How to sell my photos?

[LaurenElle]

I hope this is in the right section but I'm trying to earn money to buy a laptop.

I mostly take photos of flowers and food and I like macro photography.

How would I sell my photos to earn money? It seems like people only make money doing portraits or wedding photography but I'm sure I'm wrong.

 

[Stradawhovious]

1. Create a watermark
2. Take photos.
3. Watermark photos nice and big, right in the middle so nobody steals em.
4. Start Facebook business page.
5. ?
6. Profit.

Its just that easy.

 

[The_Traveler]

dup

 

[The_Traveler]

This is a troll, right?

However much I think you're joking, just in case you really mean it, let me ask you this:with millions of dslrs being sold every year and zillions of stock photos on the web, why should anyone buy pictures from you?

 

[Kbmartie]

I dont know about where you live, but in my town we have festivals all the time and people can set up photo booths. I would try that, I know a lot of people that make money that way, especially when it is local photography.

 

[LaurenElle]

This is a troll, right?

However much I think you're joking, just in case you really mean it, let me ask you this:with millions of dslrs being sold every year and zillions of stock photos on the web, why should anyone buy pictures from you?

Um NO I'm not a troll. And I didn't say anything about selling anything on the web..

 

[The_Traveler]

This is a troll, right?

However much I think you're joking, just in case you really mean it, let me ask you this:with millions of dslrs being sold every year and zillions of stock photos on the web, why should anyone buy pictures from you?

Um NO I'm not a troll. And I didn't say anything about selling anything on the web..

Well, the little kids on the corner set up a stand and sell lemonade and a friend of mine opened a restaurant.
It all depends on your own resources, whether there is a market for what you can sell and how good you are - all compared to everyone esle's products.

But since you don't seem to know anything about photography and haven't yet shown the ability to make saleable pictures, my guess is that your chances are relatively slim.

 

[Xyloz]

I am thinking about starting up, supply and demand my friend, Stradawhovious is right if your photography is at the standard and quality needed to get paid people will ask you to do weddings and all sorts you need to start out with the software and hardware you need the rest is litterally up to you.

All you need is a DSLR and Photoshop the rest can be done through marketing strategy, for example.

Charges and fees set them out for your shoots on your face book info section and then people know where to start haggling and dealing for certai types of shoots. Make the page look professional and people will come..

So far as a newby I have shot 3 bands including Bowling For Soup and done studio photography including, Glamour, Nude photography and Commercial for a Magazine.

Everything is down to being able to communicate, being it with a Manager of a band or a model you need to be professional and people will take you seriously if you lolly gag or waiver they will cut the legs from under you and sell you short.http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/members/78623.html

 

[Stradawhovious]

To be fair, I was being facetious. The liklihood of you selling your photos is virtually nil. No offense, but based on what you have posted in the past, and what you say you are trying to sell, (pictures of flowers and food) unless someone is actually hiring you to take pictures of their flowers and food, I'm afraid you will be **** out of luck. There are folks here with valid educations in photography and years of professional experience that are producing fantastic, publishable quality images that wouldn't be able to sell random pictures of flowers and food.

You're a highschool Senior. If you want to earn cash for a laptop, my suggestion would be to get a job at McDonalds.

 

[Jeatley]

I like it when people get tough!

 

[LaurenElle]

Wow I was just asking a question. I have a part time job and I don't plan on selling photography for a living or anything like that. All I was wondering is if I could earn extra cash by doing that. Also I obviously don't know anything about photography seeing as I'm new to this and taking a class..

 

[Xyloz]

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/members/78623.htmlStradawhovious thats very incorrect, a professional by defenition a person who performs commercially in a field typically reserved for hobbyists or amateurs. Even a high school student can become a professional photographer, you have to remember that academics are only granted credit over work experience at anything over level 6 AKA Degree Level.

So LaurenElle set yourself up a Facebook, and a free web site there are numerous hosts.
Get a good DSLR camera they come with CRAW software.
If you are in education;
Get Photoshop Education Edition which is 80% cheaper than Business about £150
(If in education the EULA grants trading under education)
Or if not Get GIMP(GNU Image Manipulation Program)

And then build up your kit from there, but don't pigeon hole yourself try other photography too, people will come to you if you advertise yourself professionally and cheaply as a student, be professional about your attitude and you will find experience comes with time.

If you want to be a respected photographer you need to understand the first part of being successful is being Bonafide.
Finally if funding is an issue local councils and educational establishments not to mention young people support programs can help with funding if that is an issue.

If photography is a serious consideration it's only going to be as successful as the effort you put in thats my honest opinion on the matter.

 

[Stradawhovious]

Stradawhovious thats very incorrect, a professional by defenition a person who performs commercially in a field typically reserved for hobbyists or amateurs. Even a high school student can become a professional photographer

Yeah, you're probably right. I'm sure she will make a mint selling amateur pictures of random flowers and food with no training, no experience and very little knowledge of photography as a whole.... be it in person or on the intrawebz. Nobody on the webz is taking amateur pictures of flowers and food, so there aren't already 10 million hands in that cookie jar.

Good luck OP, and please let us know when you break your first $1,000 in sales! I bet you will have that laptop by next week!

:er: (yep... you guessed it.... once again being facetious)

To Xyloz. Please feel free to read the OPs post again, then ask youself what the liklihood is of selling very amateur images of flowers and food.

To the OP.... I can appreciate the fact that some people here are building your hopes of making money at photography at your current level, but the chances are slim. Is it possible? Sure! Is it probable based on the current situation as you've laid it out? Not really.

 

[KmH]

If you want to earn cash for a laptop, my suggestion would be to get a job at McDonalds.

Concur.

Photos of flowers and food are not the kind of photos most people buy.

85% of all the photos that sell, have people in them, and most of those are bought by the people in the photos. The remaining 15% of photos then are the landscapes, fine art, sports, cars, architecture, abstracts, nature, food, and flowers shots.

Which is why so most working photographers do portraits or wedding photography.

You can reach a much larger market online, than you can locally, but either way you need some other skills beyond photography. Market/advertise/promote/sales skills for example.Locally you would likely do best with sales of nicely mat/framed prints.

Perhaps you've heard the saying, "to make money, you have to spend money." That is part of what being in business for yourself is all about. You have to spend money to start a business, even a part-time business.

 

[NiciMarie]

Is there a local coffee shop or deli in your area? I have some of my scenic and flower shots matted and framed in two local shops, and occasionally, maybe every three months or so, one will sell. It's not something I do to make a living off of, but it's nice to have your name and business out there. Plus the look great displayed!