Christmas is now around the corner - which means January is too: and we all know how tricky January can be! So, for those of you out there that have a camera, take great pictures, and even those that have NO camera but take great pictures with your smartphone; we’re going to check out how you can make a little bit of bank through January by selling your photos!
‘So Apeman’ i hear you asking. ‘How the hell am i supposed to do that now; today?’.
Well friends, it couldn’t really be any easier!
You’ve all heard of Stock and Microstock photography sites, right? And i know, that if you’ve googled such sites already, you’ve probably ended up just confused by it all!
EDIT YOUR PHOTOS IN ONE CLICK WITH LIGHTROOM PRESETS - ALSO FOR LIGHTROOM MOBILE
Help is at hand. I’m not going to go into detail about what is what, and which sites do what, and what sites you MUST go to because they pay the best commission, no. This will be simple, and straight to the point. I’ll put you in the direction of sites that will suit three levels of photographer - The just-for-fun smartphone shooter. The noodling-at-home-with-my-slr photographer. And the seasoned semi-pro whose out and about shooting all kinds of things from street to scenery.
So! Let’s go!
Twenty20
Now, i’ve linked to Twenty20.com above; but primarily, this service shines in its smartphone app. There is some seriously good photography going on on this app. You can follow other photographers, like pictures, create your own collections, enter and vote in competitions and more. People looking for great stock photography come to Twenty20 because it’s an easy site to navigate. And for sellers, it’s also really simple too!
Twenty20 Website
The website from Twenty20 is nice and clean and easy to use for buyers and sellers alike. But, where this platform really shines is through it’s mobile app!
The landing screen on the Twenty20 app
If you use any kind of app where you can post a message, you’ll recognise the plus logo at the bottom middle of the screen. This is where sellers can upload an image for sale direct from their smartphone (that’s it - NO camera needed). Add you photo, a short description, if it’s editorial only or not and add some keywords and you’re set. There is no super-stringent approval process going on behind the scenes like there is with other agencies, so your photos are ready and on-sale as soon as you hit submit!
The royalty rates are good, and there’s been plenty of sales on this platform for me. So, if you’re a whizz with your smartphone camera, this is the place to be!
Shutterstock
Shutterstock is the most popular stock photography agency online; therefore, competition is pretty fierce. You need to stand out to make good money here, but i’m not saying its hard to do well - quite the opposite.
They have an approval process that you need to get through before you can start selling (this process takes a few days), but for most hobby photographers this shoulnd’t present a problem.
The biggest drawback from Shutterstock, apart from the amount of active sellers vying for sales, is the commission rates. They are low - like really low! For most sales, you’ll be getting just $0.25! So, they key to making bank on Shutterstock is volume! If you’ve got a few thousand photos that are worthy of uploading, then once they’re online, you’ll be doing just fine! Uploading the pictures is what will take some time here. As with other agencies, you have to complete descriptions and keywords for each image - then wait for the images to be approved. A word of advice - follow Shutterstocks advice on descriptions closely! If you get the description out of kilt to what they’re expecting, the image will be rejected, and you’ll have to start the process again!
Getty Images
Well, everybody knows this name right?
First, let me distinguish which Getty i’m talking about!
Getty has two principle sites for selling photos - www.istockphoto.com and www.gettyimages.com. The differences between the two? Well, Getty Images specialise in selling mainly editorial photos, and images that have a use in editorial pieces - so magazines, newspapers and so.
The German Getty Images Website
istock is more a classic stock photo site, but the images really are high end. If you’re the advance home-noodler that’s been making big bank on Shutterstock, then you need to get in touch with istockphoto.
Personally, i’m a member of Getty Images News Service. Now, this doesn’t mean im a fully fledged paparazzi, but the images i have available to Getty can be used specifically for editorial.
Don’t be put off by the word Editorial. It can open up a whole new realm to your photography. You’ve seen the newspapers, magazines, news on tv, the still image of people walking past a mobile phone shop where the operators logo the door is brightly lit up? That’s editorial.
The online report about a smartphone app with a close up image of a thumb opening the app on a tablets screen - that’s editorial.
Any image, any situation where you think there could be a connection to a news story - that’s perfect. It might seem a bit silly photographing the logo on a cars back end - but when that car manufacturer goes bankrupt - it’s pictures like that the news outlets will be looking to buy.
Whichever Getty service you choose to apply for - your portfolio must be really strong. As i applied for the editorial service, i had an archive of rockstars to submit - and my application still took an age. But once you’re in, you’re in - and the commission rates are the best around too; 30% in some cases.
Another great angle of contributing editorial stock, is that video is also in high demand.
Imagine you’re outside the local steel mill, taking still images? Or the local big name parcel couriers depot? Take a 30 second video of vehicles driving in and out of the entrance - you’ve all seen these types of clips on the news before - so why not shoot them yourself? You’re there taking stills anyway.
The other big bonus with submitting editorial video is that you can do it, again, straight out of your pocket! No fancy camera required! As most smartphones these days shoot 4k video, and nearly every phone can shoot HD, all you need to do is whip your phone out and shoot 30 seconds of that traffic jam. 30 seconds of fellow commuters waiting on a packed platform. 30 seconds of shoppers walking past the entrance to your towns big department store. Easy! You can shoot that today! Right now! And while you’re waiting for Getty to accept you, Shutterstock will take those videos on too!
I hope this information has been helpful! Check those sites out! If you’re already a member of one, or a different platform, drop a comment and tell us about your experience.
Oh! One final thing. Want to see my most sold photo ever? The photo that has far outsold anything else i’ve ever produced?? Yeah? Well then, here you go!
Blue pencils, a blue bit of paper. Not my most exciting idea - but clearly popular.