Many of us dream of additional income. About one that will help you make a profit, without much effort. In the age of rapid development of the photographic industry, when almost everyone with an average income can buy a camera, it has become easy to do.

Many of us know that there are special sites on the Internet that buy and sell photographs. These are the so-called photobanks. Of course, even in this field of activity, you can encounter scammers, but you should not worry. It will be enough to study this information. There is a certain list of photobanks, which includes both foreign versions of stock photo banks (with the possibility of Russian translation), and the most popular Russian ones.

Here you can see a huge number of photos, which are arranged in certain group categories. Advantages of these sites:

Anyone who starts working here can make money on photographs taken with their camera or phone;

On the other hand, owners of other sites, blogs and social media pages, as well as webmasters, will be able to buy their favorite photo;

A huge positive characteristic for such resources: the availability of options for buying the rights to use your photo, for example, in a newspaper or magazine.

The most interesting thing is that in many photobanks you can sell the same photo several times. Thus, by uploading high-quality images just once, you can profit from them repeatedly. And if you want to advance in this area, then this is also an excellent advertisement for the services of a novice photographer.

So, a list of current and developing photobanks today:

1. Dreamstime is among the best in popularity, and in the top three in terms of attendance. Actually, this is a world photobank, but there is also an interface in Russian.

2. Fotolia is a photo bank, which is one of the largest resources engaged in the activity of the same name. He always has in stock the best offers, plus excellent conditions for cooperation. Its vastness contains not only more than 20 million photos, but also various videos, as well as vector illustrations.

3. Lori is an excellent Russian service for buying and selling photographs. Functionally compiled catalogs allow you to easily find all the sections with images you need and choose the appropriate option. The resource is always up-to-date and is updated with new high-quality photographs that can be bought at an affordable price.

4. Depositphotos is a photo bank where you can easily find a huge number of different photo and video products from all over the world. It has a lot of sales.

5. Shutterstock is perhaps the most popular photo bank. All the photos presented by him are of high quality, and accordingly are appreciated higher among buyers. Getting to Shutterstock is not easy, it is a place for select photographers, but it also pays more there. Do you want to test yourself and learn how to make good money -

Make money selling photos on the Internet

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Attention! The data on this page is current for 2017.

How can you make money selling photos on the Internet?

There are many ways to make money on the internet. We will talk about completely legal earnings by selling your photos in photo banks. "Own" means that you are the author of the photographs sold, and that you, as a photographer, own the rights to these photographs.

What is a photo bank and how does it work?

Photobank(photo stock, microstock or just stock) is a huge online repository of photos, illustrations and other useful content. Photographers and artists upload their works to this repository, which are put up for sale by the photobank. Designers and all other people who need high-quality legal photographs go to the website of the photobank and buy the images they need. Part of the profit from the sale of the image is transferred to the author, and part is left to the photo bank.

How much do photos in a photo bank cost?

Depending on the chosen tariff and a number of other conditions, one download of a photo from a photo bank under a non-exclusive license can cost from 20 cents to 80 dollars. A "non-exclusive" license means that you are not selling the photograph itself, but permission to use it. Moreover, this permission can be sold an unlimited number of times to different people. Thus, in each photo you can end up making a very decent amount of money if it is sold many times.

How much can you earn from selling photos in photobanks?

Unfortunately or fortunately, there is no exact answer to this question. Everything is individual here. Someone makes millions of dollars selling photographs and illustrations! And someone is nothing! Why does it depend? From the quality of work and their quantity. Wondering who makes millions? For example, Yuri Arcurs. If we talk about a professional photo stocker with a portfolio of about 10,000 photos, then it is about $ 2,000-3,000 per month. In 2013 it was about 60,000 - 90,000 rubles, and in 2016 it was already 140,000 - 210,000 rubles, which for most people is a very tempting amount! :)

What are the main advantages and difficulties of making money in photo banks?

Advantages:

1. You work when you want and as long as you want. You can do nothing for a month or more, and your photos will continue to be sold and bring you stable profits.
2. Working with photo banks does not require binding to any specific place. All you need is high-quality Internet access, which is available in almost all countries of the world.
3. Creativity and creativity. The variety of directions for photography and vector art is enormous. You can create and sell whatever you like!

