Selling photos online... official MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

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  • darich
    darich Posts: 2,145
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    AlastairI wrote: »
    Hi there,

    This is a helpful thread, I've always wanted to sell some of my photos, I feel the work I produce could be sold but I'm unsure of the channels to do it.

    I've created a Photobox account, where I have some landscape photography and also some graphics work:

    http://www.photoboxgallery.com/3008915

    Plus my Deviantart account:

    http://the-baron.deviantart.com/gallery

    I've not sold anything in Deviantart, and I only set up Photobox today, but I would appreciate your comments as to whether you think any of my work is sellable?

    Alastair - your photos are good but I'm not sure they're "sellable". I'm sure they all mean something to you but the way to sell images is to capture/create images that mean something to others too. Your shots of the village all have an exceptionally shallow depth of field and it makes it look like a model village. If that's your intention then you've succeeded but I don't know if anyone would want to buy such an image. I've got loads of good photos but they're special to me and while technically good, they mean nothing to you so you'd be highly unlikely to buy them

    A few images - especially the castle ones - look like the sky is over exposed and is affecting the stonework and ramparts in the image. I'd also guess that either your camera isn't very high resolution, wasn't expensive or your post processing method needs tuning. Several of the shots look like they were shot using cheap optics or have been overdone in photoshop. I realise they'll have been reduced for uploading to the web but images can retain their quality and sharpness if you know what you're doing.

    Having said the above your shots are good and using photshop a bit more sympathetically I think you'd see a massive difference in your shots.

    Fractal shots are interesting but I'd have no idea how big or competitive the market is for them so wouldn't be able to say if yours would sell.

    Hope I've not been too harsh.......but you did ask and not being truthful wouldn't help!! :)

    Keen photographer with sales in the UK and abroad.
    Willing to offer advice on camera equipment and photography if i can!
  • chrisbur
    chrisbur Posts: 4,031
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    darich wrote: »
    Alastair - your photos are good but I'm not sure they're "sellable". I'm sure they all mean something to you but the way to sell images is to capture/create images that mean something to others too. Your shots of the village all have an exceptionally shallow depth of field and it makes it look like a model village. If that's your intention then you've succeeded but I don't know if anyone would want to buy such an image. :)

    Judging by the depth of field and the captions for some of these pictures I am sure that most of them are of models.
  • patman99
    patman99 Posts: 8,532
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    I'm just wondering if there is a market for postcards & calenders featuring local photographs. I have loads that I could sell, but finding a cheap low-run printers is a problem.
    Anyone got any thoughts on this?.
    Never Knowingly Understood.

    Member #1 of £1,000 challenge - £13.74/ £1000 (that's 1.374%)

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  • nutty
    nutty Posts: 145 Forumite
    Very interested in this topic looking for a course at the moment to up my skills

    I was thinking of something a little different from what’s been mentioned here

    I have been thinking of doing event photography taking pictures at events such as parties, weddings, football games list is endless really. At events with electricity you could maybe print images off but ones with no electricity hand a card they go to your website were they can buy there photo

    The reason I came up with this idea was I was at a football game and had my picture taken and handed this card (no longer got this) went home bought the picture.

    I could only cover my area and I was thinking of letting other people add there pictures on my website and I take a small cut.

    What do people think of this idea?
  • For an easy way to make money off your photos and videos, try cheking out Citizenside.com.

    Sign up is free and you can upload an unlimited amount of news-related photos and videos, which they will sell for you to media outlets around the world.

    Comission is up to 75% of the sale price, which is amazing!

    I read on the site that their partners with Agence Frence-press, which is the 3rd largest news agency in the world, so they've got considerable street credit.

    If you've got any exclusive shots from breaking news stories, this is exactly the place you want to sell them for you. You can even download an iPhone app to upload images directly and immediately from the scene. Android app is on it's way.

    Check them out: citizenside.com
  • darich
    darich Posts: 2,145
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    Cit_journo

    Wouldn't be spam by any chance would it?????

    Keen photographer with sales in the UK and abroad.
    Willing to offer advice on camera equipment and photography if i can!
  • Interesting topic and something I'm going through right now.

    Being in my 40's I shy away from social networking websites, but after taking advice from a professional photographer friend I opened up a MySpace account and uploaded my pictures there. I can hear some photographers groan at this but I can tell you it works.
    First of all you don't need to register with MySpace so promoting your work via your MySpace URL gives the recipient instant access to your work, just as a personal website would. The proof that this works is selling 6 photographs out of 20 within the first 5 weeks and withholding all copyrights. Whilst this is good I'm currently taking a web design course at college to take complete control of my personal web-space, although I'd never let the MySpace account go.

    Once you have organised any online free space to advertise your work never let it go. Always tag your photographs in the metadata and ALWAYS watermark your images right through the middle, not forgetting to set the resolution to 72dpi and away from the printable 240-300dpi. Reducing to the web standard of 72dpi will render your pictures no matter how good on-screen unusable and not worthy of the time involved in trying to remove any watermark. Higher resolution pictures are far easier to manipulate and remove your watermark and then print, so remember the golden rule of 72dpi.

