How To Make Money With Photography In 2023?

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There is no denying that over the past couple of decades, photography has become a lot better in every case, and while it is true that smartphones are slowly bridging the gap between professional cameras and your everyday smartphone cameras, but the race is still far from over, and it is not going to happen any day now.

If you are trying to become a photographer, remember that you can actually go ahead and start making money with photography, too.

This is only going to make life easier for you, and you will be able to get things done in a proper way, and that too, with ease. If you want to know how to make money with photography, then this post is for you.

How To Make Money With Photography

Now the good news is that making money with photography is not at all difficult. You can be out of the issues with ease, and things are going to work for you without any concerns that might come in your way. Still, we are going to take a look at how you can achieve everything there is, and that will make sense for you.

#1- You should sell both digital and printed copies of your work.

Making money using photography is not at all difficult, to be honest. Sure, it might take you some time to figure out what to do and where to get started, but for the most part, you are going to be just fine knowing that you are doing whatever it is that is possible.

image of a camera with laptop

You can start by selling digital and printed copies of your work, and that is an excellent way of getting started whenever you are talking about making money.

This method is safe, works really well, and for the most part, it just has all the necessary information that you want.

#2- Teach photography

Another thing that can help you earn a good amount of money is by going ahead and making sure that you are teaching photography to those who want to learn it. Sure, it might not be the easiest way to do it, but for the most part, this is not complicated at all.

image of two persons looking at the camera screen

You just have to be certain that you are doing everything there is that needs to be done to properly teach photography. You will need to have experience in both fields, such as photography and teaching, and you will be good to go with ease.

#3- Start a photography blog

Another thing that you can start doing is starting a photography blog. Something that has been around for the longest time.

image of a macbook with camera lens and phone

If you are looking to make money with photography, having a blog is certainly something that will help you a lot, and it is not going to be a problem for you, either. So, be certain that you are doing everything there is.

With a photography blog at hand, you can go ahead and get clients through the website, and you can even make money using ad revenue. It is not at all complicated, you just look into the options that you have, and you will be all set.

#4- Shoot portraits

If you are going forward and trying to get all things sorted and make money as well, then shooting portraits is a great way of earning money.

image of photographer taking someone's pictures

I do understand that this might not be for everyone, but hey, you are going to get the chance to learn how to take some great portraits and get paid for them, too.

You will need to know that networking is very, very important in this case, and you cannot just go wrong if you do not have access to all the things there are.

#5- Sell photos to magazines to make money online

Another way of making money is that if you are looking to get your hands on some quick bucks, you can start selling your photos to magazines online.

In addition to that, there are countless websites that let you make money by selling them stock images. Stock images are very useful for people, and they are actually willing to pay for them.

So, it would be wiser if you never really ignore this. You will need to spend some time trying to figure this out, but once you get it sorted, you will be all good.

#6- Edit and retouch images

Another way of making money is that you can start offering the services of editing and retouching images. I know this does not sound like something that might be directly related to photography since you are not taking any images in the process.

But you do need skills in photography and a deep understanding of how things are going to work if you wish to be good here, and it does take some time before you can get better.

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#7- You can sell your travel photography stories.

Another thing that you can be interested in doing if you want to make money using photography is you can start selling travel photography stories.

image of photographer taking pictures of city over mountain

Again, not something that is easy, but the best thing here is that if you are looking to have a good overall experience, then this is definitely something that you should be looking into because the experience alone is excellent, and if you are good at your stories, then you can always start making good money.

#8- You should pursue wedding photography.

Wedding photography has been an excellent way of making money, and it is one of the oldest ways of making money, too.

Sure, it might not be for everyone, but hey, if you are good at it, there is absolutely no reason for you or anyone else not to look into wedding photography.

image of a person carrying two cameras

It can be an expensive ordeal, but you will be able to get things in order in absolutely no time, and you will be good to go in no time. Again, networking is one thing that is really, really important across all aspects.

#9- You can sell stock photography on stock photography sites.

This is something that I have mentioned before, too, and if you are looking to make sure that you can actually go ahead and make some money, then the good news is that stock photography is going to pay you good. However, that is conditional based on the pictures you are taking and the pictures that are in demand.

