The initial phase of transforming your photography into something that you can make money with can be slightly tricky, but once your photos have begun to make ripples in the digital world, it becomes almost second nature.
There is a growing need for excellent photography on the internet – whether for blog posts, social media, articles, websites or marketing purposes, there is a higher quality required of photography than ever before. The phrase “stock photography” no longer has the negative connotations that it did a few decades ago. Although there is a certain magical humor attached to the stock imagery of the 90’s – the classic man and woman hovering over a PC or your standard corny family eating a nutritious breakfast – such standards are no longer acceptable. The whole idea behind stock photography is that it does not look like stock photography!
This is where photographers come in, although providing the digital world with sharable content is probably not so high on your list of passions, it can be an excellent way to fund the side projects that you are passionate about. First thing’s first, set up your website using a template that complements the display of your high quality photos – there is a wide selection to choose from with companies like this one. This should be your starting point that, regardless of what stock agency you are using, you can always redirect people back to your site. Next you need to figure out what platforms suit your needs best: bearing in mind your copyright, licensing and contributor fee requirements.
Shutterstock
Known for its high quality and wide selection, Shutterstock is one of the biggest players in the stock photography game. The toughest part about this one is the submission process, which is known to be quite strict. Once in, however, Shutterstock helps photographers maximize the worth of your photography with various guides.
iStockphoto
This is another one of the larger companies and it also has a relatively strict submissions process. You’ll find that a lot of agencies and professionals turn to iStock for images. Their easy-to-use interface is another plus.
Dreamstime
Dreamstime is known for its high royalties and its stress-free submissions process. They provide a friendly network of photographers and overall have a high photo acceptance rate. This agency even has a large number of contributors that work exclusively for them.
Stocksy
Stocksy is small and relatively new agency does things a bit differently. They feature a diverse selection of photography ranging in culture, ethnicity and theme. They are known for their fair payout and an intimate community.
