HOW TO START PROFITABLE STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS

During ancient time people are used to make paintings of themselves or of any beautiful scenery. But sometimes they didn’t get any cool artist, and the few remaining artists also make mistakes in painting sometimes. Then the two inventors, Johann Zahn and Louis Le Prince, invented camera the very first time and from that time, their invention picks up the boost and then became very popular among people. We are going to discuss stock photography or photography business idea in this article for new entrepreneurs.

Who doesn’t love photography now, who doesn’t love clicking photos of anything attractive they find. Almost everyone with smart phone loves photography. Previously it was used as a proof for any deal, but nowadays people store their good and bad memories in photos. 

Photos are the things due to which animation we see now are able to come into existence.  Apart from entertainment, people also use the photos clicked by them to sell in the market. People who have great interest in clicking pictures are also making their future in photography. 

Not only those people, if you have good photo clicking skills, Then also you can make a good amount of money as a main profession or as a side hustle. 

Photography startup is having a very huge potential. If questions are arising in your minds then don’t worry you are at the right place to find their answers. 

What is stock photography

Stock photos mean the photos which are licensed by anyone to use them either for personal use or for commercial. This photography is nothing but simply clicking photos and taking their license, uploading them at different platforms and then enjoying the cashflow from them. 

If people find your uploaded photos very attractive then they can even pay you more than enough for that photograph. 

Can you really make money by selling photos?

Making money by selling photos is a completely legit process. In this you click pictures, and the pictures which are really good are used to be uploaded on different websites.

Whenever your that photo was purchased by someone, you will get a commission on that sale.   

Can we do stock photography with mobile phone and make money

The answer is, Yes you can.  If you have a good camera in your mobile then you can click pictures from it. There are some things on which earning through mobile photography depends. 

1) The resolution of the photo taken by you plays a major role in their sales. Pixels in your photos taken by mobile must be clear and smooth. If you click blurry pictures then no one wants to buy them. 

Photos with good quality have more detailing and are purchased by people easily. 

More resolution is equals to more sales of your photos which ultimately mean more commission of you. 

2) How creative are you in your photography skills also play a huge role in selling of your photos. Photography is not just clicking good photo, it shows how creative you are in your photography skill.

3) Proper brightness must be maintained in the photos, so that they can meet up the minimum standards required to upload photos by some websites. 

If you don’t have camera and also no budget to buy a camera, Then you can start your photography journey with your phone only. Mobile phones also have a good camera you just have to be creative. 

How much can you earn in stock photography?

Most of the people say that you can earn 1,000 US dollars in one month in photography.

But it’s all a rumor, in photography,there are various things on which your earnings as a photographer depends.  

Some of the things on which photography depends are:- 

1) Your skills:- Skills are the money makers for you in everything. Your clicked photographs shows that how skilled you are in clicking photos. 

2) Niche:- Different people have different choices. Selecting a niche which automatically attracts people towards that type helps you in earning more. 

3) Quantity :- The amount of photos you are uploading defines your earnings. 

It is similar to share market, the more shares you have, the more money you will make.

4) Quality:- It is obvious that no one wants pictures with low quality. If people are paying you, then it is your responsibility to give them the best quality of photos possible. 

5) Websites:- Your photos are sold on different websites . And also their commission giving ratio was also different. 

You have to find and select websites which pay you greater commission for your photos. 

6) Trend:- How you are taking advantage of what is in the trend. Trend defines the sales of your photos and so your commission. Trending photos are sold out easily with much greater amount as compared to their without their trend. You have to understand the trend to get maximum profits from it. 

And a lot more things are there on which your earnings from stock photography depends. It basically means that you have to focus on these things to increase your earning capacity. 

How much it costs to start stock photography

We can’t say that it is a low investment profession. If we talk about minimum amount, then you can start it from your mobile phone only. And when you acquire necessary skills for photography, then you can buy high quality camera to boost up your earnings. 

You have the choice to start it, but if you want to be a professional photographer, Then purchasing a good quality camera is must for you. 

How to start photography business?

Remember, stock photography and photography business are two separate things. 

You can start a photo business with some investments in starting, as it was required by every business.  

In your business you can do business photo-shoot with some models and business photographers. You have to make sure that you follow all the photography steps. And, you can attract more clients to your business by showing them your professional business photos. 

Businesses have their own risk factors, such as low revenue, losses, lack of investment, etc. But you will succeed in business if you are willing to and able to take risk. 

In beginning of your small business photoshoot business may not perform very well, as every business performs in starting. But when you will stay consistent and keep patience in it, it will start giving you good results.

Then your small business photography will slowly upgraded to professional business photography. Your small business photoshoot will become business professional photoshoots. 

What are the differences between stock photography and photography business

Photo business is a business system in which you don’t have to work a lot. You can hire professional business photographers, models, managers and employees to carry on your photography business. 

In photography business, you give opportunities to potential photographers to show up their talent and skills. 

Whereas, in stock photography, you have to go and explore and click photos by your own. Only you have to do the full work, from clicking the pictures to uploading them. 

In Stock photography you have to find out the agencies, websites or clients to purchase your clicked photos. 

How to start stock photography

Step by step guide:-

1) Make a plan

If you are serious in stock photography, then firstly you have to make a plan, a perfect plan. A written plan not an imaginable one, because written plans are more effective than imaginable ones. 

You have to write every single step you will follow, how many photos you will upload daily. How you can learn more and more, where you get a good amount for your photos and whatever you think.

When you built a plan, you are already ahead of 80 percent of people who upload on stock photography sites. You have to plan, how much time can you give to stock photography. 

2) Decide where to upload

Deciding where to upload may be a very easy or hard task. You can either choose one website to upload or more than that such as iStock,  Shutterstock  and123RF etc… You have to research on the web that where you get the most optimum amount for your photos. 

If you start uploading in different sites then firstly you have to start with, not more than three sites. The reason behind that is to learn about the uploading process, keywords, rejections.

It was strongly advisable to read all the guidelines of every site you upload. 

3) Select your niche

You have to select a specific niche on which you will upload your photos. If your niche is related to people, technology, business or something like that  then you can find out models or people who are interested in their photoshoot. 

You can find them in Facebook groups or among your friends or families. Although, you can approach to your nearby businesses either small or big. You have to ask them to click their photos so that it will act as an advertisement for their business. And also you will get free photos for your portfolio.

4) Start with people

If possible then it is advisable not to start alone. You have to work with some other people who are doing stock photography already or if they are also starting. 

It will help you share new ideas, you can learn a lot from each other, 

You encourage each other when you are frustrated by clicking photos, and compete each other. When you work together, you have new resources to share and work. 

This is all about stock photography, start brushing your skills from now onwards and start earning.