Using Stock Photography Sites Tips

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Can amateur photographers earn income selling stock photos?

Amateur Photographers Can Earn Stock Income

In recent years, many new stock photo websites have entered the stock photo market. Because of the advancement of camera equipment, amateur photographers can list their photos online, sometimes even for free. But what happens to that photo? And how much can a photography buff get paid? That all depends on how good the site is and how many times a particular image gets bought. Reputable stock photography sites pay about 10, 20 or 30 cents each time a photo gets purchased by someone visiting the site. That may not sound like much but many photographers, both amateur and professional alike, have discovered that these small fees can add up to big dollars over time. If you list your images with a stock photo website, you may find that photo appearing in a number of places including websites, annual reports, brochures and bill boards. Remember, each time an image is used, you'll earn some income, so listing your amateur shots online could prove to be a substantial income on the side.

   
What kind of photos can I sell online?

Submitting Stock Photos to Web Sites

So you think you're a fairly good photographer. Your family and friends are always asking for copies of your pictures because you get the best expressions, the prettiest sunsets and the cutest baby shots. It is true that all these types of photos have potential to be sold on stock photo sites, but keep in mind that a lot of people are good at taking pictures of babies and sunsets, so submitting the shots your family and friends think are good may not prove successful on a stock site. Here are some tips for submitting photos to stock sites:

*Don't get nostalgic. Pick photos that offer a new perspective of a typical shot. Or, better yet, study some successful stock photographers (you can do this online) and see what images they tend to shoot. Make notes of which ones sell.

*Don't just copy what you see on other stock photo websites. Many photographers, desperate to get stock photos accepted, do just this.

*Consider what makes you and your life unique. What locations do you have access to that many others don't? What are your hobbies? What about the hobbies of those close to you?

*Are you familiar with any type of special equipment? Interesting angles of such subjects may be just the photo nobody else has.

*Finally, don't be put off by rejection. Read carefully the rejections you get from stock photography sites. They will offer clues as to what you are missing in your stock photo portfolio.

   
How do I get started using stock photography sites?

Spend Time Registering on Stock Photo Sites

Good stock photo sites pride themselves on offering high-quality, high resolution photos for a nominal fee. They also boast that those who need to buy such images can do so quickly. The Internet has sped up the pace of business ten-fold, putting people who produce marketing materials under tight deadlines. The last thing you want to do is log on to a stock photography site and find out you need to spend time registering to use the site before you are eligible to buy photos. Most sites have some form of registration and the time it takes to complete them will vary from site to site. The best thing to do if you've decided to investigate buying photos online is to register with a few sites so that you won't lose precious time on a deadline. You may want to register with three to five such sites; that way you'll be able to quickly access another if one search isn't producing the images you want.

   
Is it always best to search for stock photos yourself?

Skilled Researchers May Find Stock Photos Faster

One of the best advantages of using stock photography websites is that literally millions of images are at one's fingertips. Therefore, it must be easy to find just the right image, correct? Not always. Because each site may catalogue and index its photos differently, you may enter one word, such as "sun" and get a picture of someone who is sunburned! If you are a small business owner looking for stock photos to enhance your marketing materials, you might spend all day discovering the individual quirks of a variety of stock photo websites. Therefore, it might be worth your while to hire a stock photography agency who has extensive knowledge of the reputable sites out there and how best to quickly sort through the myriad of photos now available for sale online. This will cost more money up front, but will save you countless hours of your valuable time. Graphic design firms are also quite skilled at finding stock photos fast since they work with them on a daily basis.

   
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