I get asked a lot by people that are casual photographers how they might make an extra buck here and there with all the fancy gear they've accumulated.

Often, I find that they're surprised when I start reeling off a long list of ways that normal, everyday people can make money with their camera.

Now, I'm not saying that by having a camera that you can make money. Clearly, the overriding factor is one's ability to take a great photo.

Assuming that you fall into the "takes great photos" category, making money might just be easier than you think.

Let's have a look at three of my favorite money-making plans for photographers in 2017.

Photler

If you're a traveler, I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you have a good collection of photos from your adventures.

I'm also going to assume that at some point, you've wondered if there's a way to profit from the photos you take.

Now there is!

Photler is a great way to make money off your photos because it gives you a platform for having a portfolio, a blog, and a way to share and sell your photos. But don't just take my word for it...

"My all-in-one platform! I can finally expose my photos, write visually stunning blog posts and sell my work under one roof!" - Natalia Horinkova

The first step to making money from your photography is getting a portfolio together. It's your window to the world, so people that are interested in buying prints or hiring you can actually find you and see the type of photos you take.

Likewise, you need a way to market yourself to get eyes on your photos and your name out there as someone that's got the talent to take incredible images. A portfolio helps you accomplish that mission.

But you need more than just a portfolio, and Photler understands that.

You don't have time to mess around designing your portfolio or website, so Photler does it for you.

There's no coding skills required - build your website with a gorgeous pre-made template and make it your own by updating it with your information in an easy-to-use CMS.

Adding your photos couldn't be easier, either. With one click, you can import your images from all over the web - Instagram, Flickr, Dropbox, and so forth - with a single click.

"What I like the most about Photler is that I managed to create my personal website without too much effort :-) Just a few clicks to customize it, upload my pictures and my website came alive - that's fantastic! I definitely fell in love with the interactive map: a simple and brilliant feature to easily travel from a place to another :-) Photler team never leaves you alone if you need some help with technical stuff or anything else - they are really unique :-D In a nutshell, highly recommended to all passionate photographers!" - Grazia Dibenedetto

You can also tell the stories that go along with your images with the integrated blog, which helps immerse people in your photos and connect with your work on a deeper level.

And what does all that mean?

It's easier for you to make money!

Sell your images right from your portfolio, commission free. That means whatever you sell, you get 100 percent of the profits. You also keep your copyrights.

Add in a custom domain name for a professional look, built-in analytics to track the performance of your images and blog posts, social media integration, galleries, and contact forms, and you have the makings for a professional website for your photography.

What's not to like about that?!

There's a lot more to love about Photler. Get an introduction in the video below:

Freelance

Freelance work has always been a possibility for photographers, but in recent years, it has become a much more popular avenue for people to make money with their camera.

Whether you live in a small town or a big city, newspapers, magazines, websites, and so forth are always looking for someone with a creative eye that can fulfill their need for images of local events, places, and people.

The first step to getting freelance work is to put together a portfolio, which as I noted earlier, is quite easy to do with Photler.

Once you have a solid collection of images, it's a simple matter of contacting local publications, pointing them to your portfolio, and make yourself available to document whatever they need.

Granted, freelance work isn't the most stable means of making money, however, if you just need some money on the side, it can work out quite well.

In the long term, once you've got an established relationship with a publication, the stream of jobs is much more likely to be more stable, and might even turn into something more permanent, if you desire.

Become an Assistant Photographer

A great way to make a little money with your camera and get valuable experience behind the lens is to become an assistant photographer, or what is usually referred to as a second shooter.

Established professionals will often hire second shooters to help them cover large events. Weddings, graduations, corporate gigs, and so forth are just too large for a single photographer to handle in many cases.

Enter a second shooter.

Being a second shooter is an excellent way to get your feet wet in the industry without the pressure of having to start your own business, find clients, and so forth.

What's more, in addition to having a chance to make money and get experience, you can also get advice from the primary shooter about how he or she started their business, market themselves, get clients, and so on.

Just like with freelancing, becoming a second shooter requires that you prove your worth to potential employers.

Again, having a solid portfolio that shows off your technical and creative abilities is a crucial aspect of that process.

But having a portfolio isn't enough. You'll need to pound the pavement, make connections with photographers in your area, and take the initiative to seek out second shooting opportunities.

Wrapping It Up

Though there are many different ways you can put some money in the bank with your camera, the ones outlined above are among your best bets.

As noted earlier, being a second shooter gets you valuable experience in the field. Doing freelance work is a great way to make connections in the industry and set yourself up for a potentially long-term working relationship.

But the key to both of those is having a professional portfolio to show off your work. To do that, I can't recommend Photler highly enough!

Get started today so you can unlock the potential of your photography and start making some money!