For more about how you can get started with photography today, visit: dev.greatescapepublishing.com/start/photography.
“If you have a dream, you can spend a lifetime studying, planning, and getting ready for it. What you should be doing is getting started.” — Drew Houston
Bonnie Caton joins Great Escape Radio in this episode to talk about breaking into stock photography. Bonnie sells many of her photos through online stock photo agencies like Shutterstock and iStock. She also owns a photography business in Portland where she focuses on professional headshots.
One of the things she enjoys about selling photos through stock agencies is that it provides a monthly income with very little effort. It’s also an excellent way to subsidize travel.
Here are some basic tips for getting started in stock photography:
- Look into stock agencies and choose a few you want to work with.
- Sign up as a member at each.
- Start uploading your photos to those agencies. (You can sell those same photos through each of the different agencies.)
- Add titles and key words so people can find your photos. For photos of Rome, you might use Italy, Rome, Travel, and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Hit submit and continue this process as you take more photos.
Once your submit your images to an agency, it’s out of your hands – people all over the world can buy the use of that photo and you get a percentage of the sale from the agency. The bigger your portfolio, the more income you’re likely to earn.
Some photos sell better than others. To figure out what types of photos sell best, check out an agency like istockphoto.com. In the search bar, type in something you like to photograph and see what kinds of photos within that theme sell on that agency.
Bonnie explains, “The biggest thing that is going to make the photos sell is usefulness. People searching for photos through stock agencies are usually people creating reports, ads, marketing campaigns, blogs or newsletters and even magazines. Figure out what is useful to them and that will help you figure out what photos will sell.”
We offer all kinds of workshops and programs to help you get started. The live workshops are the most expensive, but offer the most opportunities. But if you can’t afford a workshop right off the bat, join Bonnie with her weekly Breakfast Stock Club newsletter for tips on getting started in stock photography.
Another great overview for getting stated in photography is the Turn Your Pictures Into Cash program. This home study program offers an overview of several photography markets, information on techniques, choosing the right camera, tips for taking photos of people, landscapes, etc., and details on how to break into various markets.
The best advice Bonnie has for you? Just do it.
“You’re going to be nervous when you start out, everyone is. Just start anyway. You will get rejected but don’t worry about it. The longer you wait, the more income you lose. You’ll never know if you don’t try!”
For more about how you can get started with photography today, visit: dev.greatescapepublishing.com/start/photography.
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