Photography Can you still make money as a professional photographer?

[Jack]

An interesting topic to talk, what do you think, can we still make money as a professional photographer? Let's say wedding, or portrait photographer?

Taking in consideration that the market is over saturated and some photographers are offering free services just to build their portfolio.

 

[Jack]

My vote will be NO, I believe is very hard to get into professional photography industry, you must have a well known name or be well established.

 

[lightmuncher]

We talked about this earlier in the year, Jack. You have to assess different ways that allow you as a photographer to sell your images. The digital world has made thousands of excellent photographers, as now more than ever, people can edit and do magic on images like never before. Yes, weddings, portraits have always been the bread and butter of the photographers. I can give a list here of what a wedding photographer should do in order for you to work with the weddings. How you follow the bride and groom, when to take the initiative to control a situation, etc.
Its a saturated market that is for sure. I see amazing images from people who put themselves out and get up at dawn, camp on mountain tops, and sell their images through shootproof, shutterstock and other places. You have to understand the market to whom you are selling to. What is your niche?
So go for the bread and butter, but also sell through independent art shops, get an exhibition in a library or other public venue. People will buy GOOD impressive images, they like to have beautiful images on their walls. Go around the estate agents, there are many independent estate agents who have no damn idea how to take a quality image, or drone views. We paid for a drone to take pics of our house and land through an estate agent. They are looking at how to make videos now and tell us that they will do one of our house and land on top of all the other stuff. Who else needs a photographer? I have no idea, but I am sure there must be other ways to sell. Do put your pics up though on these selling sites, you never know. You have to think outside that box to allow you to create work for yourself. Anyone else any ideas?

 

[Andy Smith]

It can also depend on where you live, outside of the UK like in Asia there is a good pool of local photographers but places like BBC, UK based magazines (sport, food, travel, golf, fishing, fashion, culture, furniture), in flight magazines for airlines, hotels etc are always looking for images from the far east along with a narrative sometimes. Exhibitions are also a good place to go shoot what is being exhibited, and the images sell sometimes to the exhibitors themselves or the exhibition hall management for promo stuff. Even small restaurants in the UK are sometimes on the lookout for a photographer to shoot their menu items in a professional manner.
So i believe if you put the effort in there are rewards to be found.

 

[Jack]

sell their images through shootproof, shutterstock

I have more than 1000 images for sale on shutterstock, haven't made much, not even $20 😅. I have there drone videos too, probably I still have to work on my skills.

What is your niche?

I like to explore everything, from Macro, to wildlife photography, I would say because lack of time, it's hard to manage my niches.

I do have a professional website too, I've done wedding and portraits as well.

Anyone else any ideas?

There's a new Web stock Web site, I gave it a try, but is a bit weird. Is called wirestock.

I also made some business cards and flyers to hand to people.

 

[Jack]

Even small restaurants in the UK are sometimes on the lookout for a photographer to shoot their menu items in a professional manner.
So i believe if you put the effort in there are rewards to be found.

That's something I still haven't tried it yet.

From what you've said, images taken from tropical regions, are more likely to be sold.

 

[lightmuncher]

I just remembered, and I can't think why I had forgotten this. When I lived in Wales I made my own cards and sold them in places where people sell their own products, like baskets, pottery, other people's DIY cards. These were usually set up in old disused churches, town halls, village halls. The people who man the stalls ask for a commission, of course, but I made more doing that than you made with selling on-line images! I made the cards off my printer, using the correct car weight, and would take the image on one side, and write on the inside. Now I found some paper was good quality for my images, but wouldn't take a pen's ink on the inside.
The other thing I remembered was that Sheila's (my wife) cousin and his partner create a post card business down in Devon and Cornwall. Ever since way back when, we asked them if they could help us out on how they started and who did they use for their printing, they put the phone down and stopped emails from that point! WTF! We were in Wales and were never going to stomp on their territory!
So hopefully two more ways to sell images from your creativity. Just leave the cards blank, by the way. And if more ideas come from my dwindling gray matter, will post it here.

 

[Andy Smith]

I visit a small privately owned coffee shop quite regularly and have become good friends with the owners, I asked them if i could put five printed images on display for a few weeks in their shop and pay them 10% of any sales. The images were all of the local neighbourhood and included a small narrative of who I was, what the image was meant to convey and a price ( I had this translated to Thai language also and printed both languages on a small white card).
Happy to say that all the images sold for a reasonable profit and the coffee shop are now asking me if we can do it again, as their customers liked the idea of supporting local ideas and people.
It's a simple idea, easy to put together and gets me known in the local community which is great. I even got a few free coffees out of it as well.
Just a thought, as it can probably be done in local B&B's, coffee shops, restaurants, gift shops, pubs, etc and can earn you a few extra dollars at the end of the month.

 

[Jack]

Are you talking about gift cards lightmuncher ? Would be interesting to know how you printed these with your printer? Have you purchased special paper I guess?

