Photography is a story that can’t be put into words.
All the photographers- be it a professional like the person reading this, or an amateur like the person writing this; can agree that photography is one prized gem for the commoners. We find beauty in this miserable world, and we make a living out of it.
The world needs something like a ‘shutterbug convention’ every now and then; where all the photographers chime in at one dimly-lit place and capture each other’s moments- for its people behind the lens that makes it happen.
With the arrival of high-tech gadgets and gizmos, it’s safe to say that one doesn’t need a $600 camera (for a start!) to become a pro-photographer. Your smartphone can easily do the trick and capture some decent clicks once you play around with it.
The question is though; if you have so many supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and vivid memories on your hard drive/memory stick/cloud storage, then why don’t you sell photos online? Oh wait, you prolly don’t know how to sell photos online, that’s why you’re here.
Not trying to be cocky, even I discovered that one could sell photos online when I wrote this, and now I earn $100 for every picture that sells. Told you I was an amateur, right? Well, you’re definitely better than me and you’ll earn more than that if you know how to sell photos online…which you will.
Here are the 5 best websites where one can sell photos online like hotcakes!
*Drum Roll* Photos, meet money!
1. Shutterstock
Shutterstock contributors’ have earned more than $300 million from over 500 million downloads, so we don’t feel the need to authenticate its existence. Google ‘how to sell photos online’ and Shutterstock is first on the list.
Shutterstock is the Mecca for budding freelance photographers and graphic designers. So if you’re into UI/UX designing or have a thing for recording HD and 4K videos of, well…things, you can earn $120 per image nice and easy.
The Shutterstock referral program is cooler than that fake pyramid scheme you fell for. Refer other photographers and make good four cents for each time they sell an image. If you refer a customer who purchases images, you can earn 20% of their first purchase (up to $200 that is).
2. Dreamstime
With 87 million stock images and 23 million users, Dreamstime is not far from arguably being the world’s largest stock community with pictures, videos, and vectors.
The best part about selling photos online on Dreamstime is that one can easily access it instantly with the Dreamstime Companion app available for Android and iOS. Yes, we are talking instant ‘click-and-upload’ fast. So if you have a good phone camera, make the most of it!
One can easily earn $15 per image if it matches the Dreamstime quality standards. So if you’re just starting the lesson ‘how to sell photos online’, Dreamstime would be good to kick it off.
3. 500px
Remember me ranting about the need of a ‘shutterbug convention’ before? Well, when I went to 500px, I realized that something like that already exists, and it’s awesome.
Now with 500px content being sold at Getty Images after the breakthrough deal, this means a 500px contributor has an unlimited amount of exposure in a big shutterbug community and unlimited opportunities to make quick money.
The royalty structure looks a bit feeble, to be honest, but when it comes to selling photos online, quantity and quality go hand in hand. With a big 500px community rich in quality photos, a Getty Images showcase can only make it better.
4. Big Stock Photo
Found in 2004, Big Stock Photo went all-in for neck and neck competition with stock photo giants all around the globe. The Shutterstock acquisition in 2009 changed Big Stock Photo for the better and it still is a stock-picture powerhouse.
Even if you don’t know how to sell photos online, Big Stock Photo walks you through the process and even a beginner can earn a dollar for the first image that s/he uploads, making it a great place to start.
The best part is that there are no exclusivity terms with Big Stock Photo, which means that one can upload their pictures at multiple platforms and watch that money flow!
5. SmugMug Pro
Welcome to your own virtual photo-store, customize it as you like, hang some prints on the wall, serve Jell-O shots to customers, maybe?
SmugMug Pro gives you the platform to monetize those pictures and sell them at your own e-store. Design your own logo; create custom coupons, print packages too! SmugMug gives you the chance to shine with your innovative marketing gimmicks.
If you think that it’s the stock image seller’s UI that hinders your sales, SmugMug pro gives you the golden chance to design one of your own. If you’re good at it, you might as well earn thousands of dollars in a matter of months by selling photos online on SmugMug!
We all have Magnifique pictures stored in our camera roll. Now’s the time to turn them camera rolls into bankrolls by selling photos online on any of the 5 websites mentioned above!
Remember- Beauty lies in eyes of the Beholder, and the places mentioned above have lots of beholders who are dying to savor your talent!
If you are a shutterbug, find us on Instagram (@everybuckcounts) and tag us in your snapshots. We’ll give you a shout-out, Money-Promise!
Related Post: Travel and Take Photos for a Month and Earn $5K