So, in such situations, you are going to need to go ahead and do some market research before you are able to get the right understanding of the situation. It is not complicated and does not take a long time to get started.

#10- You can enter photography competitions by submitting

Moving forward, you can also make money by entering a photography competition. They are a lot more common than you might know and have been around for the longest time.

However, it is worth noting that this is one form that we would not call a stable way of making money as the competitions are not happening all the time, and even then, you are always up against someone. So, it is best that you keep that in mind.

#11- Online Marketplaces

Another great way of making money with photography is going ahead with selling your photographs in an online marketplace.

I do understand that it might not work for everyone but if you do know where to look and you are good at what you are doing, then going ahead and selling your photos in an online marketplace is a good way to get started.

More importantly, there are a number of options available that you can explore, too. Therefore, it is always a better thing to keep looking and finding more opportunities.

#12- Freelance Job Boards

Another way of making sure that you are getting the money that you want for your photography is by going ahead and looking for freelance job boards.

image of some photographers at the shores

It certainly is something that is not for everyone, but if you are doing it the right way, you will be in the right and will be able to make money.

Again, it is going to require some research, and you will have to spend some time figuring it out, but once you are done, things are going to make a lot of sense, and you will be out of the woods in no time.

#13- Startups

Another way to get started is by looking into startups. It surely is not an easy thing to do because there is always a feeling that your project might not land the way you want it to land, but for the most part, a good investment is going to work with ease.

You can easily make money by using startups for your photography, and while it does take some time, it is going to work wonders, and you will not really have any problems coming in the way, either. Just look into all the options that you have, and you are all set without any issues.

#14- You can sell your photography presets online

The thing that I prefer the most and tell a lot of people is that if you are looking for some money, you can go ahead and start selling your presets online.

Now, for those who do not know, presets are made using Lightroom, and you can use the presets that are sold by other photographers, but you can also make your own.

The point here is that it allows you to get the experience you want and that, too, without any confusion. A properly-made preset pack is not going to cost you anything to make, but you can sell it for upwards of $30.

However, you must have a proper knowledge of Lightroom and color grading, in general. That way, you will be free to sell it properly and market it, as well. Just be certain that you are doing it the right way, and you are all good to go.

#15- You can share photography tutorials online by uploading them to YouTube

Last but not least, you can go ahead and start a YouTube channel that is centered around photography. This is something that has been around for some time, and the best thing is that it is going to work for you in the best way you can imagine, possibly.

image of a vlogger recording a video

It is not at all difficult, to be honest. As long as you know what needs to be done and how it needs to be done, you are good to go.

Look into starting a channel and share your expertise with the viewers, and as long as your content is good and bankable, you will start making the news.

How Much Money Do Photographers Make?

Now that we are done looking at all the aspects of photography and how it can be used to make money, we are going to answer the next burning question that most people have. How much money do photographers make in general?

This is a very wide question, to be honest, and it varies in various ways. More so than you can imagine. The best way to determine is by trying to look into all the possibilities.

Plus, you also have to look at things geographically, so you can have a better understanding of how things can be handled. I do understand it is not easy for everyone but with resilience, you can easily start making money.

Final Verdict:

Simply put, photography as a career is a great way to get started, and you can make a good amount of money if you are focusing. It surely takes its time, but with enough attention to detail, you can be good in no time and start doing all the things that you want to do without any issues.

It surely is something that can take you a long way as long as you are focused.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do beginning photographers make money?

It does take its time, but beginning photographers can easily make money without having to worry much about anything that might come in the way.

How much money can you make by selling photos?

That honestly depends on how good your photographs are and how your networking is. The more you are better at networking, the better it gets, and in no time, you can be an expert photographer.

Is photographer a good career?

Yes, being a photographer is definitely good. However, it does take a lot of practice, and there is room for failure if you are not sure what you are doing.

How much should I charge as a beginner photographer?

This is going to vary from your region to region. Some regions or countries have really good pricing. However, this also depends on your style and how good you are.

How much do Instagram photographers make?

Again, this varies and is based on a number of things. So, it is never a confirmed way until you start exploring.

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