When the topic of making money online comes up, selling photos is often touted as one of the simpler methods.
It sounds quite appealing, doesn’t it? Just snap some nice pictures, upload them to a platform, and then wait for the money to pour into your pocket. It sounds easy enough… but is it really that simple? Can you truly make a significant amount of money just by selling photos online?
So, I decided to try it myself and investigate.
Why Does Selling Photos Online Sound Like a “Sweet Deal”? #
Honestly, if you’re someone who loves taking photos, the thought of turning that hobby into extra income is genuinely exciting. There are indeed photographers who have earned a considerable amount by selling their work on stock photo websites. That alone is enough to make anyone grab their phone or camera and start shooting immediately.
Doesn’t this sound incredibly promising?
- “Upload photos, make money while you sleep!”
- “Sell one photo repeatedly to thousands of buyers!”
- “Earn passive income doing something you love!”
All of this sounds fantastic… but I just wanted to see what the actual situation would be like for an average person starting from scratch.
Where Exactly Do These Photos Get Sold? #
There are plenty of platforms for selling photos online, but the most popular ones are probably:
- Shutterstock
- Adobe Stock
- iStock (by Getty Images)
- Alamy
- Etsy (for selling prints)
Each platform operates differently, but most stock photo websites share two common characteristics:
- You usually need to apply or pass an approval process before you can sell.
- The payout per download is typically small, often ranging from a few cents to a few dollars per photo.
I chose Shutterstock and Adobe Stock for my test, primarily because they are relatively beginner-friendly and have a large base of buyers.
What Kind of Photos Should You Sell? #
This was the first “surprise” I learned: not all photos will sell. Just because you upload a beautiful sunset photo doesn’t mean someone will buy it.
Buyers of stock photos are usually looking for images they can use for marketing, blogs, websites, or presentations. This means that ordinary, everyday scenes might sell better than elaborate artistic shots. For example:
- People working on laptops
- Overhead shots of office desks
- Food on a plate
- Natural landscape backgrounds
- Lifestyle scenes and family moments
Doesn’t that sound a bit strange?
My Attempt (and Mistakes Made) #
Initially, I uploaded a bunch of my “favorite” photos – landscapes, cityscapes, and creative shots with special effects. To be honest, I thought they were all pretty good.
It turned out to be completely different.
Most of them were rejected for reasons like “too much noise,” “out of focus,” or “low commercial value.” It was a bit disheartening at the time, but thinking about it, it was fair enough.
So, I started to adjust my strategy.
- I researched the best-selling photos on these platforms.
- I began paying more attention to lighting and composition.
- I uploaded some simple, practical images, such as a neat workstation or a clean close-up of a coffee cup.
Within two weeks, I had a total of about 25 approved photos combined on Shutterstock and Adobe Stock.
Earnings Report #
Alright, now for the part everyone cares about the most: How much money did I actually make?
In the first month, I earned $4.12.
You might think that number is ridiculously small, right?
But the thing is, these earnings came from the downloads of those few photos. And they will continue to generate income for you indefinitely. Selling stock photos is like a snowball effect – it starts very slowly, but if you consistently upload and build up a large portfolio (e.g., hundreds of photos), the income can gradually accumulate.
Some people earn hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month from these platforms, but that’s because they’ve uploaded hundreds or even thousands of photos over several months or even years.
My Takeaways #
Here’s what I discovered through this experiment:
- It’s not a “get rich quick” scheme. Selling photos online requires time, patience, and effort.
- Quantity matters. The more photos you upload, the greater your chances of earning a steady income.
- Quality is equally important. Clear, well-lit, and relevant photos sell well. Don’t even think about those casual selfies.
- Understanding what buyers want is key. “Pretty” doesn’t necessarily sell; “useful” does.
Is It Worth Doing? #
If you’re expecting to earn hundreds of dollars in the first few weeks? That’s highly unlikely.
However, if you genuinely enjoy photography and are willing to treat it as a long-term project, then selling photos online can indeed turn into a small stream of passive income over time. It’s not for everyone, but for those who are creative and willing to figure out how this game works, it’s an interesting way to monetize a skill.
A final tip: don’t stick to just one platform. Upload your photos to multiple websites to significantly increase your chances of selling them.
Have you ever tried selling photos online before, or are you planning to give it a shot? Let me know in the comments!