Where to post photos. How to make money online by selling photographs. Be careful with microblogging

Do you want to make money doing what you love? Easily! We'll tell you how to make money selling photos online.

This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age

Have you already turned 18?

Anyone can sell photographs on the Internet; some people just don’t know about the existence of such a business. If you put in the effort and show perseverance, you can make an excellent source of income. It will make a profit even when the owner is looking for new places to film.

How to start selling photos online?

In order to sell your photographs at a high price, you must first register in one or several photo banks at once. It is through them that the largest flow of photographs comes. Designers and editors from all over the world often look into such photo banks in search of the necessary pictures and inspiration.

It is also important to decide on the material that will be uploaded to the site. As practice shows, those photos that are distinguished by the originality of the plot are in great demand. Landscapes are popular. There is also a demand for the topic of food. These can be either ready-made meals or products. If you decide to capture the sky, then it should be processed with high quality so that it can be bought on a stock photo.

If you don’t know how to make captions for images in English, you can use special translators. But still, to successfully promote photos, it is recommended to own English language at least at an average level. If you make the description correctly, you can increase the saleability of the photo.

To do beautiful pictures, you need to have a professional camera. The 4 MP camera will allow you to do high quality images. In addition, they will need to be processed in Photoshop to make them even better.

Many people are wondering if it is possible to sell their photos multiple times. It's possible. As evidenced by the practice of successful photo stockers, some images are sold dozens of times, while half or even more of those uploaded to the portfolio were never purchased.

There are several sites that offer this type of earnings. The most famous:

• Shutterstock ;
• iStockphoto ;
• Fotolia;
• Dreamtime;
• Bigstock.

If you are interested in stock images in Russia, then it is recommended to go to Lori. The biggest earnings will be on the global American site Shutterstock. It is slightly inferior in ranking to the French Fotolia and the Canadian iStockphoto.

To make money selling photographs, you have to be very diligent. This work requires a lot of patience. Most beginning photo stockers give up this activity even during the registration period on the resource or after their images fail the exam. The exam is an optional procedure, but most resources have it. For each resource you need to make a summary with a specific set of images. An inspector checks them.

To start making money in this business on your own, you don’t have to travel the world and take photographs. You can start with filming environment. It is not recommended to photograph people at the initial stage of their professional development. In order for such images to be posted in a portfolio on the resource, there must be written permission from the people who are depicted.

Stock photos that are popular are photos of sections:

• People;
• animals;
• plants;
• sport;
• health;
• nature.

Where to sell your photos online?

The photographs taken can be sold online. This is the fastest way to get money. Most resources offer to withdraw money to electronic wallets, and then transfer to bank cards.

The whole world needs photographs. The problem of video clips is even more acute. They are often accepted without exams. Photos are needed for magazines, newspapers, and Internet resources. Screensaver images are very popular. A beginning photostocker can start by photographing the texture of walls, a fallen yellow leaf, or dew on the grass. The captured surface of a lake or river will also bring income. These pictures are in demand, they are used for screensavers.

If you don’t know the answer to the question of where pictures are needed, then there is only one answer - images are needed everywhere. They serve as a complement to printed material, allowing you to expand on the topic and complement it.

How to sell photos on a photo bank

At Shutterstock, you need to pass a special exam, which we wrote about above. How this happens: you need to add 10 photos to the photo stock, if less than 7 pictures are selected from them, then the exam is considered failed. You can try again only after a month, but the advantage is that there can be an unlimited number of such attempts.

Designers, editors, and photographers come to Shutterstock to find new images, as it is the most popular and most profitable resource worldwide.

If you are interested not in selling, but in purchasing images, then you will need to buy a subscription here. It allows you to download 25 photos daily. The fee for this is just under $200. Here you can sell video clips. The system on this resource is built in such a way as to stimulate buyers and generate even more income.

Stocks sell original photographs that you won’t find anywhere else. It is recommended for anyone interested in art to visit it.

Creativemarketcom also requires passing an exam. This is a site that sells vector animation. On this platform you need to create a store where you can place products. When registering, you must write why you want to sell here.