Difficulties:

1. In a number of photo banks you need to pass an exam before you can sell your work. On Depositphotos and 123rf, the exam is more of a formality, but on Shutterstock, even experienced photographers don't always pass it the first time.
2. Leading photo banks are very demanding on the quality of photos. Your works will deviate one by one until they meet a certain bar set by the photo bank.
3. To start making at least $ 100 a month, you need to stock up on a serious dose of patience and perseverance. Even if you are a professional, established photographer, there are many nuances in working with photobanks that you will have to deal with before working with photobanks becomes a familiar and comfortable thing for you.Here are the main ones:

• For each photo, you need to write keywords and a short description, and in English.
• If there are recognizable people in the photo, you need to sign for each person (model release), scan it and upload it to the photobank.
• You must fill out so that you are not withheld US income tax.
• To withdraw the money earned, you need to create and set up an account in the PayPal payment system.

Thus, working with photobanks selling photographs and illustrations is a responsible and meticulous job. But if you take it seriously, chances are the game will be worth the candle!

For clarity, watch a video interview with several successful Russian-speaking photo stockers:

Who can sell their photos in photobanks?

Anyone who is 18 years old and who has documents confirming his identity can sell his photos in photo banks. It does not matter at all whether you work as a photographer or not and what kind of camera you use. It is important that your photos meet a number of technical requirements of photobanks and are needed by potential buyers.

Where to start if you want to make money selling your photos or illustrations?

The general scheme of work is simple: The page provides a brief overview of the most popular and profitable photobanks. You open the page of each photobank, study briefly its features, follow the link to the photobank itself and go through the registration procedure as a seller. Then you upload your photos or illustrations to the photo bank, they start selling, you start making money.

Not every person with a high-quality digital camera knows that you can not only admire the pictures taken, but also earn money from them. First you need to figure out how to sell photos to a newbie on the Internet. After learning the nuances, you can start to get started.

Who should try to sell photos

Of course, if a person just takes pictures without meaning, it is unlikely that such pictures will interest anyone. Before selling photos on the Internet, you should look at what is offered on the stocks and decide if your work matches what is in demand. Making money from photographs is most suitable for those people who:

• They think outside the box and always find interesting objects for pictures.
• Professionally engaged in photography of various subjects.
• They want to try themselves in this field and learn to photograph correctly.
• They find non-standard solutions and unusual objects that are invisible to non-creative individuals.

If you see yourself in the list above, then it is worth learning how to sell your photos on the Internet yourself. Even if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter, the main thing is to try, what if it’s your strong point. Reviews of those who have already tried themselves in this niche say that efforts and patience help to achieve the desired result.

Will everyone be able to make money selling photos?

As a rule, the sale of photos on popular stocks proceeds smoothly, and the results are visible already in the first days after the placement of high-quality images. But it also happens that the work is not in demand for a long time. If you are a person who is ready to experiment and try other topics that will interest the buyer, then everything will work out. If, after the first failure, you give up, then it is unlikely that any result will be obtained.

What you need to know before you start making money in photographs?

Before you start trying to get money for your photos, you need to understand the nuances and features of this type of earnings. The main ones are:

These are the basic rules that are required for stock sites, whether you are a beginner or a professional photographer.

Who buys photos online?

It is difficult to imagine Internet resources without graphic images. It is the pictures and photographs that make an article or a forum bright and attractive to Internet users. In any case, before selling photos on the Internet, you should find out who is buying the images.

Everyone who is somehow connected with the Internet understands how important it is to have unique and high-quality text content that is easy to read and engaging. The same applies to photos that accompany any articles and publications in magazines. The following may be interested in your photos on stock sites:

• Owners of sites of different subjects.
• You can also sell your photos online to magazines or newspapers.
• Photo stocks also acquire quality work because they receive commissions from sales.
• People, whose brainchild are forums on various topics, also regularly fill their resources with graphic images for the development and popularity of the resource.

These are the main buyers of high-quality and professional photographs that can generate income for you.

