Like with many career tracks in life, things will not always run smoothly. Are you a professional photographer signing up for various gigs but feel that momentum isn’t as constant lately? You might want to venture into stock photography. Yes, you can make money with stock photos, especially with the emergence of platforms such as depositphotos.com, where you can sell your artwork.
No matter what stage you are at in your photography career, having an additional and viable source of income is always fantastic, especially if it is about doing something you love and if the stream of clients isn’t that good. Many photographers nowadays go into the stock photography business.
You may have heard conversations in your community saying how stock photography can be a viable source of income. But how do you actually get started? Here are some proven tips to make money with this kind of photography.
Let’s Review: What Is Stock Photography?
For photographers who are hearing about stock photography for the first time, it is a term for generic imagery that clients use for the visual content of their news stories, websites and blogs, or for their ads and promotional materials.
Using stock photos is much cheaper than hiring and partnering with a photographer. They are usually sold through a platform that keeps an extensive library filled with these images, providing clients a wide range of options.
Tips For Making Money With Stock Photography
Without further ado, here are the proven tips on making money with stock photography, starting with keeping the needs of your end user in mind.
1. Keep The Needs Of Your End User In Mind
To effectively sell your stock photos, you must be aware of your end users. They may be anywhere from bloggers and marketing agencies, to businesses and magazines, to content creators.
You must do more than just upload every photo in your portfolio. Ask yourself: what are these clients looking for? This will help you determine which picture to put in the library.
For instance, businesses often need images running around the concepts of family and teamwork. Then, you should be able to capture such shots and have them in your portfolio.
Also, consider the following questions: “Who will buy your images?”, “Where will they use it for?”, and “How will they use them?” If you compose your photos with these questions in mind, you will have a better chance of selling and making profits.
2. Upload Photos Regularly
Aside from choosing which images to present, you also need to regularly upload your photos. In other words, you have to strike a balance between those two.
Making considerable money depends on how frequently you upload your shots. Uploading regularly is crucial for various reasons. First, of course, the more photos you have on the site that partners with photographers, the greater your chances of making a sale.
Second, uploading regularly keeps your images on top of search results. Lastly, you’ll be able to keep up with trends that constantly change.
If you don’t upload photos regularly, for sure, your earnings will drop. So, generally, if you wish to avoid the so-called time decay, you need to keep uploading high-quality content. This shall keep your photos searchable in engines and help them stay relevant to changing trends.
3. Specialize In A Specific Niche
You have learned about choosing which photos to present and uploading them regularly. The next tip is about specializing in a specific niche.
Know this. Long clients and users of stock photography platforms usually keep with them a list of their favorite photographers, believe it or not, so they won’t have to look far and wide when using a new set of stock photos.
Long story short, if you want loyal clients and more money with stock images on a regular basis, you must specialize in a theme these clients are looking for.
Popular niches include nature, lifestyle, health, daily routines, technology, and so much more.
4. Put Yourself In The Shoes Of Your Clients
This step is often overlooked by many photographers who want to venture into stock photography. The most successful stock photographers can put themselves in their client’s shoes, not just there but at every stage of the process.
When shooting the photos, ask yourself what particular images your clients want for their business. Are they looking for holiday-themed images? Holiday-related visuals, get this, are always in demand. Keep track of occasions that will interest your potential clients.
The same tip applies when you already upload your photos and decide which keywords to use. Think of the search terms your clients will look for. After answering this query, you can successfully formulate the right keywords and descriptions for your photos, making it easier for the end users to discover your work.
5. Follow What’s Trending
This shall come as a no-brainer. Even writers, bloggers, and content creators adhere to this strategy. As a stock photographer, finding the right keywords is just half the battle. Your images must also follow what’s trending.
Thus, focus on trendy topics, concepts, angles, and post-processing. A visual that is outdated is unlikely to be downloaded today.
Keep up with the latest trends so your work will stand out. For instance, create images that reflect an individual’s day-to-day routine. Is it about cooking in the kitchen? Is it about working out? Being in the know of what’s trending is the key to success.
Partner With A Good Stock Photography Platform Like Depositphotos
To conclude this discussion, and also as the last tip, being successful with your stock photography likewise involves partnering with a good stock photography platform like Depositphotos.
Depositphotos is a great site for uploading and selling stock images. Aside from offering an easy signup process, the platform also has a page – like a dashboard – where you can monitor and manage your income, customize your portfolio, and learn about today’s demands. It’s a one-stop platform that can provide you with everything.
Moreover, it also brands itself as a site with a library of over 250 million files that clients can search for. So, if you really want your work to be seen, Depositphotos is the way to go.
Indeed, making money with stock photography isn’t as easy as A-B-C. To master this industry, you must know the proper ways to accomplish things and share your work with the world.
