Websites That Turn Your Images Into Income

You see, photography is no longer just an art and a feeling anymore, it is also a way to make money. Making money from photography allows us to pursue our passion and turn it into a profession. There are many ways to make money from photography successfully. You can start your own photography business or you can make money selling photos on online photo selling websites. All you need to do is create an account and start selling your photos.

1. Shutterstock

Shutterstock is designed for photographers of all levels. It has over 15 years of experience and a total of 500 million downloads. Over $1 billion has been paid to contributors from all over the world. Shutterstock contains over 200 million images and other content (music, videos, vectors, illustrations). 

Shutterstock allows you to protect your copyright, so you can claim rights to your photos. Shutterstock also gives credit to the owner of the image, which is a major plus for protecting your ownership and marketing your brand.

Once you become a contributor to the site, you start earning money every time someone buys and downloads your content. As a contributor, you can earn 20% to 30% of whatever your images sell for, which Shutterstock pays out monthly.

2. Alamy

This site is a platform designed for selling photos. It has no rules, and that is one of its advantages. You can upload your photos without any license. 

At Alamy, you can earn 50% of the profits for every photo sold. The site also allows photographers to sell their photos elsewhere, but you'll only get 40% commission on those photos.

This has helped Alamy become the world's largest photo marketplace, with a huge monthly audience - all of whom are potential customers for your photos!

3. 123RF

Sell ​​your photos, illustrations and video footage on 123RF. You can earn 30% to 60% on each download depending on the number of purchases made.

Your three payment options include PayPal, Skrill, or Payoneer. Like most other online photo sites, you must be 18 years or older to become a contributor.

4. Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock lists your photos and videos on the Creative Cloud platform using Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other Adobe desktop apps. Photos, vectors, illustrations, and videos can be sold.

To make the selling process easier, Adobe has a keyword automation tool that can help you find relevant search terms that are more likely to connect with buyers.

You'll earn 33% commission on photos and vectors and 35% on videos. Once your account balance reaches $50, Adobe will send payment via PayPal or Skrill.

5. SmugMug

With SmugMug, you can set your own prices for your photos. It's a favorite photo selling site for professional photographers.

While SmugMug requires a monthly subscription, the profit potential is much higher as you keep 85% of the money you earn by selling your images and can sell your photos as downloadable images, postcards, and prints.

6. iStock

iStock is perfect for amateur photographers just starting out. The standard royalty rate for a photo on iStock is 15% - 45% per download, depending on the popularity of the photo.

7. 500px

500px is an online marketplace that helps you create your photo portfolio and make money. It is one of the best places to sell photos online.

Getting started on 500px is pretty simple. Just set up a free account and add your images. You can also earn up to 60% of your sales if you sell your photos exclusively on 500px.

Also, keep an eye out for contests to help you earn more money and gain more visibility.

8. Dreamstime

Dreamstime allows you to sell photos, illustrations, videos, and even audio clips. The base commission for non-exclusive photos is 25%.

For exclusive photos, you will earn 60% of each download and also get paid 20 cents for each accepted upload, allowing you to earn money before you even make your first sale!

As an added incentive, Dreamstime also offers photography and design contests that allow you to win prizes for your work. For easy photo uploading, you can also use the Apple and Android apps to quickly upload your photos.

9. Bigstock

This site has a rich history. With over 43 million stock images and a really easy setup system, Bigstock allows contributors to earn up to 30% of the sale price. Contributors can earn $0.25-$0.50 per image download.

You have the freedom of choice when it comes to payment methods - Paypal, bank check,... and you are free to upload as many photos as you like.

10. Snapped4U

Snapped4U is an exclusive database for event and portrait photography. It is not a marketplace for travel, landscape, still life and stock photos. 

Snapped4U also has a low payout threshold as they only keep 50 cents for every photo sold that costs less than $5 and 10% for photos that cost more than $5. You can also get paid after earning $20 and can be paid on the 1st and 15th of every month.

Photography is not only a passion but also a great opportunity to turn beautiful moments into a stable source of income. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced person, the online photo selling platform always opens the door for you to reach millions of buyers worldwide. Start your action today, because a photo not only preserves memories but also creates real value.