How to Earn from Your Photos Online - a Beginner's Guide

It's not a secret that a lot of people earn from their photos and they earn big time. And a lot of them are not professional photographers (though some are, of course). I'm not talking of people who have their own studios and get orders from big clients via their websites. I'm talking about people like you and me. So, can you make money from photography online? You certainly can! Here are some tips that will help you get started.

Everybody can take photos these days - all you need is a cheap point-and-shoot camera or even your mobile phone. It's also dead easy to upload your photos to sites like Flikr to get some exposure. But earning from your photos is a bit harder than that. To earn from your photos, you must make sure that:

• Your equipment is good enough. If your photos are low quality, you will only be able to make cents rather than dollars.
• You know some basic composition principles
• You know what exposure is and how to deal with it
• You photos are of interesting things (your cat or dog doesn't usually count as interesting)

Now that you know what is expected from your photos, let's have a look at where you can post them to earn some money.

1. Microstocks

Microstock photography websites are the best source of revenue for professional photographers and for advanced amateurs. True, your equipment has to be excellent (don't bother sending your photos for approval unless you have a DSLR). And don't bother sending unprocessed photos - they won't be accepted. So, if you want to be serious about microstock, get yourself a copy of Photoshop and Lightroom. In my experience, Fotolia and BigStockPhoto are the best places to start, as you can submit one image at a time. When you images start getting accepted, you can apply for approval at Shutterstock and submit 10 images for assessment. If at least 7 of them get accepted, you're in. If not, you'll have to wait for a month before you can try again. If you try hard enough, selling your photos though Microstock agencies will really pay.

2. Flikr

Yes, Flikr! Did you know that Flikr partnered with Getty Images and now accepts work for sale? All you need to do is have photos on Flikr (good photos, not your cat) and join the Getty Images group. If you get approved, your images will become available for sale. The great thing about this group is that millions of people search Flikr for images, so the exposure you get will be tremendous.

3. RedGage

Now, RedGage earnings will never match microstock earnings. But the good news is that all you need for RedGage is a point-and-shoot camera. Your phone will do too. You will be able to post your photos to share with the world, meet new friends, improve your photography skills, and earn a bit of money too. Quite a few professional photographers use RedGage to showcase their work, so there is no reason why you shouldn't too.

4. Zazzle

Another way to earn from your photos is to open a Zazzle store. Zazzle is a great website where you can create your own custom products, from postcard and stamps to T-shirts, bags, and canvas prints. So, if you think you have photos that will make good postcards, prints and posters, give it a go and sell photos on Zazzle.

These are only a few ways how you can earn from your photos online. Hope these tips will help you get started.