How much can you earn selling your own photos?

It is rather difficult to unequivocally answer the question of how much money can be received after the photos are sold on the Internet. Many factors and nuances can affect the level of income. The main ones are:

• The number of exhibited pictures for sale.
• Quality and scope of work.
• The cost of one photo.
• On which stock site the works are exhibited.

These are the main factors that can affect the salary of a photographer. The cost of one photo on different sites may vary. On some stocks one frame costs 2 dollars / 126 rubles, on others 20 US dollars (1260 rubles). Therefore, you need to choose a good site where you can sell your photos over the Internet as profitably as possible.

Of course, beginners are better off trying to make money on their own labors, on resources that have minimum requirements. And after you have mastered all the features and nuances, you can try yourself on resources that pay more. Reviews of those who already make money from their own photos indicate that with active activity, you can get from 200 to 15,000 US dollars a month (from 12,600 to 945 thousand rubles). It all depends on the quantity and quality of work.

For those new to sales, there are many questions to ask. And this is not surprising, because when planning to do what you love, it is important to understand not only how to sell photos to a beginner or a beginner on the Internet, but also to study a lot of nuances. In general, there will be no particular difficulties. Seasoned photographers who make money from their pictures recommend that beginners focus on the following nuances:

1. The camera must be of high quality so that the pictures look professional and are in demand among buyers.
2. The opportunity to earn money on masterpieces of photographic art is open only to adults.
3. It is important to have good high speed internet. This will help you easily upload photos that weigh a lot.
4. Anyone who wants to make money on their work should at least superficially study photo editing programs. This will help enhance your shots and make them look professional.
5. Also, knowledge of the English language will not hurt, at least at a minimum level. This will allow you to use foreign resources, which offer much more favorable conditions and allow you to earn more.
6. It is also important for those who have just started trying to make money from photographs to study what subjects are in demand.

Having in mind all the above recommendations, beginners will understand how and where they can sell their photos on the Internet with maximum profit. Of course, at any beginning you need to have patience and a desire to experiment and analyze your actions.

It is worth choosing a resource for selling your masterpieces depending on your wishes and the level of professionalism. Stock sites, based on the responses of photographers and statistics, can be divided into several categories:

• With a high level of income and a large number of buyers. It is rather difficult to register on such resources. Before registering, photographers pass a special exam that determines their level of professionalism. However, good money can be made from these resources. These stocks are: Shutterstock, Istockphoto.

• For beginners interested in how to sell photos over the internet, check out stock starter sites. These resources allow you to post photos for sale immediately after registration. These stocks include: Dreamstime. Fotolia.
• There is also a category of stocks that cannot boast of a high level of sales, nevertheless, they have great prospects in the future. Therefore, it also makes sense to display your masterpieces of photographic art on these sites. These resources include: Lori.ru. Canstockphoto. 123rf.
• It is also worth familiarizing yourself with the resources that, despite the difficult registration exam, do not live up to the expectations of those who wish to earn money. These include: Luckyoliver. Galastock.

Knowing the features and nuances of each resource, both a beginner and a professional will be able to choose the ideal options for themselves. Where to sell photos on the Internet, everyone decides for himself. The main thing is to remember that the level of income depends on the choice of the resource.

What kind of photos do people buy most often?

Those who professionally wield a camera often share their opinions on what topics are in demand among buyers. Naturally, before successfully selling photos on the Internet, you should study this issue so as not to waste time.

Those who have been receiving income from their favorite business for a long time give the following statistics:

• Photos of people are quite popular and in demand. Moreover, each photo should be filled with meaning and carry a certain theme. It is not necessary to photograph faces, sometimes they distract from the main thing. A photo from the back of a person who is busy with some work or a child doing homework or playing with something is quite suitable.

• Business photos are also popular. It can be both business ideas and pictures of business people engaged in some kind of activity.
• Health pictures are still popular among buyers.
• Experienced photo sellers also say that high-quality photos of food products and beautifully decorated dishes are in demand.
• Landscapes and landmarks captured while traveling are sure to be in demand among travel business owners.