    BTW your picture whether 72dpi or 300dpi will look the same on-line as its industry standard for viewing on your screen, so there's no point in uploading your show cases at any larger resolution than this, but just make sure you keep the original file unmolested in case you do close a sale and are not left with just the 72dpi web version.

    If I was to give one piece of advice on turning a photographic hobby into an income, it's to choose a core subject that you enjoy working with or being around. Other subjects can develop over time but for a starting point if you're happy around your subject it will reflect in your photography. As a bad example you could hate the outdoors but live amongst some of the best scenery in the country, but if that scenery doesn't already light up the happy cells in your brain there's little chance your choice of composition will light up anyone else's.

    Lastly, if anyone is interested in photography and comes by the Isle of Wight feel free to message me and I'd be more than happy to spend a morning, afternoon or day showing you some of the more photogenic parts of the island and free of tourists.

    Good luck to all in your endeavours :beer:
  • darich
    darich Posts: 2,145
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    ProDisc wrote: »
    The proof that this works is selling 6 photographs out of 20 within the first 5 weeks and withholding all copyrights.

    A photographer retains the copyright no matter what site he sells through unless the sale specifically buys copyright so no great innovation on MySpace.
    Would be interesting to know how much you sold each image for, the market, purpose and run it will be used in. Typically, royalty free images are bought for a few pence and the photographer has no control or knowledge about the photograph's use. I expect this is what you've done although I stand to be corrected.

    EDIT: I'd be fairly sure that my one sale through a proper agency was for more than your 6 combined. Selling for a few pence is as good as giving them away.

    Keen photographer with sales in the UK and abroad.
    Willing to offer advice on camera equipment and photography if i can!
  • bing0
    bing0 Posts: 451
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    Sell rare photographs to GettyImages
    Hello,I have in my possession several unseen and therefore unpublished photographs of Amy Johnson (famous female pilot).I have no idea as to what they are worth,but searching Gettyimages,you can pay a substantial amount,just to use an image.Depending on what type of licence you require,I have seen quotes for nearly £8000,00 just to use an image !!!

    Can anyone guide me as to what the possible sale value is of such an item ? Obviously to protect the images,I can not post them on here.All I can say is that there are three of her in a plane (one of these with children).One of her posing for the camera,and one possibly of her and husband on their wedding day (I cant say 100% its them,due to hats covering faces slightly),but I'm sure it is.The four photos I can confirm of her are in Aden in 1930,RAF pilots are in some of the photos too,I believe these are members of 8 Squadron,this links to her homeward journey ,after her record breaking flight.

    I have posted these questions on here,as it may give fellow users ideas of generating cash from rare photos they might have.I hope someone can give me some positive advice,as if they are sought after images,which I believe they are,you only get one chance to sell them for the right price.

    If they turn out to be worth not alot,I was thinking about doing limited edition prints....what do you think ?
    "Do not let what you can't do interfere with what you can do."
  • darich
    darich Posts: 2,145
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
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    bing0 wrote: »
    Sell rare photographs to GettyImages
    Hello,I have in my possession several unseen and therefore unpublished photographs of Amy Johnson (famous female pilot).I have no idea as to what they are worth,but searching Gettyimages,you can pay a substantial amount,just to use an image.Depending on what type of licence you require,I have seen quotes for nearly £8000,00 just to use an image !!!

    Can anyone guide me as to what the possible sale value is of such an item ? Obviously to protect the images,I can not post them on here.All I can say is that there are three of her in a plane (one of these with children).One of her posing for the camera,and one possibly of her and husband on their wedding day (I cant say 100% its them,due to hats covering faces slightly),but I'm sure it is.The four photos I can confirm of her are in Aden in 1930,RAF pilots are in some of the photos too,I believe these are members of 8 Squadron,this links to her homeward journey ,after her record breaking flight.

    I have posted these questions on here,as it may give fellow users ideas of generating cash from rare photos they might have.I hope someone can give me some positive advice,as if they are sought after images,which I believe they are,you only get one chance to sell them for the right price.

    If they turn out to be worth not alot,I was thinking about doing limited edition prints....what do you think ?

    I’ve never heard of her.
    Others may have but I’m wondering how famous she is if I’ve never heard of her. I’m not saying “because I don’t know her she’s not famous” I’m just pointing out that if I’ve not heard of her, then many others will be the same. She may be VERY famous in aviation circles but to the general public she may be relatively unheard of.
    Getty or Alamy may get you a large sale because of the market they can reach but I’d imagine unless you have a large market you can reach on your own, you might struggle to sell large quantities of your prints, even if they are limited edition.

    I’d also say that to sell the images you talk about you’d need to own the copyright or have permission from the copyright holder to sell them. If you’ve been given or inherited the images from a relative then I suspect you’d be ok to sell them. If, however, you’ve bought the images then it’s completely different. All you would own in that case is the print and would not be licensed to sell copies. Any sales would be breaching copyright, unless you bought that with the prints.

    Keen photographer with sales in the UK and abroad.
    Willing to offer advice on camera equipment and photography if i can!
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