These 10 Great Tips Can Earn You Extra Income in Photography

Photography provides a serious business opportunity where one can earn handsomely

UPDATED JAN 10, 2024

Unleash your lens potential with these 10 money-making tips

The field of photography offers one seeral wasy to not only make regular income but also an additional one. Here are some of them to take ideas from|Pexels — The field of photography offers several ways to make additional income | Pexels

Photography as a skill is quite challenging to master but there are many folks out there who pursue photography as a passion and soon become experts at it. Besides being a popular hobby, photography provides a serious business opportunity where one can earn handsomely, sometimes even more than the popular IT jobs. Today, we list the top 10 business streams a skilled photographer can delve into and make a fortune.

1. Launch your print-on-demand store

Do you have a portfolio of really cool yet aesthetic photos that look appealing on t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and travel essentials? If yes, you can pursue this option where you just need to start an online store without being part of managing all the business hassles. With Print On Demand (POD), you do not need to store a lot of things. The only thing you need to work on is finding a good POD provider and then uploading your pictures on the platform and selecting the print categories. The POD partner takes care of everything from sending the parcels out to sales management and demanding parts of the pre-decided profit.

2. Photography blog

Photograhy blog is always a good idea to make money in this era of bloggers and influencers|Pexels — Photography blogs are a lucrative income source | Pexels

Do you think of yourself as a professional photographer who can give beginners good advice and tips on their photography career? Then you must start your photography blog where you can showcase your work, engage the audience, educate them, and also make some money for yourself. It works as a portfolio and the possibilities of getting high profile projects are huge through your website. You earn money every time someone clicks on the ads you have listed. Another way to earn is by putting links in your blogs about your favorite or recommended items and if someone clicks and buys, you will get the commission.

3. Wedding photography

People are spending lakhs on their pre wedding shoots and wedding functions and is a good opportunity for photographers|Pexels — People are spending millions on their pre-wedding shoots and wedding functions | Pexels

If you love crowds, family gatherings, and being part of the special moments of the couple, then it's time to showcase your passion for photography at weddings and events. Photographers can earn a handsome amount of money as most people are willing to shower hefty amounts to get their most special day captured in beautiful pictures. Besides weddings and pre-wedding shoots, you can also try to cover several corporate events including business gatherings, fancy dinners, retirement parties, etc.

4. Sell prints of your work

Selling you work online can be a great way of promotion and money making|Pexels — Selling your work online can be a great way of promotion and money making | Pexels

Taking your photos out of your camera, posting them online, and selling them is a fantastic way to make money with your talent. Start by picking out your top-quality, super-clear photos, and your target audience. Then, choose the types of prints you wish to sell online such as canvas, framed, or posters. Research and find a good printing service that has high-quality service with good packaging to ensure the safety of the prints. You can either launch your online store or list your prints on Etsy. For additional income, you can try selling your prints at local art shows and exhibitions.

5. Try freelance photography

Freelancing has become a new sources of earning in every field and gives more income than the 9-5 office job|Pexels — Freelancing has become a new source of earning in every field and gives more income than the 9-5 office job | Pexels

To excel at freelancing, first, you need to create a strong and appealing portfolio that not only gives a gist but also enhances your talent and attracts clients. It's not a regular job set up where you will get a salary every month. Some months you might not get anything but it gives you more income than a regular job if you have learned the patterns of freelancing. You have to go the extra mile and talk to your nearby magazines and newspapers to see if they need someone to help out and reach out to your audiences on social media platforms. Once you get the hang of it, you have the chance to attract high-profile clients and events.

6. Take photography classes and workshops

Educating and imparting the knowledge and talent can be good way to earn money|Pexels — Educating and imparting knowledge and talent can be a good way to earn money|Pexels

If you have been taking pictures for a while, learned the tricks, and mastered the art of captivating photography, you have the leverage to impart those to beginners or newbies looking to make their career. You can even make a business out of this by taking classes and workshops regularly. This can be online or offline based on your preference and you can charge basic entry fees to enroll in your classes. If you feel that your classes are successful and going in the right direction, you can even create a course that can help people master the art of photography.

7. Practice food photography

Social media is filled with luscious food images and food bloggers. Therefore, it can be a great sources of income as no high quality phones can replace the photos taken by professional photographers|Pexels — Social media is filled with luscious food images and food bloggers | Pexels

Everyone loves looking at appetizing and alluring food images which often urge them to order. Food photography can hence be a great business for present and upcoming photographers. Besides social media, you can also explore the local restaurants, food trucks, or catering services that need help in brand promotion through photography. You can also eat at cafes and ask if they need some professional food photos for promotion. Once, you have built your portfolio, you will get more clients. Making food look mouth-watering is an art, so you need to work on your styling, light and color usage, and do some subtle editing so that the food looks natural and delicious.

8. Automobile photography

The Lamborghini Huracan in Letchworth, United Kindom. The car is owned by Starlite Limos based in Letchworth, and regually hired out to events.|Getty Images| Photo by Martyn Lucy — The Lamborghini Huracan in Letchworth, United Kindom | Getty Images| Photo by Martyn Lucy

Automobile enthusiasts like to have their precious big toys captured so that they can showcase their unique interiors, modifications, and performance. That's where photographers are needed to capture those fine scenes. There is huge demand for automotive photography and the clients are willing to pay hefty amounts to get the best quality of photos and videos. Clients can also include automobile manufacturers, car decorators, bikes, and car collectors. One needs to have technical knowledge of vehicles, engines, and their interiors to capture the fine details that can amaze clients as well as the audience.

9. Put your portfolio on stock websites

Selling your select portfolio on stock websites is another way of earning income and it gives your talent a wide audience|Pexels — Selling your select portfolio on stock websites is another way of earning income and it gives your talent a wide audience | Pexels

If you have a collection of images, you can put them up on stock photo websites and start earning commissions from their downloads and usage. There are plenty of stock photo websites with popular ones being iStock and Shutterstock. The amount of money you can make depends on the quality of the photos, the frequency of uploads, and the platform you choose.

10. Aerial photography

Drone or aerial shots are no doubt expensive but is a pretty beneficial field to make enormous money for professional photographers|Pexels — Drone or aerial shots bring enormous money for professional photographers | Pexels

Drones are the new hype, be it in the defense sector or the grocery delivery industry. They are taking the photography market by storm. There has been a significant increase in the demand to conduct aerial shots of events and objects using drone-mounted cameras. Handling drones needs special skills and recording good-quality content with drones can be a challenging job. Hence, aerial shoots are priced at high premiums. One needs to get a premium drone with a stable camera and mount while acquiring the skills to capture scenes that fascinate clients.