With the holidays just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to capture those holiday photos that are sure to sell. Christmas and the surrounding holidays are always in high demand on stock websites. All it takes is a little foresight to turn your holiday get-togethers into a nice side-income. Here are five photo themes that typically sell well this time of year: Real People With Real Emotions Stock agencies look for photos of real people with real emotions, and the holidays are the perfect time to capture the excitement and animation of your friends and family. 
Good Food Think about the “iconic” food of the holidays… turkey on Thanksgiving… gingerbread cookies at Christmas… champagne on New Year’s Eve. Snap some shots of these items and try to avoid logos and clutter in the background. Keep your photos clean, light, and bright. 
Seasonal Fun 
If you’re at home or away on vacation, you can easily photograph fun. Capture moments that are full of life and don’t look forced. You want the activities to look genuine, even if they are highly staged. The Little Things 
Find those iconic details that only come around once a year. Look for photos that will immediately make the viewer think of something specific. Stock images that are able to immediately “say” something are very likely to sell. Also, don’t be afraid to “work the shot.” Get low…shoot from above…crop some of the background… snap a picture from far away… take as many photos as you can until you feel like you’ve got several saleable pictures to choose from. Think Ahead It’s never too early to think about the holidays that follow New Years, too. Many advertisers and designers look for the perfect photo several months prior to their project deadlines. This puts you in the perfect spot to start shooting pictures for Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, and even Mother’s Day. 
Share on Facebook
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about how you can turn your pictures into cash in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel. Sign up here today and we’ll send you a new report, Selling Photos for Cash: A Quick-Start Guide, completely FREE.]