What type of photography returns the most money? ...you may be shocked

By Roy Barker

 

If you are keen to look further into the wedding photography

 

market or you want to get started, this is close to being 

 

what I would call the wedding photography rule book. It 

 

even provides necessary document templates for ensuring 

 

you get payed.

 

 

 

A thought! ....What's the point of starting a wedding photography business and end up eating noodles the rest of your life while you sleep in the park? ...Joking! 

My point is that to take good pictures there is a lot that goes into play, looking carefully at how other Masters do it, reading, investing (in new equipment) and the list goes on (as you know) so why take up dust photography if it's not even going to give you enough to buy toothpaste. Who wants to see pictures of dust? I guess there would be someone, but I don't think they'd pay.

In my experience the three major areas of profitable photography are:

- weddings
- babies and children
- portraits (general)

Not always in that order but I'll tell you why I put weddings first. 

'There are no second chances in wedding photography'...is the main reason. If 

 

your camera gets stolen immediately after the wedding, you can't call everyone 

 

back and say "Let's do it again!" 

The next reason is, YOU the photographer are in the position of power in this field. Remember that because I'm going to refer back to it. Once the wedding and reception are over, you have the KEY to the goodies and creativity. 

All concerned parties are now waiting on and trusting you to deliver. This effects pricing and UP-SELLS. Do this part right and you can do less weddings and lead a good wealthy photographer lifestyle.

The other two areas of photography I mentioned are also lucrative but not as lucrative if you do wedding photography right.

There are sensitivities which many overlook. Here are some to ponder...

- The bridal party get tired of having their picture taken with relatives and friends after all they are there to enjoy their wedding as well. The photographer must identify when this is happening and fix it fast.

- All the shots are demanding. Meaning, you will be required to shoot the ring when it goes on the finger, little six year old Johny kissing the bridesmaid in the corner (I saw that happen once), the grandparents laughing, intoxicated aunt Sarah dancing on the table, the cars, formal shots etc.. 

You really need about ten photographers but there's just you ..right? I know you can see where I'm headed with this. With more money comes responsibility and work. Hey.. but the earnings are really, really worth it!

A little while back I had one of my readers contact me about being (nearly) ripped off by some knucklehead client. She remains anonymous for obvious reasons. I stress this one same thing - you must protect yourself as well as making sure you please the client and in the same breath 'make an excellent profitable return'. 

Note: You will need a contract, reminder letter, proper invoice, a thank you letter, and THIS ONE is important - an extended time agreement. You should also add an upsell strategy, two would be better (my favourite) where you give away a large shot and duplicate it in smaller sizes to be sold to the guests with the bride and grooms blessing (because you gave them a free framed big portrait or similar). The bride and groom sometimes sell it for you - make it worth their while and they will. 

Your shots must be exceptional - I'm assuming you know how to do that already.

You can see there are methods to be used in this process to make it more profitable than simply taking shots and charging for your time. That's why I recommended this product on my site because it provides ideas, answers and documents for all these elements and the issues which have been tested... and work! One wedding will pay for it many times over AND you'll be able to use the same stuff at every wedding after. That's SO good and it beats koala juggling for a living!

 

You can get it here.

Hope this has been of some help,

Krister


PS. Always, always, always take two cameras to a wedding even if you have to borrow the other camera.
 

PPS. If you do weddings correctly, the babies, children and portraits come to you by default :-)

Here's that product link again

Filters explained

What are the different type of filters available for your digital camera and what does each one do? Our filters explained article covers graduated filters, ND filters, Polarising filters, and UV filters.

Grad filter (Graduated)

Graduated filters are usually neutral density types (more commonly called ‘ND Grad'), with the ND effect on one half gradually blending to the other clear half. Useful for balancing lighter skies with darker foreground detail.

ND filter (Neutral density)

Neutral Density filters reduce all wavelengths of light equally, so that the final result shows no colour bias. Useful for extending exposure times, such as when trying to capture motion blur.

UV filter (Ultraviolet)

Ultraviolet filters block UV light from entering the lens. As they have almost no effect on images in everyday use, many people keep these on their lenses permanently to protect the front element from any damage.

Polarising filter

The most useful filter, a polariser sorts incoming light into a single polarity. By doing so, it can deepen blue skies and minimise reflections in water or glass, for example.

Source: http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com

Quick question: Can you take photographs like the ones below?

If so, You can make money just by submitting your photos online!

That's right! I'm going to show you step-by-step how you can submit photos online and earn
up to $5000 week after week!

All in your spare time!

All you need is a digital camera and an internet connection!

From the desk of Jarrod Hardcastle Freelance photographer and creator of DigiCamCash.com Hi, My name is Jarrod Hardcastle. I am a freelance photographer and the creator of DigiCamCash. Right now, on this very website, I am going to show you how to make money just by using your digital camera and submitting your photos online. It's simple and you can get started in just a few minutes from now.

