As a photographer, you can easily earn some extra cash (or even start a new career) if you know the right places to sell your photos online. Photographers of various skill levels are in high demand for their work, now more than ever. Everyone from large corporations, small and medium size businesses to bloggers, graphic designers, marketers and publishers buy and use photos regularly online. The days of stealing images are becoming numbered due to tools that can easily match pictures and their originators. For most legitimate firms the potential lawsuit is not worth it. Thats great news for photographers looking for recurring income while safeguarding their work.
In this guide, we will share the top 12 best places to sell photos online and make money doing what you love.
Who is Buying and What Type of Photos are Selling the Best?
The largest buying base of stock photos are bloggers and small to medium sized website business owners.
What type of images are they buying the most of?
. All types of People – Kids, adults, various cultures.
. People working – Very popular with businesses. Folks working on laptops, writing, speaking at a meeting, etc. Just don’t make them so generic they become a meme.
. Food – Various types of delicious foods even empty unwashed plates.
. Tools – Gears, hammers, nuts, bolts and screws can convey a lot of things for potential buyers.
. Cities – Cityscapes, buildings, people commuting.
. Nature – This is a no brainer which never gets old to shoot or sell.
. Travel – Shots from around the world are always in high demand.
Pro-tip: Have a look at the categories for some of these marketplaces to see some of the most popular images.
1. Sell Photos on Your Own Website
The number one best place to sell photos online is on your own website.
That’s because:
. You can set your own prices
. No one else takes a cut
. You have 100% control over how to display your photos
. You can set your own terms and conditions
. YOU’RE in control
Don’t have a website yet? It’s not hard to start. You should check this simple guide on how to create a photography website in WordPress. The majority of professional photography sites online are created on WordPress.
After creating your website, you need to showcase the photos beautifully to attract visitors and convince them to buy. We recommend you to use a top-rated WordPress plugin like Envira Gallery and create image galleries for your photos.
