Photography – The Perfect Money – Earning Hobby For A Student

 

Turning A Hobby Into A Part-Time Profession

However, if a student is considering turning his or her photography hobby into a part-time profession, he or she needs to ensure the photographs taken are of a certain standard. There was a time when some sites would accept most pictures, but once they have grown, they tend to insist that each and every shot is up to mark.
 

How To Improve Your Pictures

There are many ways a student can improve their chances of having their pictures accepted. Sites such as betterphoto.com, National Geographic and the BBC all have tips for student photographers; there are a number of photography tutorials available online as well.

For students considering submitting their work to a newspaper, reading the guidelines can go a long way to improving the chances of the photographs being accepted. If the pictures are submitted according to newspapers’ standards and the correct dimensions, this will increase the likelihood of them being published.

Any student planning on submitting their work to stock photography sites should first visit some photography forums. Submit some images to the forums and allow other members to give feedback. Comments won’t always be kind, and a lot of people might not want to hear them, but it is essential for getting pictures accepted the first time.

It should go without saying, but to get the best out of any digital camera, it’s essential to read the instructions. In addition, visit the manufacturer’s website and forums to get hints and tips on how to improve your photography.
 

 

Media

The media is always in need of photographs to go with breaking news stories or images that depict a unique event. While professional photographers are often on the scene for newsworthy events, they can’t be everywhere. So, if a student was to witness an event and photograph it, they could do extremely well financially by approaching the media.

For unique pictures, contact the paper directly. Contact details should be available on the newspaper’s website; speak to the editor or to the picture editor and see if they can use the material.

Some newspapers will insist on exclusivity, which would still be worthwhile as exclusive pictures pay more.
 

 

Photo Agencies

Students can also sell their pictures through photo agencies. These sites each have their own way of working. For instance, some will allow people to upload their photographs and, if sold, the student will get a fixed fee while the site will take a percentage for facilitating the sale.
 

One such site is Demotix. They help photographers to sell newsworthy pictures and they will split the fee 50/50. The site tries to make it as easy as possible for users so they display the kind of images they can use on the front page.
 

As well as breaking news and current events, Demotix also has a need for under-reported stories. This presents a good opportunity for students to uncover stories in their local area, record the events on camera, and then submit the recordings to media outlets that wish to purchase them.
 

If a photographer can create a set of compelling images that tell a story, then there is a good chance that the pictures will sell. If the pictures don’t get purchased, the photographer will retain the copyright and still have some images to add to their portfolio. Demotix can be found at: http://www.demotix.com/
 

Fiverr.com

Fiverr provides an excellent opportunity to earn some extra money from your photography hobby. Many people make extra money by selling some of their pictures. Obviously, having some skill with a camera will greatly increase the chances of selling something. However, even amateur photographers have an excellent chance to sell their work.
 

For example, a student could take images from their local neighborhood, of landmarks from their nearest town, or divide their pictures into niche subjects such as food, flowers, animals, etc., and sell them as a job lot.
 

Some sellers compile a job lot of pictures and sell them as stock photos. They take a mix of images and sell them in batches of ten to twenty and give their buyers permission to use them in their work such as blog posts, book projects, etc.
 

This is a great way to earn additional money for a minimum amount of work. Once sellers have made their first few sales and gained some positive feedback, getting orders becomes much easier. The same batch of pictures can be sold over and over again; all the seller has to do is attach and send the images, and once the seller reaches Level 1 status, he or she can start to add extras to increase the income that can be earned.
 

Anyone considering this should have a look at what other people are offering and how they can offer something different.
 

Sell Your Cell Phone Pictures

While some sites will only accept pictures taken from a professional camera, in recent years several companies that accepts cellphone snaps have appeared. Obviously, the quality still has to be good and the images will have to be newsworthy.
 

Sites like FOAP will also take images filmed on Android phones; they’ll accept photographs from a huge range of categories. The site won’t accept just any picture, though, and before a photo can go on the site’s For Sale section, it will need to attract fi ve positive feedback from other users.
 

Once the picture is up for sale, sellers can earn US$5 each time the picture is downloaded. To help improve the chances of a sale, take a look through the most popular categories and get an idea of what really sells. In addition, take care when selecting keywords as this is how buyers will find your pictures. FOAP can be found at: https://www.foap.com/
 

eBay.com

The auction site eBay is often overlooked as a sales venue for photographers. However, students can sell their prints, and if they can turn their pictures into unique artwork, they might just find a market for their images.
 

Many people don’t like the commissions that eBay charges, but there aren't that many opportunities for budding photographers to get their work out there and eBay has millions of visitors.
 

For students with their own websites, eBay is an effective way of promoting them. The site allows people to set up an “About Me” page, and users on eBay are allowed to add a link to their own websites; it’s always a good idea to put a business card along with a web link when packing an order.
 

As well as eBay, there are many specialist art sites where images can be sold. Try DeviantArt or similar sites.
 

 

Print on Demand

Another excellent way of making money from photography is print on demand. Images can be added to books and sold through Amazon, or choose a site that allows pictures to be printed on T-shirts, dairies, journals and calendars.
 

Many of the print-on-demand stores will allow users to set up their own stores and sell their products for a commission. The toughest part with these sites is actually getting people to find the products, but with an effective advertising strategy and a large enough range of images, it is possible to make extra income from print on demand.
 

Cafepress and Zazzle are two of the best known sites. Payments on Cafepress are made once the seller has made US$25 and commissions earned can be paid to a PayPal account.
 

It is also possible to buy products direct and re-sell them. To maximize the profits from this, buy when Cafepress are offering large discounts; sellers will also earn commissions on products that they buy themselves.
 

Stock Photos

Stock photography sites have soared in popularity over recent years; however, getting pictures accepted can prove pretty difficult as their standards are much higher these days.
 

Stock photo sites pay a commission for every photo sold; once the seller has accrued enough royalties, he or she will be entitled to payment. Each site has a different payment level, but it is usually set at US$50 or more.
 

The site will often ask new users to submit some sample photos. If they are considered good enough, the pictures will be made available for download; if they are not, then the photographer will usually be offered advice on how to improve the pictures.
 

For the best chance of getting pictures accepted, follow all the guidelines; get some advice from the forums, as other contributors can often spot an issue with a picture that the photographer hasn't noticed; and make sure that the picture has a commercial value.
 

To increase sales, select good keywords and pick a niche to specialize in.