Imagine being able to take photos for ten years and then achieve financial freedom. It sounds impossible, right?
Well, it’s not as crazy as it might seem. It turns out that there is a surprisingly large population of professional photographers who are making a killing just by taking snaps and then selling them to the highest bidder.
Most people don’t understand that there are many ways to make money as a photographer. You don’t just have to do wedding gigs. There are many more opportunities you can explore.
Sell Prints Online
Today, there are stock photo websites who sell vast numbers of images to the public. These are massive businesses, turning over millions of dollars per year in profits.
How do they do it? Simple: they take advantage of the fact that most photos are copyright. So, if brands want to use novel, relevant and interesting photos, they generally have to buy them.
Stock photo sites, however, don’t have teams of people scouring the globe for the best shots. Instead, they plug into the crowd – i.e. you!
All you need to do is take photos of relevant objects, subjects and landscapes on your travels and then pass them over to a stock photography site. They will advertise them for you, providing you with a small royalty every time somebody uses them.
Teach Photography
Another inroad is to teach photography. These days, most professional photographers do this online. They gather up enormous numbers of clients and then charge them a flat fee for a group session or webinar.
Become More Competitive
You can also try entering photography competitions. These regularly pay substantial prize money, so they’re well worth entering if you get the chance.
Of course, you never quite know which photos are going to win, so if you have an unusual photo that “just works,” then submit it.
Support Other Photographers
Supporting other photographers is a great way to build your network, meet new people and get your name out there. You can also watch what they do and then piggyback on their experience.
Remember, there are many photographers out there looking for assistants. The pay isn’t good, but consistent effort over the long-term can help you build your career.
Make Photo Books
There’s also considerable demand for photo books. These are highly customizable and popular among clients.
You’ll need to figure out the best photo storage first before you go down this path since you will be taking lots of photos. However, once you have a process set up, it is a surprisingly simple way to make money. Clients will love it when you add text, frames and other elements to make the photo book even more special.
Sell To Galleries
Galleries are always looking for photographers who can supply them with attractive images for their foyers, marketing and halls. What’s more, these gigs often provide you with a substantial one-off income. Galleries tend to pay well.
The market for galleries is quite small, so it probably won’t form the major part of your income. However, you’ll want to bear it in mind as you take photos. Always ask yourself whether an organization could benefit from what you are doing. Are there opportunities to take corporate images, even if you’re currently on another job?
Take Photos Of Real Estate
The property market lives and dies on quality photography. Homes that look great online tend to attract the most interest and command the biggest premiums over the market price. Thus, good photographs are always in demand.
What’s more, this type of work tends to be regular. Estate agents are continually looking for photographers who can go out into the field and work on properties as they become available. This means that, even if you are a freelancer, you can get a relatively secure and continuous source of income.
Start Your Own Blog
You can also use blogging to amplify your reach, instead of relying exclusively on agencies or individual classifieds. Starting a blog allows you to generate multiple streams of income. It’s actually one of the most powerful tools at your disposal.
Begin by creating a site on WordPress. Then periodically add your photos, showing people the type of work that you do. To make money via your blog, you could do a combination of authority pieces and affiliate marketing, linking to products that you think are genuinely good.
In summary, you can potentially become financially free through photography. However, you will need to be smart about it – and extremely dedicated to your craft.