• Pictures of pets are not very popular. This does not apply to vivid and unusual wildlife shots.

These are the main topics that buyers are interested in. However, you should not neglect your own imagination and experiment. After all, even what seems unreal and unclaimed can bring the desired income. And it is important to find a niche where it will be most profitable to sell your photos over the Internet. After all, every product has its own buyer.

What are the requirements for photographs put forward by stocks?

In order for creative impulses and beautiful objects to bring income, in addition to the subject matter, the requirements for the work should also be taken into account. Graphic images can be displayed in such cases:

• If the photo is with good sharpness and clear.
• Pictures should be noise-free. To do this, you need to turn on the photosensitive mode.
• According to the site's requirements for placement, there must be a written consent of the people shown in the photo.
• Choose the right background. If the subject is light, then it should be photographed against a black background, if it is dark, then on a white background. Do not experiment with multi-colored background images, as this can distract from the main subject.
• And also, experienced photo sellers warn newbies against re-posting works on the same site. This is fraught with penalties and profile blocking.

These are the basic requirements that must be met by every seller of their masterpieces. Each resource has the right to put forward its own rules and supplement the main ones.

Features and nuances

Before starting work, it is important to understand what is the difference between this type of activity and what such work can give a professional in using the camera. It is important to know the following nuances:

1. When you post a picture on a stock resource, you transfer the right to the site owners to sell your work.
2. When uploading a photo, you need to write meta tags, they will help describe the meaning of the photo and will be displayed when you enter a request for a graphic image of the desired topic.
3. It doesn't matter if you don't know English. Fortunately, today there are enough opportunities that will help you translate any text online.
4. Also for effective sales you should come up with a graphic image. And also, think over a description for the image. It should be no more than thirty characters and no less than seven words.
5. Key words should be selected for the graphic image. They should be professionally selected and thoughtful so that the image is in demand. Indeed, when entering a request to search for a picture, the buyer will enter running requests. Consequently, the correct key will be the foundation of successful sales. There are several secrets to help you choose the right key. First, be sure to include words that describe the picture. Secondly, clearly write what materials, what time of year, what color the object is.

These tips from professional photo sellers can help you make enough money without wasting time.

Is it possible to make selling photos your main job?

Having learned how you can sell photos on the Internet and taking into account all the nuances, you can make hobby your main activity. The cash flow will go to your account and allow you to feel freedom. And this is not surprising, because people always get more if they do what they love.

Therefore, if taking bright, unusual and unique pictures is your strong point, then go ahead with your dream. The main thing is that before starting work, carefully study all the features of such earnings. If you do everything right, then financial independence without unnecessary body movements is guaranteed to you. Create and earn on your hobbies.

Selling photos as a method of making money on the Internet has existed for a very long time, but was especially popular in 2005-2010, when the first digital SLR cameras became affordable. Decent professional photographers were replaced by people who bought a used Canon 300d for $ 300. They began to imagine themselves, if not wedding photographers, then at least semi-professional artists.

Until that black day, when high-quality photo matrices began to be built into phones, tablets, irons, in the world of photography and art, you could really make good money. Having learned about this, crowds of photographers rushed to look for ways sell photos on the internet, and get income from your hobby.

But time put everything in its place. Most of the random people dropped out, only those who know and are able remained. However, entry into this business is available to anyone with a camera and patience.

In addition, since the popularity of making money in photographs has subsided, it was a good time to try yourself as a beginner. The cost of good cameras with interchangeable lenses is low, the lenses themselves and related equipment can also be purchased without problems. Even modern photo cameras are capable of taking very high quality pictures.

Below I will share my personal experience of selling photographs and how profitable it is.

The basic principle

Any article should be beautifully illustrated, and the product should be presented from the advantageous side.

So that people looking for photographs could find them, and those who have them could sell them, into the light of God, there were photobanks- specialized sites for the sale of photo and video materials.

Literally immediately after the first cheap digital cameras appeared, these sites were overloaded with a huge amount of photo junk. In the end, even a monkey is capable of making one good out of a thousand random frames, but only a person who has spent more than one hour studying photography can consistently take high-quality pictures. And there were also quite a few such people among the newcomers.

