Edited 7/21/21
Ever since I was a small child I loved photographing the world around me. If this sounds like you then let me share with you the 20 best ways that you can make money with your photography skills. Photography is a skill that once learned can provide you with multiple ways to earn income whether it be full-time, a side gig, or a retirement job.
1. Real Estate Photography
We all know photos are what sell real estate. If you can create a portfolio (which is very easy- snap some pictures of your home, your relatives home, or offer your services for free to some realtors), then set up an online presence either with your own business domain or Smugmug, and lastly create relationships by networking. In addition to realtors, you could check with interior designers to showcase their work. Finally, don’t forget to join websites like Houzz.com, where people search for photographers.
You may be wondering what kind of money you can make with this job. Of course, with everything, it comes down to the market so do some research, see if you have any competitors, and decide how much your time is valued. Most photographers receive $100-$500 a home. In addition to the basic digital camera, you could also consider buying and learning how to use a drone for aerial photos which would increase your value.
2. Event Photography
Now as a work-at-home mom this may be more challenging because you can’t exactly take your child with you to an event, however, if you are already at the event say the baseball game then you could make this work. Or if you have some childcare available people are always looking for photographers for birthday parties or reunions.
Instaproofs allows you to easily set up an account and upload event photos. Once you’ve uploaded event photos you can share the photos with people who were part of a special event or particular occasion. This will give those in attendance a chance to pay for the prints that they want from the event and you’ll earn money in the process. You can share your gallery and event photos in your Instaproofs account with ease and then post on social media or send them privately via email.
You can also have your own PhotoBooth business for events. Check out Boothmasters that will help you get started!
3. Fashion Photographer
You can make money taking photos of your clothing and post it on Instagram. When you post your photos your followers can easily opt to buy the clothing options you’ve featured within your Instagram photos. Sign up for Stylinitiy to start posting photos of your favorite fashion looks and accessories to make money with photography simply by sharing photos on Instagram through Stylinitiy as a means to combine marketing with photography.
4. Foap Photographer
Install Foap onto your smartphone to earn money from photos that you take regularly. This is one of the easiest ways to make money with photography because it doesn’t have any requirements for the skill level. Brands everywhere use Foap to find and purchase photos for their next marketing campaign. You can earn money by completing missions from brands within the app, posting your own photographs for sale, or creating albums of other Foap user’s photos to earn a commission each time one of those photographs sells. You may not be a
5. Flickr Photography
Get licensed through Getty to sell your photos through Flickr. This is a really easy process and makes for a wonderful surprise each time one of your Flickr photos sells. It’s time to start making money with photography today using Flicker and Getty. Basically when you license your Flickr photos with Getty anyone who wants to use your Flickr photograph will have to pay a small fee and in turn, you earn cash every time someone opts to use your photographs.
6. ScoopShot Pro
If you have Scoopshot Pro you can easily sign up for Scoopshot and get assignments to take photographs in your local area from various brands. Media and brands use Scoopshot to assign photographers particular photo assignments based on where they’re located. This is by far another easy way to make money with photography in your spare time.
7. Stock Photography
Many stock photography sites allow you to upload your own professional-style photographs and sell them. From Alamy to Adobe and Dreamstime, you can start making money with photography simply by posting your best-taken photographs for sale. When using these stock photo sites you’ll want to make sure you can match their photo specifications, if they have any listed.
8. Photographer for Bloggers
Many bloggers need specific photographs for their blog posts. In addition to this, you can find blogger groups on Facebook such as this group to offer your photography talents out on a pay-per-photo basis. Some bloggers end up with paid campaigns where they must get a particular photo of a product in a store, but perhaps they don’t have the time, this is where you can really start to make some extra money with photography without much extra effort.
9. Freelance-Magazine/Newspaper
You can start being a freelance photographer by selling your photos to a local newspaper or magazine. This may take a little more work than the other options I’ve listed as a way to make money with photography but the payout may be well worth the time investing.
