Do you usually take your camera with you on trips or, for example, do you like shooting on film? If you've gone back to buying a hard drive for new photos and filming your friends' fifth wedding, it's time to think about monetizing your hobby! Photos can make moneyand below we'll show you some ways to do that!
The content of the article
Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Photographer
There are advantages to working as a photographer: you plan your own schedule, you meet different people, including famous people, you can constantly increase your salary, you can find better clients.
Photography makes life more interesting: it allows you to travel, participate in big events and talk about your ideas. There are also disadvantages: high competition, instability, multitasking.
The photographer not only shoots, but also stylizes the photograph, mounts advertising and seeks out clients. All these problems interfere in the initial stage. Of course, having received the first ten orders, some tasks can be delegated – only the ones you like will remain.
Ways to make money from photography
Photo stocks are banks with thousands of frames, illustrations and videos. They are especially relevant for companies without their own image bank: they can be both small beauty salons and large IT corporations.
There are two types of photo stock:
- Microstocks are easy to get into, even for beginners, so there is high competition and low prices.
- In macro actions, the author needs to go through moderation to work. Often large companies like Gazprom are looking for photos there, so there is a high profit from selling photos.
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shooting directories
Novice designers or clothing and jewelry makers – everyone needs to present their products. So catalogs and photos in them are a great tool for this. This option is only suitable for professionals: you need to be able to work with light, help the model pose, retouch high-quality photos.
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filming advertising
Advertising photography includes all existing genres. It is used for press advertisements, posters, posters, flyers, packaging, etc.
Such frames should be remembered, they cause the desire to purchase a product or service. It is worth mentioning that advertising images must show the benefits of the product. Successful photographers often make people feel like they own the product.
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wedding picture
One of the proven methods is to photograph weddings. This is a popular business option in the summer – you can fill 3-4 orders per week. Keep in mind that the job is physically demanding: typically the photographer spends 10-12 hours on their feet and then roughly the same amount for image processing.
Main advantages: high demand, ability to travel (some photographers find orders abroad), profitability. For example, for a wedding in Russia, on average, they receive 20-30 thousand. In Europe, salaries are higher: on average, from 1000 euros a day.
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Testing of shooting models and acting portfolios
One of the main ways to earn a steady income: clients often come back and ask for more than one photo shoot a year, but 4 or 5. An expert working in the fashion or film industry should know the requirements of agencies and directors. , anticipate changes .
Opening a photo studio is easy: you need a room, a camera, a table, a chair and a printer. All this will take no more than 300,000. At the same time, the demand for services will remain: people always need photos for documents. In the future, you will be able to print albums or develop films.
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reportage shot
The photographer can report for magazines or event organizers. You need to be able to shoot quickly, navigate an ever-changing situation, find cool angles. If you are a magazine reporter, the average salary is 40,000 reais per month. It is more profitable to work with private clients: the cost of filming is, on average, from 2,000 to 7,000 reais per hour.
If you're an art photographer, sell your images at galleries like Yellow Corner. Each work is promoted by the gallery and is limited edition, and you make a profit – a percentage of sales, so you can earn from R$ 5 to R$ 1,000 per month.
Business idea for landscape photographers. You create a beautiful route and bring together a team of like-minded people. Take, for example, the photograph of the Northern Lights on the Kola Peninsula – such adventures appeal to many.
The more interesting the trip, the more you can earn from it. If you find it difficult to decide on the route, ask your audience about it. People are happy to share their opinions and in the future they may go with you.
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training courses
If you've become an expert in your field, share your experience with others – create an online course or record a webinar. You may not reach a million students, but you can pay more attention to each participant.
Organize several workshops and then open a photography school. The number of people who want to experience themselves as photographers is growing, so there is a demand for training.
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Materials closed on the website
You can show finished photos for free, and the process of creating them is by subscription. Or, for example, people will pay to see exclusive images first.
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Your own photo studio
A great choice for beginners and professionals. An inexperienced photographer will quickly learn to work with light. An experienced photographer will increase income: he receives money both for rent and for work. You can start with 500,000 reais.
Important: Delegate responsibilities. Over time, you will need to hire an administrator and, most likely, a marketer.
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property photos
How to quickly sell an apartment? Present it beautifully: show advantages such as large area and high ceilings, beautiful finishes.
When a person searches for real estate on the internet, they eliminate more than half of the options because of low quality images. The photographer helps to avoid this. The price to photograph an object is, on average, from 1,000 to 5,000 reais.
Important: Remember that you will need a wide-angle lens as well as multiple light sources.
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keeping your blog
Improve content quality and build a personal brand. You don't necessarily become a superstar: you can make money from an audience of 1000 people. Your blog can become a platform for announcing new bloggers and new stores. Let it be a social network or a website where other people can express themselves.
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prize contests
For example, the photo contests “The most beautiful country” and “Russia's wild nature” allow you to win up to 500,000 reais. Prizes include expensive cameras, tours, exhibition advertising, etc., participation is almost always free.
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sale of photo books
In the 2010s, it became fashionable to print photos and arrange them beautifully – photographers began to give away photos on branded flash drives, in unusual photo albums and handmade albums.
Now, selling photo books is a way to stand out and increase the average check by 10 to 15 thousand reais. In addition, hotels and travel agencies need albums with beautiful photos of the places they sell tickets to.
Retouching is editing photos: improving brightness, sharpness, contrast, correcting external flaws, changing the background and other improvements.
Retouching services are used by photographers, magazines, advertising agencies, individuals. The cost of retouching depends on its complexity. – you can often profit from 50 to 1000 reais per frame.
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Sale of photographic products
Are you good at photography? Do you like working with additional light sources? Have you changed several lenses and know what you need for what tasks? So use your knowledge: open an online store of photographic equipment or, to start, rent it.
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portfolio analysis
Beginners often need advice from successful masters. You can review your portfolio and help correct mistakes. The more famous you are, the better the cost of the service. For example, for photographers with an audience of over 100,000 people, this service starts at R$20,000.
And that's all. Develop financial thinking with Ilya Sitnov. Subscribe to our newsletter here and on Yandex.Zen. Because that way you won't miss out on useful content.
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