Make Money With Your Digital Photography

Digital photography has exploded over the last 10 years putting extremely powerful Make Money With Your Digital Photography 240x300 Make Money With Your Digital Photography picturestechnology into the hands of just about anyone with the interest or desire to shoot photographs. Costly barriers including equipment, film, and dark rooms once prohibited amateurs from diving into the art. Thanks to new powerful and affordable technology, today’s hobbyists are producing professional work, and many of them are asking, “How can I make money at this?” Erin Manning, professional photographer and successful entrepreneur, is pulling back the curtain to reveal what it takes to develop a photography hobby into a part-time business in her new book, Make Money with your Digital Photography (Wiley; May 2011; 9780470474310; $29.99). Using personal stories and practical ideas, readers will learn the big picture about the various genres and details about making money and handling the business aspects of digital photography.

Building a successful business takes more than passion and photographic talent. Erin Manning knows how, and she shares her expertise in this nuts-and-bolts guide. Manning tells readers, “Whether you’re a beginning photographer with a new dSLR or a more advanced enthusiast with a collection of beautiful images, this book is designed to provide an overview on how to assess opportunities.” From equipment essentials and marketing the business, to countless tips to help improve the product, readers get top advice from Manning and a select group of knowledgeable and experienced photographers and contributors who have been successful in their work. Make Money with your Digital Photography also includes coverage of:

  • Finding customers for your business and following up on paid opportunities
  • Exploring specialties, including wedding photography, photographing children’s sports, and taking family portraits
  • Developing a business plan, registering a name, copyrighting work, setting prices, and managing cash flow

For anyone that has considered turning their digital photography hobby into a money-making venture, Make Money with your Digital Photography is the resource that will save readers both time and money getting there. The information and guidance inside this book can help anyone in starting out as a part-time professional photographer.

About the Author

Erin Manning is a professional photographer, educator, media personality, and natural entrepreneur. She helps people understand photography and technology by translating technical language into everyday words and by facilitating learning with a clear, friendly teaching style. She specializes in lifestyle imagery for clients such as AT&T, Bank of America, Disney, various lifestyle magazines, healthcare organizations and individuals.

In addition to Make Money With Your Digital Photography, Erin is also the author of Portrait and Candid Photography Photo Workshop, published by John Wiley & Sons.

add to cart4 Make Money With Your Digital Photography pictures

Top Selling Microstock Photography | Dreamstime

make money with microstock photography 300x280 Top Selling Microstock Photography | Dreamstime picturesMicrostock photography has experienced tremendous growth in just a few short years. Digital cameras and broadband access are key contributors to the surge in market share. However,  low price points have been the primary reason for their recent success.

What is microstock photography? Microstock photography is an offshoot of traditional stock photography. In most cases, microstock photography businesses are exclusively operated via the Internet, are open to virtually any photographer, photographers receive lower payments compared to traditional stock photography standards (ranging from $.25 to $15), and images are typically offered royalty-free to the buyer.

Can I make money selling my photos using a microstock photo site? While much has been written about the pros and cons microstock photography sites has had on the traditional photography market, in a nutshell, yes you can make money in this market.

Microstock photography sites have created opportunities for many individuals and businesses that did not previously exist. Regardless of your experience level or portfolio size, if you can produce marketable images you now have a forum to showcase your work in front of millions of potential customers.

The site I personally use for my graphic design and marketing businesses is Dreamstime. They offer a tremendous selection of very affordable images with an easy to use interface. Many of my customers no longer have a large budget for producing promotion material. Dreamstime provides a great value for any business in need of stock photography(generic subject matter, but technically sound images).

From a photographer’s perspective, I was amazed at the success many have had in selling their work. Here is a list of a couple of the more successful photographers at Dreamstime, the size of their portfolio, and the amount of downloads they’ve sold:

Ron Chapple Studios

Uploaded files: 15476
Total sales: 60089
Portfolio exposure: 100%
Downloads per image: 3.88
Message boards: 7
Monthly uploads: 672.87 average
Uploads this month: 0

Redbaron

Uploaded files: 5434
Total sales: 21239
Portfolio exposure: 35.11%
Downloads per image: 3.91
Message boards: 12
Monthly uploads: 98.80 average
Uploads this month: 0

If you are interested in pursuing this potentially lucrative photography market, I would recommend signing up for an account and exploring what possibilities exist for your style of photography, plus picking up this terrific book on the topic by Douglas Freer.

Turn Your Photography Into a Cash Machine

dreamstime stockphotography Turn Your Photography Into a Cash Machine picturesSelling photos online has never been easier. With the creation of micro stock photography sites such as Dreamstime, the ability for individual photographers to market and sell their work is unlimited. Online since 2000 as a Royalty-Free stock photography website, Dreamstime ranks third in stock photography audience with over 2,000,000 images online and over 4 million unique monthly visitors.

If you have not already please show your support for us by subscribing to our rss feed!

Personally, I have been a user of this site for over 4 years. Even though I am a photographer, I love the affordable royalty-free images. When tasked to create a presentation or promotional material with a tight deadline, it is much more affordable and quicker to select an image from the Dreamstime’s vast library versus doing my own photoshoot. No model fees, studio rental costs, just a few dollars per image.

For photographers considering working for a micro stock photography, the income per image is not extremely high. However, you have the benefit of affordable pricing and tremendous traffic that work in your favor. Each time an image is downloaded, you receive a royalty payment. The great thing about this arrangement is your royalty payments increase based on the popularity of your image. Check out Sell Your Images for complete payment schedule!

If you are interested starting a career in stock photography, or just looking for some extra income, I would highly recommend a great book by Michal Heron titled, “How to Shoot Stock Photos that Sell”. It’s a very affordable book, jammed full of tips to get you headed in the right direction.