The New York Institute of Photography is one of the world’s largest photography schools and because we are, we often publish fun and useful photography lessons on our photography blog. Please enjoy!
Even if you originally got into photography as merely a hobby, if you take incredible pictures and you’re not against the idea of sharing them, you could easily turn what was formerly a leisurely pastime into a new source of income. If this prospect is one you’re considering, here are a few steps we recommend you take to get started:
- Make a website-This is probably one of the most important things you can do to monetize your photography hobby and turn it into something more professional. Providing potential buyers with a cohesive, navigable website where they can read about you and your photography education as well as browse your portfolio is the most obvious way to legitimize your work and create trust. If you don’t know how to make a website, here’s a guide you can work with.
- Sell Photos Online-For many photographers, a website is merely a place to display a portfolio and some professional information. While this is extremely helpful to your brand building and provides in-person clients and buyers with an easily accessible resource, it’s possible for you to take the functionality of your site a step further by giving buyers the option of making purchases directly onsite. To start doing this, you’ll need to add a Sell Media plugin to your page. Here’s one place where you can get started with that.
- Link Up With a Third Party-This is another super common way for photographers to make money selling their work. If you’re not entirely comfortable building your own website and would rather sell under the larger umbrella of a stock company, check out this article to find out how to sell stock photos.
Want to learn more? NYIP is an online photography school that can help you learn photography or start a new career. Request your free course catalog today!
