The best-selling style of images varies from one year to the next, but overall, images of people (or lifestyle photography) are an all-time best-selling genre in stock photography. Other concepts like landscapes, flowers, and beaches are also consistently popular.
Key Takeaways. On average, stock photographers make $0.02 per image per month with stock photos, while professionals make $0.05–$0.25 per image per month.
People who purchase stock images often look for content that is timely, relevant, trending, and relates to current events and culture. There is an immediate need for this type of content when trends and major events occur.
1. Alamy. With over 60 million images, Alamy is the largest stock photo website, but they also pay well too. Photographers earn 50% of every sale, and aren't restricted to selling exclusively with Alamy.
Selling images through stock photo sites is relatively easy, but there are still important aspects to know, consider, and always keep in mind: Royalty Rates – All serious and reliable agencies set up a royalty rate for the artist (thus cutting a commission for themselves).
Drone Photography
And images that have strong leading lines will continue to be in demand for stock photography. But photos that capture relaxing scenes like beaches, snow-capped trees, and fields of flowers will be the most popular.
Know your market
Instead, consider what potential buyers are looking for. At the most basic level, your photos need to look technically sharp and polished. Take them with a professional camera (or at least a very good smartphone camera), and make sure the shots are in focus, correctly exposed, and properly framed.
Stock photography, the practice of capturing images that anyone can license for a fee, can be a lucrative side hustle or even a full-time job. For photographers, it can be a steady source of income using both previous works and new shoots in which they call the shots from the subject to the post-processing treatment.
Stock photography could be a good choice if you're looking to make a few hundred dollars per month and are willing to work to build a large portfolio of photos. But don't expect to make huge money from stock photos.
Overall, artists who sell consistently do make a decent extra income from Shutterstock. Contributors also have the potential to earn more money through referral programs or exclusive contracts with Shutterstock. With dedication and hard work, it's possible to make your contribution to Shutterstock worthwhile.
Keep It Simple
They have a high chance of being rejected simply because they have enough of those subjects in their database already. Once you are accepted by Shutterstock, then submit all the photos you like. The hardest part of Shutterstock is getting in. Don't try and wow them with anything fancy to begin with.
Making money as a Shutterstock contributor isn't easy, especially if you want to make a lot. You're competing against other contributors. And they're all trying to sell photos too. With thousands of Shutterstock Contributors, it can be difficult to get your work noticed.
Not many know Charles O'Rear is the man behind Bliss, the photograph considered by many as the most-viewed picture in the history of the world. O'Rear clicked Bliss 21 years ago and it was used by Microsoft as the default background for its Windows XP operating system.
The title belongs to Rebecca Givens, a Canadian woman whose face you're probably already familiar with. You've seen it in ads, on websites and in publications across the world. Givens shows up in so many weird and wonderful places that spotting her has become something of an Internet meme.
Selling photos is one of the best ways to make money online for those passionate about photography. Businesses and advertisers always look to purchase images they can use on their marketing materials. As a result, there are many websites connecting these businesses with photographers.
A JPEG is a processed, compressed image that's ideal for everyday use. These images don't take up much storage space and are easy to share via text, email, and social media. On the other hand, RAW files are huge by comparison and can eat up a ton of storage space. RAW files are just that – the raw photo data.
While stock photography is a money-making opportunity for anyone, don't expect easy and quick revenue. Random sales may appear in 1-2 months (this may be shorter for some stock photography agencies, see Shutterstock vs. Alamy), but regular income is only realistic in 1-3 years.
Some common restrictions that you should be aware of when using Royalty-free images include: You cannot share, transfer, or gift the image to any third party. It should be part of the integral design- you cannot resell or redistribute the picture. You cannot use the photo as a part of a trademark, design mark, or logo.
Vertical Photography – Popular Trend of Social Networks
Photos with vertical orientation are always associated with portraits. But with the active use of social networks, they became new trends in photography.
You can choose several types of photos to increase the diversity but make sure to put the one with the most level of creativity at the center of your plan. Currently, there are hundreds of types of photos selling on Etsy, but let's just focus on the 3 best choices: Stock photos, Digital photos, and Instagram templates.