Cash from photography?

ross_uk

Hey im not sure if this is the best place to post this message. i am in to photography and keep getting told that i should try selling some of my work, so i was wondering if anyone on here has done the same thing and could advice me on the best steps to take on this.

thanks.

funkycat06

my mate does it , he started off by doing some pics as a favour for another friend, they spread the word now he gets asked all the time to do it and he earns a fair bit .you will always find a market for kid's photo's

dktreesea

You could try fotolia. You upload your images, then, if one of their subscribers downloads your photos, you get a commission.

There's a site called paidtoreview, which might be worth a look - it could point you in the right direction for online sites that accept and then onsell your photos.

Ebe_Scrooge

It's worth keeping an eye open for any craft fairs that are held near you, this would be a good place to get your work seen and potentially make some sales. Otherwise I'd be tempted to visit some local art galleries or shops that sell pictures. I'm not sure exactly how it works, you'd have to ask, but certainly around us there are several shops that are owned by artists. They obviously display and sell their own work, but there is invariably a selection of work by other local artists. I'm guessing that probably the shop owner lets other people display their work and takes a commission on any sales. But it would be worth seeing if there are any such shops in your area and popping in for a chat.

prophoto

Ross

There are literally thousands of places that can sell photography from stock sites like fotolia, craft fairs and art galleries as suggested above and directly to individuals. The two big questions are - what kind of photography are you looking to sell, and frankly how good is it ? Friends and family are your biggest supporters always but often the worst person to critique your work.

I'm a professional photographer, and have sold my work into magazines and books, websites, corporate brochures, newspapers, advertisements, peoples walls and wedding albums and every different type of photography has different ways to sell it, and different challenges. There is no one simple answer.

My recommendation is to work out what it is you are talented (assuming you are talented) at photographing and concentrate on that. The market is completely saturated with both images and photographers - supply exceeds demand across almost every single type of photography - including (and maybe especially) kids photography. Having a camera won't guarantee you will be able to sell anything you take with it, no more than owning a pair of football boots would mean you could earn money from them by playing for Man Utd.

A few things you should probably do, and some things to consider if you are going to sell your photography.

1) Get your work assessed by people who know what they are talking about. Gallery owners, stock agencies, publishers, newspaper editors will all be a little more honest than your family and friends - and if you are not up to the mark may be able to suggest what you need to do to have commercially viable images. You could also look at a website such as ePhotozine (which I can't link to at the moment - Google it) where you'll learn a lot, get to see some very good images, and some not very good ones as well.

2) If you are going to sell your work then you have up to 3 months after you start to inform HMRC that you are trading. Failure to do so could result in you getting fined.

3) You'll need to declare your income - if you don't already complete a self-assessment form then you may have to do so. You'll have to pay tax on your profits.

4) You'll probably need to get some new insurance to cover your camera equipment - as you will now be deemed a "semi-professional" your household insurance policy won't cover your kit and if you try to make a claim and they find out you are selling your work, or trying to you could find yourself with a big bill to replace it.

5) If you are dealing in any way with the general public, or photographing anything/or anywhere you might cause damage you'll also need 3rd party liability cover - again something critical for a photographer to own if they are working - you could easily be claimed against if someone is injured, or property damaged.

6) If you take on any kind of commission be it a wedding, portrait session or commercial job then you'll need to consider backup equipment for when yours fails, breaks, is damaged, or stolen.

7) If you are formally working with children then you *may* be required to be CRB checked, even if you are not you should consider parental requests. Do also familiarise yourself with the 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act - especially the section on Private and Domestic Commissions and what you can and cannot do with those images (useful if you are planning on having a website/advertising in any way).

8) You'll get plenty of jobs if you are free. As soon as you want to charge for something quite often the next free photographer gets the job. You'll also sell lots if you are very very cheap. Selling things for less than they cost (really cost) isn't ever a good business model. It is very easy to get sucked in to working very hard for a very long time and not make any money at all - and worst of all you lost your hobby at the same time.

......and finally some of the most talented photographers in the world, are some of the least successful. Selling photography is typically 10% taking photos and 90% advertising, marketing, sales, and running a business.

Good luck !

BKwhopper

Excellent advice prophoto - thanks.
I enjoy photography and many family and friends have commented on the quality of my shots. I have started to think about possibly trying to do some on a commercial basis and you have given me some food for thought so thanks
:beer: