How to Start Earning Money as a Photographer

Sell Your Photos On Stock Websites

If you are a photographer, it is likely that you are sitting on a large number of photos, and a great way to earn a passive income from these is by posting them to a stock image website. Every time one of your images is used, you will get a commission from it, making this a great way to earn money. Although it can be quite daunting to start with, as you need to upload a fairly large portfolio in order to start seeing a return. A great website to do this on is Shutterstock, as it is a very easy platform to use; but ideally, you really want to sign up to a few different stock websites, as the more places your photos are, the more likely it is for you to start making an income from them.

Shoot Portraits

A great way to make money is by taking people's portraits. Everybody needs a portrait photo; whether it is for a passport photo, a professional photo for their LinkedIn account, or just a casual picture, there will always be a market. You might think that you will need to own a studio in order to produce professional-looking portraits, but you can get around this by simply renting out a studio for a short period of time. In order to get the most out of this, you will need to photograph multiple clients in order to make your money back. The best way to do this is to advertise in advance over Facebook and other platforms in order to gauge interest and to get as many clients as possible. Don't forget though that many people would prefer to have their photo taken outside, and this is free, so make sure that you have a few, great locations in mind that you can suggest to your client if they don't have anything in mind.

Events

One of the most common ways for a photographer to earn money is by documenting events such as weddings and birthdays. It is important to make sure that you have a good portfolio in this line of work, as many people will judge you on your previous work and your reputation will affect how much money you can charge. In order to get more clients, you also need to make sure that your portfolio is SEO optimized on Google so that potential customers can find you.

Be Prepared To Travel

Although it is great to have clients in your local area, you will, at some point, need to start expanding. As your portfolio grows, you will have the potential to work with customers further away and even in different countries. One example of this is wedding photography; as an increasing amount of couples choose to get married abroad, there is the opportunity to be a traveling photographer. Although this can sound great, as you can visit other countries, you need to be wary of your traveling costs, and so always make a plan far in advance to avoid steep costs. If you are going to be using a train, then use Trainline to save money; or, if you are flying, then use Parking at Airports so that you don't have to pay the steep parking prices. If you are going to another country, then make sure you make use of the opportunity to get more content for your portfolio.

Get In Contact With Businesses

Another great way to earn money as a photographer when starting out is to physically approach local businesses. It is a numbers game here, as many businesses may not want any pictures taken; but if you ask enough, then you will begin to find some clients. Don't just see these as one-offs either; if your work is good, then they might want to use your services again in the future, so it is important to build good relationships with them.

Further Tips

If you are looking for some further tips in ways you can earn money as a photographer, then check out Gerard Santiago’s article 20 Things to Consider to Start Your Photography Business. He highlights some great points that you should bear in mind when starting your photography career. Another great form of information is Peter McKinnon’s Youtube channel, he gives loads of great advice for aspiring photographers and breaks down exactly how he has made it as a full-time professional photographer.