 

[Jack]

Thanks for this idea Andy Smith . Never thought about it. I'll get in touch with some local shops, see what they say.

What size you had your images printed?

 

[Andy Smith]

Thanks for this idea Andy Smith . Never thought about it. I'll get in touch with some local shops, see what they say.

What size you had your images printed?

I printed at A3 size Jack, and put them in a nice wooden frame.

 

[Jack]

I printed at A3 size Jack, and put them in a nice wooden frame.

Did customers knew that these images are there for sale as well?

 

[Andy Smith]

Did customers knew that these images are there for sale as well?

They had a price on them Jack, so yes they knew. I also placed a small narrative explaining who I was and what I was trying to achieve.

 

[markmullen]

It is possible to make a living, but landscapes is a very very tough market to make money out of.

I had a gallery within the gallery of one of the UK's top, 1 or 2 landscape photographer's, he confided in me that he made more as a landlord renting out gallery space to other artists than he did out of landscape photography. To put it in perspective this chap is a household name in the landscape world.

I've done weddings, far too much like hard work. I've worked commercial and architectural photography too, both as a freelance and as a camera assistant with another pro when I was much younger, I found this far more interesting than weddings but I ended up leaving photography to be a part time profession, if I pay for lenses and kit then I'm happy, I can go out with a camera when I want, not feel compelled to because the studio rent is due, or because utilities are coming up payable.

Just my 2p worth, don't spoil your enjoyment of something you enjoy by making a living out of it, it changes things rapidly.

 

[Morexp57]

Just my 2p worth, don't spoil your enjoyment of something you enjoy by making a living out of it, it changes things rapidly.

Absolutely. A wonderful hobby can turn into a job that pisses you off if you have to do it at a fixed time to pay the bills.

 

[Jack]

They had a price on them Jack, so yes they knew. I also placed a small narrative explaining who I was and what I was trying to achieve.

I believe that has been placed on the photo?

 

[Jack]

It is possible to make a living, but landscapes is a very very tough market to make money out of.

I had a gallery within the gallery of one of the UK's top, 1 or 2 landscape photographer's, he confided in me that he made more as a landlord renting out gallery space to other artists than he did out of landscape photography. To put it in perspective this chap is a household name in the landscape world.

I've done weddings, far too much like hard work. I've worked commercial and architectural photography too, both as a freelance and as a camera assistant with another pro when I was much younger, I found this far more interesting than weddings but I ended up leaving photography to be a part time profession, if I pay for lenses and kit then I'm happy, I can go out with a camera when I want, not feel compelled to because the studio rent is due, or because utilities are coming up payable.

Just my 2p worth, don't spoil your enjoyment of something you enjoy by making a living out of it, it changes things rapidly.

So much truth in this post. I've done portraits and weddings too, but as a freelancer.

Don't think paying someone to display your images can bring cash.

Sometimes feels good to make money from what you enjoy doing it.

 

[lightmuncher]

Are you talking about gift cards lightmuncher ? Would be interesting to know how you printed these with your printer? Have you purchased special paper I guess?

Its been a while since I have done any Jack. Yes, I had done some with my own printer. I had an Epsom printer with continuous ink system attached. I bought the plastic sleeves to protect the card, along with the right size envelopes. That poor old printer was amazing, along with the continuous ink system. I sold them in a converted church in Malborough, Wilts. Although someone did piss me off as one of my images was of a group of Buddhist monks! As weird as that sounds it was a good card image. But someone complained it wasn't a Christian card to have in a church! Such damn narrow minds, and I exploded with expletives. It was not a church anymore!
You could go to a local printer, which is what Sheila's cousin did. Just price them up. And just go around the card shops, craft shops or places converted to sell local crafts. Post cards as well, but that would need a printer. Do a recky around your local area and ask the questions to the shop owners. Ask what is their turnover with cards and post cards, do they buy from local people? What are prices are they buying the cards for, as you need to know what profits you need to make from the venture. They know this, as you do. Get quotes from different printers. Its all a pain in the ass doing the leg work, but by going there in person if possibly, it gives a better impression for future business. If they can't see you there and then, make an appointment. You are selling yourself and your talent. Have some ideas and cards as examples of your work, in other words, carry a portfolio. Hope it helps. You can also apply for a business grant as well, that might help you.
So look for the best paper/card, and start small is my best advice and expand from there. All my paper I had bought sadly is no longer on the market. Look for the best weight of card that would bend or buy card already creased and made for the job.

 

[Andy Smith]

I believe that has been placed on the photo?

yes on a small card with a narrative of who I was, what the image was meant to convey and the price

 

[TonyB]

I know several photographers who make very good money in photography. They do it by running workshops; the best specialise in particular subject matters, such as abstract, night photography (milky way, aurora), nature, etc. Some years ago these workshops catered for perhaps 10-12 attendees, but there is a trend to reduce the numbers (4-6 max) with commensurate increases in prices. One proviso: you have to be GOOD and be well-known in your chosen niche.