If you want to go into business for yourself and you're wondering how to make money with photography, this list is for you.
There are some obvious choices, to be sure.
But there are also some less obvious ways to make money taking pictures.
In the video above, Evan Ranft offers up a few ideas on the matter.
Check it out to see what he has to say, and for additional thoughts on some of his ideas, read on!
Editor's Tip: If you don't have a photography website, you're behind the ball. Get a domain for your photography website.
Make Money as a Photographer With YouTube
YouTube has become the platform of choice for all manner and sort of photographers, and with good reason.
All you need to start a YouTube channel is a camera and some ideas for videos. And once your channel hits 10,000 views, you can start monetizing your videos to earn income.
The great thing about YouTube is that you not only have an opportunity to expand your network of fans, clients, colleagues, and so forth, but you can earn passive income.
That is, once your video is live, you can earn income from that video from there on out without having to do anything else.
What could be better than that?!
Learn More:
Create Stock Photos and Videos for Extra Income
The earnings you can make from stock photos isn't what it used to be, but there's still potential for earning income there.
That's also true of stock videos, which are becoming more and more popular with every passing year.
What's nice about shooting stock photos and videos as a means to make money as a photographer is that you can shoot what you enjoy and make it available for others. After all, there is massive need for video content by all kinds of businesses.
That means that if you like landscapes, take photos and videos of landscapes, and there will be a market for those images, whether it's an individual or business that utilizes them.
Granted, you have to work to develop a strong stock photography portfolio, but, again, if you play your cards right, you can make a nice passive income.
Editor's Tip: Not sure where to begin the process of making money as a photographer? Getting a domain for your website is a good choice.
How to Get Paid for Photography - Offer Merchandise
As Evan points out in the video, if you post a photo to Facebook or Instagram and it gets tons of likes, why not offer it as a print?
After all, the interest is there, so capitalize on that interest to make a bit of money on the side.
And you don't have to stop at prints, either.
If you can build a solid following on social media, having Lightroom Presets for sale can also be a lucrative source of income.
Editor's Tip: For even more tips for improving your photography and digital imaging know-how, visit CRHfoto.
Use Google Adsense on Your Website
Google Adsense is used on YouTube to generate income from videos, and they can be used on your website for the same purpose.
In particular, this works as a great way to make money as a photographer if you produce consistent content on your website, like blogs.
Just put the Google Ads on your website and you can make money in one of two ways: via the number of clicks on the ad and via the number of impressions, or the number of page views the page gets with the advertisement on it.
Granted, you need a website for this to work, and for photographers that want to make money taking pictures, the best option for a website domain is .photo or .pics.
After all, these domains are specifically for photographers, so you get a clean, simple URL that says right within the name that you're a photographer.
What's more, these domains are relatively new, so there's a much higher chance that you'll be able to get your domain name of choice than if you go with a .com or .net domain name.
Additionally, you want the process of getting your website up and running one that's simple and easy, and with .pics and .photo, that's exactly what you get.
These domains are offered by Uniregistry, which makes quick work of setting up your domain. They're dead-simple to manage, too.
In other words, if making money with photography is your goal, you can't just slap any old website up using any old domain.
Instead, maximize your website's income potential with a professional, photography-centric domain like .pics or .photo!
Learn More:
- Critical Mistakes You're Making With Your Photography Website
- 14 Things You'll Want to Know Before Starting a Photography Business
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are many avenues for making money taking pictures - and some that don't actually require you to take pictures at all!
The important thing to remember is to diversify the ways in which you seek to make income, that way if your YouTube channel has a bad month, you have other means of making money.
Also, none of these methods will work if you aren't willing to put in the time and effort to learn how to use them. What's more, you have to be dedicated to your craft and put out top-notch content and photos, too.
There's no magic bullet for making money taking pictures, but with these tips, you've at least got the groundwork for increasing your photography income.