How to make money selling
your own photos!
Are
you an amateur photographer, graphic designer or animator with lots of juicy
pictures? You don't need your own photo site to make money selling pictures.
Try selling them to
Shutterstock,
the largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world who will pays
you 25 cents every time one of your images is downloaded. There are two main
ways to earn money with Shutterstock, either by selling your photos or through
the referral of stock buyers and photographers.
Information from their FAQ:
How much will I be paid as a submitter?
Our current rate is: $.25 (25 cents per photo download). Since
ShutterStock is an all-you-can-download subscription site, a user may
purchase a subscription and download hundreds of photos. Your earning
potential is endless!
At 25 cents per download, how am I going to
make any money?
Shutterstock is an subscription stock library. Purchasers may download a
few hundred pictures in a single month's membership. We get a wide variety
of users subscribing - and the more images you have, the more you can
make! The .25 payout adds up fast - for example, if your pictures are
downloaded 1000 times over the course of a month, you will receive $250
for that month! If you make $250 per month, That's $3000 per year from
photos that would normally be collecting dust on your hard disk!
Is there a minimum payout?
Yes, you must accumulate at least $75 to be paid. All earnings are
brought forward into the next pay period until you reach $75, at which time
a payout will be issued automatically. If you close your account before your
earnings reach $75, you will forfeit those earnings.
How often will I be paid?
Monthly, checks are sent out for the previous month’s payouts. For
example: On the 15th of March, payments will be sent for February downloads
Can I join if I am outside the USA?
Yes! Certain high fraud areas of the world may require prior approval
before an account is created. If your country isn’t listed on the signup
form, please contact support and submit your portfolio. We may also require
references. As long as you can receive and cash checks by air postal mail,
and your pictures are 100% yours, you can join.
THE
REVIEW
The most important tip I can give on making Shutterstock work for you, is
to be aware of what images sell and what images do not. The easiest way to do
so would be check out
ShutterStock’s Top 50 images of the week or all time.
I’ve included some of the popular pictures below for your convenience.
Notice the watermark, which is imprinted on your pictures to prevent theft and
will be removed when sold to the prospective buyer.
Another important point to note is that the pictures submitted must meet
specific guidelines, mostly notably that the picture must be wholly owned by
the submitter and cannot contain any copyrighted materials or logos.
Images of identifiable persons must be accompanied by a model release,
which is a brief form that must be submitted online when you upload your
images. For a complete list of the extensive list of guidelines, visit this
page.
After uploading a picture, you can tag it with certain keywords which will
enable your picture to show up when a buyer does a search on ShutterStock.
I also liked the fact that there was no limit to the number of photos you
can submit and the photos are usually approved within 48 hours.
The pictures I’ve submitted were approved within a day and half but I’ve
noticed that it could take much longer if you submit them near or during the
weekends.
I’ve submitted several images which were taken with a mega-zoom (Fuji
S9500) and some of were accepted. I do suppose that clear focus and the lack
of digital noise in your images and other basic compositional elements such as
the rule of thirds are important factors of consideration for the Shutter
Stock reviewers.
What’s Cool.
- Real-time statistics for photo downloads
- Submitted images are watermarked to prevent theft
- Multiple and fast uploading options
- No limit to number of images to be submitted
- Illustrations and 3D renders are accepted
- Non-exclusive TOS: You can submit the same images to other agencies.
- Active forum: interaction with other photographers/designers.
What’s Not.
- Lots of competition from fellow submitters
- Very strict guidelines for photo submission
Verdict
Shutterstock has a pretty professional setup, which includes a strong user
area and efficient image upload tools. Unlike your usual get-paid-to programs,
there is absolutely no doubt that Shutterstock does pay it’s submitters.
Many members openly discuss extra incomes of hundreds of dollars p/ month at
this.
I also found the forums to be a very useful learning ground if you’re
increased in making money as a stock photographer or commercial
designer/illustrator. There’s basically a lot to gain from
signing up
as a member and very little to lose.