On IStockphoto you need to take 3 photos, but they must be very High Quality and exactly correspond to the declared category. You can retake the exam as many times as you like after any time period.

For Depositphoto you need to prepare 5 test photos. This is a platform with high growth rates, so it is recommended to register here for future earnings.

If you are interested in artistic photos, you can sell them on 500px. This exchange is not like the previous ones: there is no exam. It is important that the name of the photographer is known, and that his works have already appeared on Internet resources. You can start promoting your works through Instagram, LiveJournal, VKontakte page or Facebook.

How to sell photos for money?

If you don’t know how much you can sell photos for, then the symbolic price in photo stocks is 1-6 dollars. At first glance, this seems like a very small amount, but profit is achieved by selling the same product multiple times.

If you are the owner of old family photos, then they will also help generate income. All you need to do is make copies of old images and send them to the resource. They are in demand, so they will become a profitable business.

Pre-revolutionary family photographs must be in good condition. They are sought after by collectors and can be purchased for very large sums of money. In order not to sell yourself short, you should definitely consult with professionals to evaluate the image, and then make a deal.

How to sell photos to a newbie online?

The best-selling photos on stock photo sites

The most expensive photographs sold at auction cost several million dollars for each copy. There is something to strive for as a novice photographer. Andreas Gursky took an image of the Rhine River in rainy weather, which sold for $4,338,500. Cindy Sherman, who is characterized by staged work, took some of the most expensive photographs in the history of mankind. Among them is the work “Untitled #96” (1981), which was sold for $3,890,500.

You can take pictures of everything that comes in head and falls for eyes:

• nature;
• celebrities;
• body parts;
• objects.

But probably one of the more profitable and popular ones are nude photos. Street art is gaining popularity in photographs. Such photographs will also bring profit. If you are interested in how much a wedding photo can be sold for, then it is recommended to look at the prices for them on the Internet. You can sell photos from corporate events. If you don’t have professional equipment, you can take pictures using your phone. The Fotolia app allows you to sell photos from your phone by downloading and installing it.

A photobank is an image repository that simultaneously acts as an intermediary between the photographer and the buyer: websites, print publications, design and advertising agencies. He negotiates with existing clients, looks for new ones, and makes all financial calculations.

If you believe the ratings of photo banks, shots with everyday scenes and emotional showdowns are in great demand. Business sketches will not go unnoticed: work meetings, a manager at the table, employees under time pressure. The theme of a happy old age is relevant - grandparents surrounded by grandchildren. And always in demand object shooting fruits, decorations, interior details. Uploaded photos are checked by the editor and only after his approval are published in the catalog. You can upload pictures to several photo banks at once, unless this is prohibited by the terms of the copyright transfer agreement.

All images must be accompanied by keywords (usually at least five), which make it clear what is captured in the photo and allow you to quickly find the desired photo. Many photographers duplicate the description in English in order to cooperate not only with Russian-speaking buyers.

Keep in mind: if the photo shows a person, you must include a model release. This is an agreement from the model to use the photo free of charge. If you photographed minors, you will need an agreement signed by their parents. A sample of this document can be found on the photo bank website.

Head of PR department at Fotobank/Getty Images agency:

In print and online publications

Large newspapers and magazines either use the services of trusted photographers or collaborate with certain photo banks. Therefore, it is quite difficult for a beginner or inexperienced amateur photographer to publish in them. But smaller ones may well buy your pictures. Do you have a favorite magazine or news site? Contact the editor and offer your services. Don’t forget to include a link to your portfolio; without it, the photo editor will most likely not consider your application.

To publishing houses and advertising agencies

Don't limit your circle of customers. Your photos may be in demand, for example, by publishers of postcards and calendars or advertising agencies. They have their own database of photographers, and this is where they start their search. Getting into this number is not very difficult: offer your work. Remember that it is easier and faster for editors to view them on your website or in your profile on a special resource than through an archive attached to a letter.

At the device

Remember: before you start making money from your photos and videos, you will have to buy quality equipment.

It's your right

The main document when collaborating with a photo bank is an agreement on the transfer of copyright. When transferring exclusive rights, you should remove the photo from the databases of other photo banks for the period specified in the agreement - you will not be able to sell this photo during the agreed period, but the fee will be higher. Non-exclusive rights do not impose such restrictions: you will receive money for your photo as many times as they buy it from you.

Showed it to everyone

Advertising and documentaries often use videos shot by non-professionals; educational videos, for example, on how to do a hairstyle, are popular. Local TV stations and news sites sometimes buy on-scene footage that illustrates or even becomes a news story. The main requirements: the video must be shot by you personally, and it must not contain content protected by copyright.

Remember that the photos must be:

• copyrighted;
• high-quality (without overexposure and failures in the shadows, without digital noise and compression artifacts);
• without dates, signatures, copyrights, frames, borders;
• with a well-structured composition and plot.

Cost of photos

Photo banks: the price varies depending on the size of the image and the purpose of its use. The photo bank will evaluate your photo according to its price list and after the sale will pay you a fee of 30-50% of the full cost - from 10 to several thousand rubles per photo.

Print and online publications: depends on the magazine/newspaper/website. On average, you can earn from 300 rubles from one photo.

Publishers and advertising agencies: Here you can bargain, but remember that it will be more profitable for you to sell more frames at a low price than not to sell any due to the sky-high cost. Advertisers and publishers pay approximately 500 rubles per photo.

You can post your work...

In photo banks:

• http://www.fotobank.ru/
• http://www.profimages.ru/
• http://lori.ru/
• http://www.microstock.ru/
• http://www.clipartbank.ru/
• http://www.fotostoki.ru/
• http://club.foto.ru/
• http://photoxpress.ru/
• http://ru.depositphotos.com/

In video banks:

• http://lori.ru/
• http://shop.565.ru/
• http://www.shutterstock.com/
• http://www.pond5.com/
• http://www.revostock.com/

TEXT: Irina Styufeeva

The selection of images is over, the headache is ahead - where to place your portfolio? Photo sites are the first thing that comes to mind, but most of them are visited by colleagues: they also post, promote and update their portfolio. Likes, comments, acquaintances - you can probably reassure yourself with this, but a stable income is more important than media exposure. If you think about it, even for a minute, you begin to understand that Behance is an excellent project, but in Russia, for life in the outback, it is completely unsuitable: a private customer prefers a sundress; I don’t mind, or I’m ready to search, but only within the framework of search engine results.

A printed portfolio is an asset, but only subject to personal contact. Leave, exhibit, regard as passive advertising, a folder of photographs or a photo book, you cannot; and again the photographer faces the problem - where to place his portfolio? Of course, you can “tear out one or two pages from the portfolio” and turn them into a banner, for example, but this is not a portfolio, but an advertisement, a single photo for reference. Will anyone notice? Big question. The idea has been creeping in, for a very long time, that the industry is structured differently than is commonly believed, and there is no doubt that promotion is self-deception, the photographer simply serves services and companies.

In the Internet

Searching for a customer - an opportunity to work, create your own photograph; income is a consequence, and it is better to stop attempts to replace the result with promotion, so as not to fall into temptation - not of bread, but of glory. Social status- an unstable, meaningless goal, for the sake of which, to his own detriment, the photographer receives awards, reviews, temporary recognition.

I'm afraid, but I will note that a photographer can classify himself as an intelligentsia, but he will have to change, understand and correct a lot in himself. After all, an intellectual is activity, education; It's not about the crust, but about the content of a person. There are few such photographers. Valery Plotnikov is the most significant and at the same time the least visible of all.

There is little of his work on the Internet, but his portfolio contains all the light of a bygone era; all you have to do is pick up one of his books and turn the page; and further. A person works, eats his bread honestly, and at the same time does not collect glory. Of course, the author’s world shapes life, but who to be is what the person “manages.”

You can post your first portfolio online to test the tastes of local clients and adjust your online strategy. Social networks are not about portfolios; the quality, like the format, has changed - everything is very sad and relaxed. Passive promotion is gone and its place is taken by leads - track, help and attract. It works, but it wastes time.

Among the photo sites, one can highlight PhotoVogue. In its format, a portfolio is a bet on the future: direct partnership or the opportunity to present your work as part of the annual exhibition “101 photographers”. Yes, the future is time, an investment, but Vogue quickly recoups its costs and if you please the editors “over there,” then the clientele “here” will change and they will begin to “understand.”

The main portfolio can be placed on the website and it is convenient, but expensive, without comments and fame. Others don’t understand why they should maintain their resource when everything around is free, and that makes the cheese sweeter. A personal website is a showcase: locals get used to it, clients find it, and it helps them make money if they do it purposefully.

And beyond

There is life beyond the Internet. Another ten years will pass and many will doubt this. May be. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, I just look with interest at the possibilities:

• Foyer. Traditionally, it is decorated with paintings, but what prevents us from reaching an agreement is to cite, as an example, the registry office, which has long been turned into a gallery, often a personal one.
• Books. Regions love themselves, they are flattered when they publish a chronicle in small editions: streets and building facades, prominent figures and events of good years. Expensive, but forever!
• Calendars. Corporate - product and payment, social copyright - portfolio, in a sense - a pocket version. Pavel Apletin,

The “micro” in “microstock” means, sadly, a fee. You will only receive a small percentage from selling your photos on microstock. However, you will not need to look for buyers - they will find you themselves. In addition, you won’t have to compete with famous photographers: buyers come to microstocks primarily for the image, and not for the popular name of the photographer.

Microstocks are also ideal for beginners because they allow you to practically understand which of your photos are more commercially in demand.

Sergei Zolkin/Unsplash.com

Before you upload your photos to a microstock site, you should carefully read the rules (including the fine print) to make sure you feel comfortable following them. The following rules are the same for everyone:

• You must be over 18 years old.
• You must be the author of all files you upload.
• You must have all rights and permissions to the elements depicted (objects, people, places, etc.).
• You must not sell images that contain logos or protected trademarks.
• You must not sell photographs containing images of structures, buildings or other places protected by intellectual property law.

Oliver Berghold/Unsplash.com

The largest and most popular microstocks are Fotolia, DreamsTime, Shutterstock, Depositphotos and, of course, iStockPhoto. Let's figure out what awaits you upon registration.

Fotolia

The registration form is quite simple, but in order to become an image seller, you need to upload a scan of an identity document (passport, driver's license). Without a copy of the document, your files will not be accepted for consideration. On the other hand, there is no exam here. Unfortunately, new photos do not sell very quickly here, and your earnings depend on the rating on the site. Income is calculated in points, which can be cashed out after the number reaches 50. You can get from 20 to 63% for selling individual images or from 0.25 to 0.40 points for selling images by subscription. Payments are made using PayPal or Skrill. The site supports Russian language.

DreamsTime

DreamsTime is very good for beginners, since here the verification process is perhaps the softest among sales leaders: registration does not require confirmation of documents, there is no exam. But the requirements for image quality are quite high. The site's commission ranges from 70 to 40%, while the image can be sold for 0.2%. Payment can be received via Payoneer, PayPal, Skrill. Among the disadvantages of this photo bank, it should be noted that the interface is not very user-friendly, as well as possible problems with loading images in some browsers (Firefox).

Shutterstock

Shutterstock pays the most and sells the fastest. To register, you must provide a scan of your passport. The service has a wide audience, which contributes to high sales. But at the same time, it requires higher quality and uniqueness of the images. To become a Shutterstock contributor, you will have to pass an exam - 10 images, at least seven of which must be accepted. Beginning authors usually receive $0.25 per work via PayPal, Skrill. But the works sell quickly due to the fact that the site is focused specifically on new images. The amount of payment increases as the total amount of earnings increases. Automatic payouts begin when the minimum amount of $100 is reached. Among the shortcomings, it is worth noting the low speed of operation.

Matthew Wiebe/Unsplash.com

Depositphotos

Registration on the actively developing Depositphotos requires providing a scan of any identification document. The exam consists of five papers and is very strict. But working with Depositphotos is quite pleasant. According to the site's incentive program, the author receives $0.2 for each accepted image. It is possible to receive payment not only through PayPal and Skrill. Thanks to its Russian roots, Depositphotos has a convenient Russian interface, which will be very useful in the initial stages of working with microstocks.

iStockPhoto

iStockPhoto has the most stringent verification and examination policies. At the same time, his pay is the highest. To register, you must provide a scan of a document (passport, international passport or driver's license). The exam consists of ten photographs. Photographers receive from 15 to 45%, but with exclusive contracts, earnings can be quite high. Payment methods: PayPal, Payoneer. There is also a Russian version of the site.

It’s also worth noting a couple of rapidly developing resources - 123 Royalty Free and BigStockPhoto. Registration on 123RF requires confirmation with scanned documents. However, the 10-photo exam is much easier to pass than the aforementioned iStockPhoto or Shutterstock. Payment is possible via Payoneer, PayPal or Skrill. And the BigStockPhoto exam is a theoretical test (without supporting documents).

Users of one of the most popular sites for photographers, art lovers, and design lovers have mixed opinions about the redesign; moreover, for many it has become a reason to start looking for a new platform for publishing their works.

Look At Me explored alternative platforms for publishing photos for personal and professional purposes, as well as the communities that have developed around them.

Exposure, unlike Stampsy, was created as a platform for photographers with an emphasis on narratives, series of photographs united by one idea. In general, for photographers who want to tell stories, and not just post photos as they come. This description includes not only sequential photographs, but also the actual description of what is happening in them. From several such photo stories, in principle, it is more than possible to put together a kind of portfolio (even without buying a pro account - the free one allows you to publish three photo stories), if you don’t get around to making your own website. Although the latter, in general, is a rather pointless idea in 2014.

Main plus

The ability to tell stories that are easy to read, thanks to the illustrative series, and not just posting photographs.

Also a kind of online photo storage, something like Tumblr, but for copyright photographs; The main difference from its predecessors is the ability to sell photographs directly through the site. To do this, you need to select the For Professionals option, and then set the price of the photo, etc. The service promises to take care of all sorts of legal aspects, take care of the protection of your copyrights and provide round-the-clock support if, for example, selling photographs is new to you.

Main plus

Possibility to sell photos directly through the site.

A platform for creating your own portfolio website for mobile and web versions, with a special emphasis on iPhone and iPad. Based on the Viewbook, essentially your own website is created, within the given design variations. Viewbook has 3 types of membership, the cheapest starts at $4 per month.

Main plus

Creating a website with your own url.

The French-based site is perhaps the most popular among those who have fled Flickr out of frustration with what they can't control. appearance your page. Ipernity is indeed very similar in appearance and functionality to Flickr and, most importantly for the established community, the presence of groups (where any user can add their photos) and discussions - in general, it is the exchange of experience within the forum, supported by the visual part, and Flickr was the strongest.

Main plus

A photo community where many former Flickr users migrated.

The VSCO application is remarkable not only for its filters (and tutorials on how to use them) and the goal of reminding that photographs can still be beautiful, even if no one needs cameras anymore, but also for its attempts (quite successful) to develop the photo community. To do this, the team maintains the VSCO Journal, where it shares best photos, selected over the past week or weekend, and also created a special social network and at the same time a photo platform - VSCO Grid, in which each user of the application can upload their photos, and the most beautiful of them can be included in the “editor's choice”.

Main plus

VSCO not only provides a platform for photographs, but constantly publishes tutorials and interviews with professionals, that is, it tries to give users new knowledge.

Simply put, this is a LJ from photography. Website slogan: a photo a day. Photos are organized based on the date you posted them and are located next to each other on the calendar. That is, it’s more likely not even a platform, but a photo diary, which with its functionality reminds you that it’s time to update a couple of photos. Well, the response system works according to the same principle: subscribers write comments by analogy with the same Livejournal.