Making money using your digital images has never been easier. Microstock photography sites have now made it possible for just about anyone to earn money from their digital images.
Microstock photography allows users to sell their digital images for free. Users are encouraged to upload their digital images to a microstock site. Every time your image is downloaded by a registered user, you receive money. The amount you take home depends on the size and resolution of the image downloaded. iStockphoto, Dreamstime, Fotolia and Shutterstock are popular microstock sites.
Although the payout per picture is not that high, your earnings do add up. In fact, you can make thousands of dollars a month from selling many of their digital images.
Below are a few tips to get you on your way to making money through microstock photography.
Note 1: Image Quality is Important
A high end camera is not required to produce acceptable images. Any high resolution digital camera can do the job.
Note 2: Your Photos Will Be Reviewed
Each individual image submitted to microstock sites will be reviewed. Therefore, it is important to analyze your own images before submission. Also, make sure to read all the image terms and requirements before submission. Images are sometimes rejected. Today, many of the prominent microstock photography sites have tutorials that you can follow to help you take fantastic images.
Note 3: Subject matter is important
Content does matter. Certain subject matters, such as business and food images are popular. However, images of family and flowers may not make the cut. Do some research and see what image types are downloaded the most. This will give you an idea of what sells and potentially what to focus on.
Also, images containing people may require you to complete a model release form. Please read the terms and conditions of the microstock site before making such submissions.
Note 4: Portfolio Development Takes Time
To make a serious income from microstock sites, it is important to develop a portfolio containing a many high quality images. Also, make your images keyword rich. Relevant keywords will allow your images to appear more frequently in customer searches.
Also, submit your images to numerous microstock sites. This increases the probability of your images being downloaded.
With these notes in mind, you can be on your way to making serious money using only your digital camera!