Thus, along with the trash in photo banks, there were many high quality photographs, and the value of each individual photograph began to decline.

How to make money

You can't just take and upload a photo to the photo bank. The photo must meet a lot of requirements. First of all, technical.

Do you take pictures with your phone or a cheap compact camera? Goodbye (though there are exceptions, but these are exceptions)!

If you have an old digital camera with a damaged sensor or debris on it, then most likely you will not be able to sell anything photographed on it.

Do you have the cheapest lens, the one that came with the kit? I will disappoint you, but most likely, making the “correct” shot only shines on you if you have certain skills.

"But why?!" - you ask - “This photo really likes my grandmother and my friends ?! Why might inspectors reject my photo? " Here's why:

• Technical disadvantages- cheap lenses give a lot of distortion in photographs - distortion, aberration. From dirty and low-quality matrices, “garbage” and “noise” appear on the frames. This may not seem like a serious drawback to you, but those who work with photographs professionally - buyers, have a different opinion on this matter. And the buyer is always right;

• A hackneyed plot- perhaps your cat is the cutest in the world for you, but think for yourself - who needs a photo of a cat? Only to manufacturers of cat food, and now fill in the word in the search engine of the photo bank. As you can see, there are a lot of results;
• Copyright- you might be surprised, but almost everything that surrounds us or is protected by copyright or requires permission to shoot. Buildings, bridges, etc. may be protected by law. If such an object will be the center of your photo composition, then you may have questions - do you have a permission to shoot or a document confirming your ownership? By the way, cultural monuments cannot be such objects - so, just they can be photographed without fear;

• Bottles, cars, even candy of unusual shapes - protected by rights and if, for example, they don’t find fault with a photo of a car (provided that the label is neatly retouched), then a bottle of Coca-Cola will definitely not pass the test (unless you have a separate permission to photograph it). But, again, there are exceptions - a creatively “processed” product is already your object;
• If you get into the frame human face- you need model release(a special document in which there is a scan of the document certifying that the photographed is over 18 years old, as well as his written consent that his photo can be used by you). And if this person is a “star”, then such a document is strictly required. A separate column is the so-called reportage shooting. In this case, you can take pictures of people without a model release, but this topic is not popular on photo banks due to the limited use of reportage photographs;
• Children- this is another story altogether. Photos of children are in great demand in photo banks (especially those who eat all sorts of things), because the requirements for them are the highest for them. On the one hand, there is a very vague criterion of "decency", on the other hand, you will be required to release two model releases - from each of the child's parents and documents on relationship. Moreover, if earlier documents were required only if the child's face could be seen in the photograph, now they are needed in any case. And the requirements for this category are getting tougher all the time;
• Art photography- this is certainly very beautiful, but in business they are rarely needed by anyone. You'd rather sell a couple dozen photos of paper clips and nails than a breathtakingly beautiful sunset. Beauty is a relative thing. Although there is a separate resource for selling art photographs, but I am not familiar with it, and this is not an assistant for you.

What you need to know, what you are preparing for

Let's say that nothing scares you, you have a camera, you are willing to spend your time improving your skills, and you are determined to capitalize on your hobby. Or you are a traveler and you are sure that you can take absolutely unique photos that can be used anywhere. How to make money on it? How to make money on photos?

Training

So what does it take to make money from photography?

• Camera
• "Straight arms"

What do you need to make GOOD money on photos?

• Good camera
• Lens set
• A set of technical means for photography (backdrops, flashes, lighting, etc.)
• Software and ability to work with it (Photoshop, gimp, etc.)
• Understanding what the market needs at the moment , this is the main factor providing earnings
• Access to shooting objects
• The ability and knowledge (perhaps even a gift) to photograph beautifully and process photographs

Do you have all of this, or at least part of it? OK, you can move on.

Always remember - the more knowledge and skills you have, the more you will realize the need for expensive equipment. But at the same time, even with cheap equipment, you can achieve impressive results. Knowledge is most important!

Exam

The next stage is registration for photobanks(photo stocks). Is the largest photobank in the world by volume of photographs, which accounts for 60% of all sales of photographs.