10. Zazzle
Create custom merchandise on Zazzle using your own photography to sell to others who frequent Zazzle to purchase a particular customized item. While you’ll have to create a Zazzle account to get started this is a fun way to make money with photography if you have the time to set up a Zazzle account.
11. Sell items with Sellfy
Sellfy is an e-commerce platform designed specifically for selling digital products, such as music, illustrations, photos, books or videos in digital files. With Sellfy, you can “build your store in under five minutes,” allowing you to start your e-commerce business quickly. You can also choose to dropship items that include your photographs such as calendars, mugs, shirts, etc.
If you already have a website or simply want to sell through social media, Sellfy gives you the option to embed products and buy buttons on your business website, as well as on Facebook and YouTube. As an all-in-one e-commerce solution, Sellfy also allows you to integrate your payment processing, utilize its built-in marketing tools and analytics and connect with over 750 third-party apps using Zapier. Sellfy offers a free 14-day trial of its service, no credit card required.
12. Create your own Course/Printables
If you’re already a successful photographer, it’s a great idea to teach others how to take better photos themselves. This can be done through an online course that you make and sell via your website or even through Etsy. You can host a course on Teachable like I have my Amateur Photography Course.
13. Review Products on Youtube
YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google, so it’s a smart idea to create content there that can rank and earn you money. The easiest way to do this is by reviewing products that require shooting some sort of video where you talk about the product while showcasing it and then upload it to YouTube. You should also link all your social media accounts on your YouTube Channel so that you can easily monetize it all. One of the best ways to earn additional income from your channel is by promoting products and services within your videos. If you have a large enough audience, companies will be willing to pay you to advertise their products or services in your video descriptions. This is called Sponsorships. Learn how to make money on Youtube on this post.
14. Create a Photography Blog
A blog about photography can be a great way to increase your overall exposure and improve your SEO rankings for your site. By regularly updating a blog you’ll be able to showcase not only new photos, but also interesting articles you’ve found on other sites that are relevant to photography. The key to a successful blog is narrowing down the niche. You can learn more about niche blogging from my Blog Coach Tracie Fobes.
15. Freelance on Fiverr/Upwork
This is the most popular way of making money with photography in which you use your skills as a freelance photographer to get paid for doing things like photographing business headshots, weddings, newborns and so on. There are websites out there like Fiverr and Upwork where you can post a listing offering your services as a freelance photographer in exchange for money.
16. Work for a Portrait Company by finding jobs online
There are many websites such as FlexJobs where job postings related to photography appear. It’s a good idea to check those websites regularly for interesting job openings so that you can apply and get paid to do what you already love doing- taking photos.
17. Freelance for AirBNB and/or become an affiliate
If you already have a lot of experience taking photos for AirBNB hosts, then it may be worth considering becoming an affiliate or even having your own property so that you can earn additional money through photography as a source of income.
18. Create and Sell Photobooks
This is probably the easiest way to make money with photography, you just decide what images to include in a photobook and then upload them into an easy-to-use software that will allow you to easily create custom layouts. Once your book is ready, you sell it on sites like Blurb or Etsy or Selfy.
19. Enter Photo Contest or Create your own
Using sites like Goodreads, you can create a community of photography enthusiasts who are interested in participating in contests and giveaways with cash prizes as rewards. You can also simply offer incentives by offering prizes to whoever shares/likes the photo on social media first or whoever has the most likes for their photo.
20. Work for a Car Dealership or Insurance Claim company
Car dealerships require someone to photograph and list their new inventory. They usually have their own software and won’t even require extensive photography knowledge or degree. Also Insurance Claim Companies have to send people out to get pictures of the damage. Both of these options are available for someone who enjoys photography and knows about photographing different angles.
Conclusion for making money with Photography
These are just a few ways to make money with photography no matter what level of photographing skills you have. It’s always fun to make money doing something that you love. Making money with photography can become a full-time freelance job or something you do on the side to help support your family. Whether you’re looking to do this full-time or just for fun, I hope that my ideas have inspired you to make money with photography now.
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Beginner Photography Class starting at age 8 and up (iPhone or DSLR)
