Last Updated on November 17, 2023 by pixjohn
Sell photos and make money online.
Selling photographs is one of the best ways to generate passive income. As a hobbyistic photographer, you would have a good collection of photos. For passive income, you can try selling in major stores which benefits creators and it gives you rewards as well.
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Many stock photo websites offer photographers the opportunity to sell their photos and receive a royalty for each photo sold. The amount you can earn will depend on the website’s commission structure, the type of license you sell for your photos, and the number of downloads or sales you receive.
How does the stock photo website make money?
That’s not hard to guess. By selling photographs to customers. They charge customers for the use of their images.
When a customer purchases a license to use an image the stock photo website takes a commission on the sale. The commission rate can vary depending on the stock photo website and the type of license the customer purchases. Some stock photo websites also offer subscription plans, where customers pay a monthly or yearly fee for access to a set number of downloads or images.
In addition to selling licenses, some stock photo websites also make money by offering premium or exclusive content, as well as through partnerships with other businesses or organizations. They may also generate revenue from advertising on their website, or by offering additional services such as photo editing or printing.
What type of photo is best to sell?
The type of photos that are best to sell varies depending on the market and current trends. There are no specific categories or formulas to sell the same photo on a day and on every occasion.
- People: Photos of people in various settings, poses, and emotions, including portraits, lifestyle scenes, and action shots. Photographs with people posing or doing some tasks are very popular to show the stories and are very much evergreen.
- Landscapes and nature: Photos of scenic landscapes, forests, mountains, rivers, beaches, and other natural settings. We love nature and such trends never go away. Nature’s beauty is always refreshing.
- Technology and business: Photos of technology, devices, and business-related subjects such as offices, meetings, and presentations. Tech products get upgraded and the latest items are in demand.
- Food and drink: High-quality photos of dishes, ingredients, and drinks, with an emphasis on fresh, appetizing, and visually appealing subjects. People love food and quality photos are always appreciated. Foods like cake, sweets, and candies will be the best choice.
- Travel and tourism: Photos of iconic landmarks, tourist destinations, and cultural events from around the world. Another category to look at will be traveling, where you can capture almost all kinds of scenes. Maybe a festival shoot with people.
- Animals: Photos of domesticated and wild animals, including pets, wildlife, and nature scenes. There is a large community of pet lovers. Photos of animals in action will definitely have people’s attention. These photos will be in demand for advertisement purposes.
- Objects and products: Photos of everyday objects, tools, gadgets, and products with an emphasis on clean, simple, and stylized images. Furniture or vehicles, and advertisement industries will require these.
Keep in mind that the demand for these categories of photos can change over time, and it is always a good idea to stay up-to-date on the current market trends and customer demands.
Websites offer a platform to sell photos online
Shutterstock
Very popular and widely in demand for stock photos, vector images, vector icons, and clips. With a collection of over 2000 million royalty-free images, it become one of the largest well-known stock photo agencies in the world.
Shutterstock operates on a subscription-based model, where customers can access a limited number of images per day or purchase a larger package of downloads for a lower cost per image.
You as a contributor can earn money by submitting your photos to the Shutterstock collection, and the company pays you royalties based on the number of downloads of their photos.
iStock
Equally popular among the top stock photo websites. Formerly known as iStockPhoto. With over 200 million royalty-free images, illustrations, and videos it is now a part of the Getty Images group.
It operates on a credit-based system. Purchase requires credits to download images and the credit depends on the size and resolution.
Contributors earn money by submitting photos to their collection and they pay royalties on the number of downloads.
Adobe Stock
Well-known brand in photo editing and illustration software. It does have a market to sell photos online. With a large collection of royalty-free images, illustrations, and videos contributors can earn good money by selling photos.
It operates in a subscription-based model where customers can access a limited number of images per day or purchase a large package of downloads for a lower price for an image.
Contributors earn royalties on the number of photo downloads. Adobe has its own photo editing software, so the photo integrates Adobe Creative Cloud products.
Alamy
A stock photo agency that offers a collection of over 200 million images and videos for commercial use. The images are available for license to businesses, publishers, and individuals for a fee. Alamy operates on a royalty-free model, which means that customers only need to pay once to use an image multiple times.
500px
It is a photography community and marketplace where photographers can share, discover, and sell their photos to customers. You as a member can showcase your portfolios and connect with other photographers and potential customers.
500px offers a variety of licensing options for customers to purchase photos, including royalty-free and rights-managed licenses. Photographers can earn money by selling their photos through the 500px marketplace, and customers can browse and purchase photos for use in their projects.
Foap
A photo-selling platform that connects photographers with potential customers who are in need of photography for their personal or commercial projects.
Foap gives you the ability to upload photos and set their own prices for each photo. When the customer buys a photo, Foap takes a commission, and the photographer earns the rest.
It offers a mission feature, where customers can request specific photos, and photographers can submit their photos to be considered for the mission.
Dreamstime
A stock photo agency with a collection of over 200 million images and videos for commercial use.
The images are available for license to businesses, publishers, and individuals for a fee, and Dreamstime operates on a royalty-free model, which means that customers only need to pay once to use an image multiple times.
Photographers can also earn money by submitting their photos to the Dreamstime collection, and the company pays out royalties to photographers based on the number of downloads of their photos.
Bigstock
It is now part of the Shutterstock group. A stock photo agency that offers a collection of over 60 million royalty-free images, illustrations, and videos for commercial use.
Bigstock operates on a subscription-based model, where customers can access a limited number of images per day or purchase a larger package of downloads for a lower cost per image.
Contributors earn money by submitting their photos to the Bigstock collection, and the company pays out royalties based on the number of downloads of their photos.
Depositphotos
A stock photo agency that offers a collection of over 200 million royalty-free images, illustrations, and videos for commercial use. Depositphotos operates on a subscription-based model, where customers can access a limited number of images per day or purchase a larger package of downloads for a lower cost per image.
The company pays out royalties based on the number of downloads of their photos. Depositphotos provides a platform for customers to easily search and purchase high-quality stock photography for use in their projects.
Wirestock
Wirestock. is an AI-powered marketplace for creators to sell and buy AI-generated art, photos, and videos. The platform provides creators with a suite of tools to generate, upscale, and publish their AI-powered creations, and connects them with a global community of buyers.
Join to sell photographs, vector art, video footage, and AI-generated image sales. they have partnered with many major stock websites where your art will be listed for sale.
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