Some "money" photobanks for successful registration require passing an exam. For example, a site requires you to send 10 photos, 7 of them must be checked by an inspector. In order to exclude the possibility of establishing multiple accounts and to make sure that you are of age, the photo bank will ask you to send documents containing your full name in English.

The criteria for passing the exam are as follows:

• photographs must be technically flawless - no "noise", distortion and "garbage" in the frame. If this is a subject shooting, then the objects should be separated from the background so that they can be easily distinguished in Photoshop;
• photographs must be framed - keywords in English are selected;
• all 10 photographs must be different (you cannot send several photographs of the same object from different angles), ideally, the frames should be taken in the styles in which you plan to sell the photographs;
• no logos or easily recognizable brands (a bottle of Coca-Cola, a Volkswagen beetle - these are easily recognizable brands);
• if there are people in the frame, it is necessary to attach their model releases, it is better not to send a photo of the crowd;
• no violence or pornography (it is better to refrain from eroticism);
• you can only send photos of which you are the author (an attempt to deceive the system will lead to a "ban")

Ideally, before submitting photos, you should register with some less fashionable photo bank. Try to upload your photos there, those that you plan to send for the exam. , Are not the worst options.

If you cannot pass the exam, the re-examination is only available some time later.

The hardest part

If you thought that the exam was the most difficult, I hasten to upset you, ahead is still more difficult.

Now you need to study the demand. Using search photobank study what is being bought the most at the moment, can you take photos in a similar subject and technique?

Look at the calendar - pictures of colored eggs are popular for Easter, for Christmas and New Years, respectively, New Year's themes, in summer - tanned girls, the sea, the beach, etc.

Keep in mind that the demand for thematic photos appears 4-5 months before the event, when the preparation of advertising materials begins. And interesting, to a greater extent, it is the new photos, which were not previously on the stock.

Simply put, you should always have a stock of photographs on any subject and you should upload them as demand arises.

Domestic photobanks

In addition to foreign photobanks, which is natural, there are also domestic ones, for example:,.

A feature of the work of domestic photo banks is the increased demand for photographs of the architecture of Russian cities and landscapes. These sites are more willing to accept reportage photography. In general, the level of requirements for photographs on Russian photobanks is slightly lower than on foreign ones, and beginners should not bypass them.

Running-in

In addition to the main income, there are also referral programs in photo banks. In particular, there are two types of them:

• Actually, attracting photographers and deducting you for their successful sales;
• Banal advertising of the site and deduction to you just for the sale of photos.

Alas, on this path, I could not earn a cent.

Seems difficult?

Yes, it is really difficult. You have to put in a lot of effort to achieve noticeable success. Additionally, in order to cut off “losers”, photobanks impose minimum restrictions on the withdrawal of funds from the account. You can't make $ 20 and spend it right there. The exact minimum depends on the photo bank, but as a rule, it is about $ 80-100.

But not everything is so sad, history knows a lot of success stories, people who were able to earn tens of thousands of dollars monthly from photo banks. Nowadays it's hard to make money on art, but photobanks, in this regard, give a unique chance. Do you believe in yourself? Be sure to try it, you won't lose it.

My experience

Back in 2005, I purchased my first digital camera, Minolta Z10. Then I naively assumed that I had enough talent to successfully sell my pictures. Alas for me! It turned out that the matrix of my camera (as much as 3.2 megapixels!) Cannot take pictures in a resolution sufficient for photobanks. And my skills are at a fairly mediocre level. So I spent the next two years perfecting my skills and saving money for a decent camera.

Later I was able to afford an "advanced" DSLR camera - Sony A100, a small set of lenses and a flash. From a technical point of view, nothing separated me from success. I easily passed the exam for ... but that's about it.

Despite my skills and a huge amount of material, in the first year, out of a thousand photos sent out, just over a hundred passed the uploading process. Only a small amount was sold. The cost of each individual frame depends on the purpose for which it is purchased. In my case, the cost of each individual sale was $ 0.25 - $ 0.5, the maximum that was paid for my single photo was $ 28.

