good places to sell ur photos?

dak1b · Jul 16, 2009

ok so I was just looking for a couple good places where u can make a little money on the side selling ur photos. one site that caught my eye was shuttershock...does anyone have any experience with this site or know anything about it? thanks!

-dak

Bitter Jeweler · Jul 17, 2009

...if everyone with a camera could make a little money on the side...

dak1b · Jul 17, 2009

Bitter Jeweler said:
...if everyone with a camera could make a little money on the side...

ha ya i guess...........

Idaho21 · Jul 17, 2009

I think that with as many great photographers as there are out there, selling your work is a tough proposition. I have thought about doing it myself. I think that with the competition that is out there, it would be very tough.

Misfitlimp · Jul 17, 2009

dak1b said:
ok so I was just looking for a couple good places where u can make a little money on the side selling ur photos. one site that caught my eye was shuttershock...does anyone have any experience with this site or know anything about it? thanks!

-dak

Ive noticed your posts mostly have been about graph bro and what i think u should do if u wanna sell your images is to hook up with the guys that are doing the stuff and shoot them doin it or after they are done. I read an artical in shutterbug where a prominant photographer was making her living goin to pop warner football games and handin out cards to her site where parents of the kids playing would b able to buy her work. u gotta hustle bro but it can b done is all im saying.

inTempus · Jul 17, 2009

dak1b said:
ok so I was just looking for a couple good places where u can make a little money on the side selling ur photos. one site that caught my eye was shuttershock...does anyone have any experience with this site or know anything about it? thanks!

-dak

Sites like Shutterstock are EXCEPTIONALLY picky. They will tear your submitted images apart. You'll think you have a perfectly exposed picture and they'll decline it because it's underexposed. You'll think you have a great picture of a flower and they'll decline it because they don't need any more pictures of that particular type of flower.

Try submitting some photos and see how it goes. I do know that I saw nothing in your flickr account they would accept.

Also, keep in mind they will not allow images of landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge or other easily identifiable structures (without a release). They also don't allow images of branded items, logos, etc. Everything has to be 100% generic. If you have a picture of a person, the submitted image has to include a model release. If you have a picture of a building, you need a release from the property owner/manager. It's a LOT of work.

Overread · Jul 17, 2009

Also remember that images sold on photostock sites go for very small amounts - you need to sell a lot of images through them to really start getting any money at all. Plus once your photo is up there for a tiny amount that is its price - you can't then start selling it at a higher price if it does become popular.

I would say try Misfitlimp's rout - use an online or local printers to make the prints, cobble together your own website (or use a printing lab with prebuilt and customisable sites) and get your name out there

eterrisinCYQX · Jul 17, 2009

Something like killboy.com photos - The Original Photographer from US129 Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap might work as well.

DWHJR · Jul 17, 2009

Where I currently live there is a festival called "The Art Walk" it happens in my downtown area where the first friday of every month all the art galleries are open for people to walk into and look or buy. However what I see some people doing is posting up on the sidewalks near the art shops, with their work or music. One guy actually brought a piano out to the corner and played all night, I walked by and saw is jar filled with dollars. I was going to compile some of my best shots and gather up about 50 business cards and post up on a side street near a popular art shop and try selling them that way, by either taking orders for prints or whatever the costumer wanted with that photo. I moving to LA so that idea won't be happening now. Nevertheless there's a possibility that you could get a good turn out but it is very guerilla style selling...

DWHJR

Josh66 · Jul 17, 2009

Overread said:
[...] you can't then start selling it at a higher price if it does become popular.

Dreamstime charges more for popular pictures. Price is based on number of downloads. ...Not sure if anybody else does that too.

My 3 favorite ones are Dreamstime, Fotolia, and Stockxpert.

I think Stockxpert has the best prices.

c.cloudwalker · Jul 17, 2009

The serious stock agencies is where you can make serious money. Even though I haven't contributed anything in years to the two that sell my work, I still make a very nice chunk of money every year.

But it is seriously hard to get in.

1/ As tharmsen said they will not accept any work that is not 100% perfect technically, according to pro standards.

2/ When I got in (and I don't imagine it is any different today) they required a few hundred photos on the same theme/subject before they would even look at your work.

3/ trying to sell what you shoot for yourself is not the best way to approach this business. You'll do better if you think of what types of photos have the potential for multiple sales and shoot those.

Couple of examples: Most of my stock income comes from a set of over 4,000 photos of dogs. No artsy stuff in there but you will find everything else, from cutesy to... They sell to calendar companies, dog book publishers, dog magazines, encyclopedias, etc, etc.

A friend of mine whose entire income comes from stock has been photographing animals for years. One of his best selling photo is a very simple image of the common box turtle on a piece of lawn. Just a turtle and some grass but it has sold hundreds of times.

4/ Releases are a major concern. I imagine that graffiti would be considered works of art by the agencies and without a release from the artist of each piece, I don't think you stand a chance. I would keep that in mind even if you try to sell them any other way. The artist owns the copyright to his works...

dak1b · Jul 17, 2009

ok thanks for the advice...

Lazy Photographer · Jul 17, 2009

If you host your own photo blog or web site, fotomoto might be an option. I've never used it (not much interested in photos from a 5 meg point & shoot camera), but for professional photographers with ace equipment, it seems like a good fit.