This post will show you our top ten ways to make money with photography.
We’ll start with the easiest and work our way up:
1. Sell Your Existing Photographs
If you’ve been a photographer for a while, you probably have hundreds or even thousands of pictures just sitting there.
So, create a portfolio with your best shots and sell them.
One option is to submit your photos to stock photography websites. You can earn a commission by licensing photos of your work though platforms like Shutterstock, iStock, and BigStock.
It’s also a great way to start building your reputation and brand.
You can also offer physical prints as well, on your own website or online and physical marketplaces.
2. Enter A Photo Contest
One or two of your photos could strike gold if you win the right contest. Winning the right contest can also have a huge impact on your brand.
The International Photography Awards has awarded $290,000 in cash prizes to date. National Geographic runs annual photo contests as well.
While winning thousands of dollars in a big photo contest might be a longshot, the exposure you’ll get from entering can help you make money using other methods, and you might also get feedback from professionals.
It’s also super low effort. Just make sure you’re not jumping into any (or too many) paid entry ones.
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3. Shadow Other Photographers
It might take a while to get paid, but this is one of the best ways to get experience fast.
Other photographers might need assistance, especially during big events where they need to cover more ground, or simply an extra helping hand to capture things they might miss.
You could end up partnering together, or get valuable industry contacts.
Another ‘way in’ is to volunteer your services for nonprofits or charities to help them promote their events, products and services.
4. Get A Photography Job
Honestly, this one is usually overlooked. But there are plenty of photography agencies, or large companies who need a part or full time photographer.
There’s nothing wrong with a stable salary! And you might do all of these other ideas on the side too.
It’s perfectly possible for you to get rich even if your first photography job comes with a low salary. Watch my video below to find out how:
5. Start A Print On Demand Store
Print on demand (POD) is where you can upload an image or design to a place like Printful or Printify and when people place an order, it can get printed on everything from shirts to pet collars, and get shipped out automatically.
You can start with existing marketplaces like Redbubble, which already has an existing customer base looking for cool products.
Then, you can take the next step by opening your own Shopify store and have more control over the products & pricing, but you need to handle your own marketing efforts.
6. Go Local
Everyone either wants or needs professional photos at some point, and the best place to start is your neighborhood and with people you know.
You might try:
- School photos
- Family portraits
- Couple portraits
- Baby photos
- Boudoir shoots
- Calendar shoots
- Pet photography
- Birthdays or other small events
- Professional headshots
The opportunities are endless here.
7. Approach Local Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs
Every small business needs great photos.
Identify local businesses or entrepreneurs who are missing great photos of their business or products. You could offer to do a few free samples before pitching your services.
You might:
- Take photos of their store, inside and outside
- Go behind the scenes with their staff and ‘how it works’
- Take photos of their products, eg. food, for them to use on menus, social media, or sell things online
- Work with real estate agents to photograph houses
You could also swap skills & services with other entrepreneurs to get more experience, build a portfolio and get testimonials.
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8. Teach Photography Skills
Offering in person lessons is a great way to get started.
This could be to budding young photographers, people who want to go on vacation and take great photos, business owners who want to take their own photos and more.
You could also become a ‘photo tour guide’ and lead walks in beautiful natural or urban places in your area and help people take great photos along the way.
9. Event Photography
Carve out a niche by offering your photography services at events. Depending on the gig, these larger jobs can range anywhere from a couple hundred to several thousand dollars.
You might be hired to photograph:
- Local fairs and community events
- Annual school photos and graduation ceremonies
- Engagements, weddings & anniversaries
- Conferences and company events
- Holiday events, eg. photos with Santa
- Religious events and ceremonies
- Concerts and music festivals
- And more
This is where you’re really breaking into the industry with ‘pay your bills and more’ money.
10. Build Your Photography Brand
As a freelancer, you’ll want to do this eventually. Start with a blog or teaching on social media.
You can monetize via ads, affiliate partnerships, influencer partnerships, or platforms like Patreon.
For example, let’s say you become a Cannon affiliate.
If you write reviews on their products, you can use your affiliate link to direct your visitors to the Cannon website. When someone makes a purchase using your referral, you’ll earn 2.5%+ in commission.
Considering that those cameras can sell for thousands of dollars, your commission can add up quickly.
You then have the option to branch into writing books, making paid online courses, paid communities, coaching and more to build your brand.
That’s a bit outside the scope of this post, but if you want to learn more about building an online business, check out my Insiders newsletter where I send exclusive content to over 800,000 readers. It’s totally free:
