How To Make REAL Money With Your Photography

Need Ideas for How to Get Money as a Photographer? Start Here!

We all like making money. And as a photographer, especially if you are just starting out, making money is one of the end goals of your art. You want people to love your art and the images you create, but you also need to support yourself, right?

Whether you are looking to become or are already a photographer by trade, or you love doing photography as a side hustle but need to find more ways to make it lucrative, this post is for you.

So, let’s look at these helpful suggestions for ways to start making money from your photography, or sources of income from your photo skills if you didn’t know about them already. (and no, putting coins in your camera is not going to make the dollars happen!)

How To Make Money With Photography: 5 Amazing & Easy To Apply Ideas

Money Making Idea #1: Print your photos to sell

Digital art is great, but seeing your edited and beautiful photos printed on glossy high quality paper in all different sizes just hits different. You want to have some of your photos printed, for your portfolio and also for interested collectors or buyers to see in person and up close.

Your images printed will give a perception of your voice as a photographer, your signature and what makes your art unique, which will attract potential buyers. When starting out as a photographer, you are building your brand and your unique style so printing photos and getting feedback is a helpful way to start getting interest.

Some local cafes or other businesses might also be interested in displaying local artists’ work and will display your art for sale in their spaces, which will give your photos exposure in your local market. You may end up catching the eye of a local collector and have a return customer just from displaying your printed photos.

Photography Income Idea #2: Selling Your Digital Art with NFTs

If you don’t know, an NFT is a digital financial code which can be attached to your digital files, in this case image or video files, in order to create a limited supply of a digital item or product.

For example, you can list a photo and create urgency and demand amongst consumers by attributing an NFT to limit supply. You can sell these with the tagline: “Only ten downloads are available for this digital photo, buy it now!” And we all know that scarcity, urgency and FOMO are great marketing tactics.

This is a great way to share your story as an artist as well as listing a limited supply of your artwork. Stories sell, and sharing your artist journey as well as your artwork will go a long way in building your personal brand.

Photo Money Making Plan #3: Stock Photos and Videos

The simplest way to start making money from your photos, especially when first starting out as a freelance photographer or looking for a lucrative side hustle, is to post your photos and videos for sale on stock sites. There are many sites where people, businesses, artists, you name it will pay good money for stock photography.

Do some quick research on what kinds of photos are selling the most or will be the most popular and go from there. Post some old photos you’ve taken or go shoot some new content. You can even sell bundles of stock photos to get more for the pack. The best part? This can become passive income, as you post your photos and watch the downloads come in.

Pierre T Lambert suggests using a website called Wirestock.io as a source to post your stock photography and videography. It’s a global distribution platform for stock photos, so your shots will end up on all of the popular sites by posting them in one place. Pretty handy!

Easy Photography Business Idea #4: Do Portrait sessions

This one is a no-brainer, but if you’re stuck for ideas to make money from your photography and trying to get started, get out there and talk to people! Many people are interested in having portrait photos, be it for dating sites, Linkedin profiles, graduation, anniversaries, pet birthday you name it!

Pitch your friends, family and even social media followers and friends that you are taking bookings for portrait sessions. Offer a family and friends discount rate. Talk to local pet groups or pet owners at your local dog park. There are so many ways to get portrait shoots, and this will help build your portfolio and get that income.

Make BIG Money With Photos Idea #5: Commercial Shoots

Hit up your local area’s small or even large businesses, and ask if they are interested in photos of their products, website, promotional materials, etc. The possibilities are endless here, you just need to get out there and ask.

And the great part is that you can build loyalty with these businesses so that they keep coming back to you for future photography or videography needs!

Extra Tip!

A bonus technique for making money from your photos when starting out as an artist with little following or brand awareness is from photographer Nigel Danson.

Use location targeting in Facebook ads to market your work to people in specific areas.

For example, if you live in New York city and have cityscape or landmark photography, you could take out the Facebook ad for your New York city photos and target people living in New York.

That’s a creative way to target an audience who would most likely be interested in your work!

Hopefully this will give you some inspiring ways to start getting your work out there more and to be able to bring in income from your passion.

Thanks Pierre for the tips! If you liked this article, then check out this post for more ideas on making money from your photography business!

What is the number 1 thing that you can apply TODAY to your business? Leave it in the comments below!