As a result, in the first year, I managed to earn about $ 90. Earnings for subsequent years did not exceed this amount.

As for other photo banks, on most of them I was able to collect the minimum amount for withdrawal only for a period of more than 3 years.

My experience has shown me that my photography skills are not enough to make a living, and the earnings are disproportionate to the labor costs. The logical course was to either start spending more effort on improving your skills, or to abandon the idea of ​​seeing photography as a source of income.

Over time, photos from your portfolio are removed, for good reason - the requirements for the size and quality of photos change, unpopular images of the same type also fade into oblivion.

In 2010, I finally gave up this hobby, and without uploading new photos, about 20 dollars "dripped" in 5 years. And from the entire portfolio, about 40 photos have survived.

Taxation

Taxation is a very important issue. The fact is that foreign citizens receiving dividends or royalties in the United States are required to pay tax - 30% on the amount of income. This is more than a solid part. But fortunately for us, international law regulates such a thing as “double taxation”, which means that if you pay taxes in your country, then you are not obliged to pay them in another. To do this, you must fill out a form on photo banks, after which the US tax authorities will no longer have any claims against you. But information about your income will be transferred to the tax authorities of your country.

From the income received, you are required to pay tax in my country. In Russia, if you are not registered as an individual entrepreneur, 13% of the income is payable. But, according to Russian law, photography is a work of art and you can get and get paid tax back. You can read more about tax deductions here.

Is it worth it?

Photography is such a hobby when you please yourself. You can capture emotions, stop time. Everything around you is decay, and you, like an ancient deity, are able to preserve and revive the world, and even if only one fraction of a second…. Why not make money on it?

As you can see, earning money from a hobby is not easy. Is it possible to earn money from photographs? Of course, yes. But it will take a lot of effort and skill from you. A passive source of money from a photo hobby will not work - you will need to constantly monitor trends and replenish your portfolio.

On the other hand, nothing stops you from trying. At least if you already have a digital camera, you will not incur additional expenses.

Photo banks, in addition to photographs themselves, accept vector graphics, videos, soundtracks for sale. In general, any creative, creative hobby can bring you money, but that's a completely different story.

Now, allow me to take my leave. If you decide to try yourself in this way of making money online, I recommend that you visit the sites and where you can get information on this topic in more detail.

About Dmitry

Dmitry does not like to waste money and is looking for the best ways to save money in everyday life. Life gives us many honest ways to make money, just brainwash.

If you are fond of photography, constantly photograph something and think that you are good at this business, then why not turn your hobby into a source of income. The photographs you have taken can be uploaded to special sites that sell photographs, the so-called photobanks (photo stocks, microstocks). In addition to photographs, you can sell vector illustrations. Vector graphics are gaining popularity, and generate income, commensurate with the sale of photographs.

For those who have not come across this type of earnings, it may seem that this business is very profitable and, most importantly, low-cost (at least in terms of the time spent). Posted photos and get yourself a steady income.

Let's see if this is so.

What do you need to start working in a photo bank?

In principle, everything is standard:

1. A good high-resolution camera. Forget all those cheap cameras. Pictures should be of the highest quality with high resolution.

2. Have a computer, and most importantly, be able to use programs for image processing (for a start, at least Photoshop). Before sending to photo banks, the photo must be edited: correct any roughness, noise, work with contours, color, etc. Otherwise, the photobank, your creation may not be missed.

3. You need at least school knowledge of English. The main income comes mainly from foreign sites, where they are used to appreciating the work of others, and copyright is not an empty phrase for them. When registering, you will also need to indicate your passport details.

4. If you are selling photographs of people, you must provide their consent to display those photographs.

Beginning of work

Before starting work in most photo banks, you must pass an exam. Send 5-10 of your photographs for verification. It is also possible that additional questions will be asked, according to the rules of work on the site. Therefore, before starting, it would be nice to study the necessary materials posted on the site. I must say right away that you may not pass the exam right away. But you shouldn't be upset. An unlimited retake of exams is allowed after a certain period of time, usually from 1 day to 1 month (depending on the photo stock).

