How often do people show me an image and ask: “can I sell this photo?” Ad nauseam. Literally every single day I get a question about selling photos. Can you sell a photo? Sure. The truth is that you can sell almost any image. Almost anything that comes out of a camera has a value and a reason that someone would buy it.
But, selling images isn’t easy. In fact, it’s hard.
Even when you know which stock sites you should use. Even if one accepts you as a contributor. Even when you’ve uploaded thousands of images. It can be a bleak endeavour. It never feels like the value matches what you put into it. And, it rarely does. But, selling photos is a marathon. It’s compound interest. And, if you plug away at it long enough, you can make good money.
Today, I vlogged about selling photos. More specifically, I talk about my photos from Georgia. Even more specifically, I chat about the difference between a photo that I love, and one that I can sell.
The Factors
I’m going to let the photography vlog tell the story for the most part, but I’ll discuss quickly here.
There are a lot of factors that go into whether you can sell a photo or not:
- Is it a good photo?
- Is it technically sound?
- Does it capture an important moment in time?
- Could it sell something?
- Are there any copyrighted items in the photograph that would make it unusable for commercial photography?
- Is there space for text (usually a bonus).
And even if the answer to all those questions come back positive, you still need to find a buyer.
So, where do you sell images?
- Micro-stock
- Rights-Managed Stock
- Editorial (magazines & Newspapers)
- Tourism Boards
More Business?
I get asked to do business vlogs all the time. But, I’ve been avoiding it a bit because I find them relatively dull. But, if you’re interested, I can get more into this stuff. In fact, I do have a couple of business videos already shot that will come out eventually. I have a video about stock photography, and one about business photography mistakes.
So, look for those at some point soon!
That’s It!
Don’t forget that my time in The Greek Islands starts tomorrow, so be sure to tag along on social media. And, there’s also still a spot left on my Crete Photography Clinic! So, if you’re interested, grab a spot while you can.