of my shots on RC and contact me to see more. I have since sold about a dozen to them for advertising and packaging. It was really weird to see a few of my pictures show up on a advertising banner on RC for the first time, lol. I've certainly don't make a living from selling pictures but it's enough to cover all of my equipment. Sometimes it just comes down to plain 'ol dumb luck 