Therefore, in order not to waste time, we register in several similar sites at once.

How to start making money in photo banks?

Before starting work, it is imperative that you familiarize yourself with the rules of work at each specific photo stock. It happens that the site allows you to display images only from them and no one else, some are more loyal to this rule. And you can post the same photos in different photo banks.

Also, before posting, it is advisable to find out which topics are most popular. Each site usually has a section on popular topics. The most demanded at the moment are business, travel, sports, health. They buy photos of children very well.

But getting a good photo is only half the battle. The most important thing is to be noticed (and accordingly bought). To do this, you need to correctly name the photo, give it a short description and set meta tags. Think about what queries people might use to search for images on your topic.

Suppose if this is a photo of a waterfall, we prescribe accordingly - a waterfall, a river, water, nature, etc. Don't forget to translate all of this into English. There is nothing complicated here, use an online translator.

All the photos you put up can be put up for sale according to two criteria:

1. Royalty-Free- the displayed photos can be used repeatedly. For every download you get a bonus.
2. Rights managed- the photo can be used only once, thereby confirming its uniqueness and exclusivity.

How much can you earn from selling your photos?

Usually, newcomers starting their work in photobanks expect to receive simply unrealistically high income, which, in their opinion, should start from $ 1000 per month. And after working for another month, without reaching the coveted amount, I give up.

Yes, such amounts can be earned and even more, and constantly, but, as in any business, this will take time. Top photos can generate good monthly income for their owners.

For example: if you look at the rating of the most popular (downloaded) photos, then one photo is downloaded more than 1000 times per year. Considering that the average price per download is about $ 0.5, we get that the owner earns more than $ 500-600 from this photo alone, or about $ 50 a month. And if, he has much more. So count it.

What should beginners do?

1. First you need to register in several photobanks at once and place several of your photos there. It may happen that out of 10 photos you submit, the site will only accept one. But in others they will be allowed to place all the declared ones. There have been cases when the site did not take a photo, but this photo was wildly popular with another site. For normal earnings, registration on 5-6 sites is enough.

2. Be sure to correctly prescribe the title and meta tags. After all, there are a great many photos on each individual subject. You think the customer will view them in order. Of course not. He will use a search by topic. And from what he finds, he will choose the right one for himself. Even if you have just a "stunning" image without a correct description, it will simply get lost among its kind.

3. We select several popular and popular topics and work on them. Perhaps you get great pictures with animals, just a sight for sore eyes, but there is one thing ... ... If the topic is not very popular, then your photos will not bring good income either. Therefore, before starting, be sure to determine the range of topics on which you will work.

4. Increasing the base of photos. A very important point. It's just silly to bet on 20-30 photos. Therefore, we regularly post new photos. It may even turn out that the best, in your opinion, photos will not be in demand, and rather simple ones will go with a bang.

5. Be sure to monitor the quality of your photos. Edit everything in Photoshop before posting.

If everything is done correctly, then soon your posted work will bring you income. Let in the beginning, it will be only $ 5-10, then $ 20-30 per month. The main thing here is to start and constantly work in this direction. In the future, we will be able to reach a much higher level of income.

The best and popular photo banks (photo stocks)

Below is a list of the most popular and demanded sites (both Russian and foreign) that allow you to generate income from the sale of photographs on the Internet. Of course, it is not necessary to register in all, it is enough to choose several sites for yourself.

Foreign photobanks

1.http: //Shutterstock.com

2. http://Istockphoto.com

3.http: //ru.fotolia.com

4 . http://Dreamstime.com

5.http: //www.bigstockphoto.com

6.http: //www.123rf.com

7.http: //www.canstockphoto.com

8.http: //cutcaster.com

9.http: //depositphotos.com

10.http: //www.featurepics.com

11.http: //www.imagevortex.com

12.http: //www.mostphotos.com

13.http: //www.photaki.com

Russian photobanks

4. Rosfoto

6. Interpress

Anyone can make money selling photos on the Internet, especially if you like this activity (I mean, of course, not for sale, but the creation of pictures itself). And it's very cool when you can get a reward for what you love. Perhaps in the future, this will become very good for you.