Earn a bit on the side by placing your photos with an online microstock agency
Calling all happy snappers. Ever considered turning your hobby into a reasonably profitable sideline? Not only are global “microstock” agencies open to submissions from amateur photographers but they’ll pay you a fee for your efforts.
Having snapped away since 1955, Perth-based David Steele is a veteran accredited photographer and photojournalist who sells his work to online microstock agencies as a “useful supplement” to his income. He specialises in travel, wildlife and nature photos, and he estimates a photographer can make between $US100 ($130) and $US250 a month for every 1000 images they have online.
But must you be a professional photographer to see any returns?
“I certainly think there’s room for the amateur to profit,” says Steele. “It all depends on the technical and artistic quality of the image, the commercial potential and genre and, of course, the quantity of images you have with an agency.”
More than half of his business is with Shutterstock, a US-based digital photo agency that lists upwards of 140 million images in its vaults and uploads an average of 150,000 new pieces of content daily.
“Anyone can apply to become a contributor,” says Paul Brennan, Shutterstock’s vice-president of content operations. “You don’t need a fancy camera or any additional equipment. We accept images taken with smartphones.”
What exactly is microstock?
This story is from the November 2017 edition of Money Magazine Australia.
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This story is from the November 2017 edition of Money Magazine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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