Not long ago I stumbled across a simple, yet extremely effective way to make money just by using my digital camera. I had been trying to make decent money as a photographer for a few years but now that I have discovered this secret source of income I am earning far more then I could have imagined.

And do you know the best part?.. I am still earning money on photos I submitted online over a year ago!.. and I will continue to earn from these photos for ever.

There is no limit to how much you can earn. The more photos you submit the more money you will make! This job is FUN! I truly look forward to waking up in the morning and taking photos with my digital camera. Want to be your own boss? This is perfect for you! Don't put up with your current boss any longer. You get paid on time, every time! You get to choose your own work hours. Have holidays whenever you want! You can get started in just a few minutes and there are no expensive outlays!

I have now created a fool-proof system that lets YOU earn money from your photos and you can get started in just a few minutes from now...

You don't need an expensive camera You don't need expensive printing equipment You don't need your own website and you don't need any photography experience at all!

NOTE: If you have a bunch of photos on your computer right now you could be sitting on a gold mine. You could be earning money from each of your photos! 

Now its your turn to make a ton of cash just
by using your digital camera!

Introducing..

The System...

With you will learn absolutely everything you need to know to make money just by using your digital camera. You are NOT going to need any expensive equipment because you will submit your photos straight to the internet. You don't even need an expensive digital camera! (A 3.2Megapixel is good enough) This is the complete fool-proof, system to making money with your digital camera. NO other product comes close to what I reveal with . This program has been designed to help ANYBODY make money with their camera. You do not need any photography experience at all because I am going to teach you step-by-step what you need to do! Click the link below to discover what you are going to learn in the members only area and how you get get into this money makers club!

Click Here!

How To Sell Stock Photos

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Learn How To Shoot, Upload and Sell Photos 

From Your DSLR to Create a Monthly, Residual  

Income  That  Keeps  on  Paying  When

You Stop Working!

• Have you ever wondered how to sell stock photos using just your current DSLR and lens?
• Would you like to grow your own library of images to produce a steady, monthly, residual income?
• Would you like to learn how simple it REALLY is?

By Nick Stubbs

If you answered yes to the above, then this new stock photography eBook covers everything you need to know about selling stock photography. 

We have left no stone unturned and reveal all the secrets to producing a library of images that bring in a consistent, residual monthly income:

• What to shoot
• What NOT to shoot
• How to shoot it
• How to process it
• Where to upload (agencies)
• Where NOT to upload
• How to upload
• Traditional vs. Microstock
• Effective keywording for more sales
• Camera settings
• Software
• Equipment
• Selection of sample images with real sales values from traditional and microstock... 

(Recently sold for $352.19 at Alamy Images Competing with nearly 18 million other images! Could YOU take a simple shot like that?)

• Samples of rejected images and why they were rejected
• Learn how to get accepted first time at the agencies saving time and hassle! 

I have been a photographer since 1980 (when I was just 13), I have been shooting stock photography for over 5 years and currently have some of the top selling images in the world in my online libraries taken with nothing more than a prosumer DSLR and lens.

I have seen them for sale:

• On billboards in Spain

• Within in-flight magazines
• Russian travel magazines

• American national press adverts

• UK national press

• ...and even taking up the entire wall in the entrance of one of my local restaurants (that was a cool surprise)

An added benefit is that you can use these sales (when you see them) as part of your portfolio...what better way to show off your work to a potential client than in commercial print? I first learned how to sell stock photos long before microstock was born...in the days of the traditional photo libraries.

But the market is saturated...Wahhhh!!!

So is pretty much any market since the internet boom and to be honest, the more people that think that, the better for me! Keeps the competition away! Here's a little tip from my Business of Photography book for those of you with bigger ba**s (excuse the French but whingers annoy me)... 

"Would you rather enter a dead market with nothing going on or would you rather learn how to sell stock photos and enter a market that is booming and growing rapidly with many people making money? Would you rather take a small piece of a huge pie or take the whole pie with no filling? It's common business sense 101".

The only people not making money from stock photography are those who don't do it or those who give up.

Sure, you may not make a fortune or full time living from stock alone...I don't, but I have made enough to pay our mortgage on a property in Spain and more every month since my initial batch of uploads 5-6 years ago, and there are quite a few who do make a healthy, full time living from this...including people who were new to photography just 5 years ago...

What would you do with a few hundred or maybe a few thousand extra Dollars a month...every month, that comes in whether you keep working or not? 

The first batch of images that I uploaded more than 5 years ago are still bringing in a solid, residual monthly income and the sales and Dollars earned just keep growing even when up against 10 million other images!!!

Here is a snapshot of my actual sales at Alamy over a 12 week period last year: 

Check out the images! Dumper trucks & building site, a flagpole and an umbrella on a beach that sold for $439! 

Now take a look at the following snapshot from one day of one of the 6 microstock accounts that I upload to (this is only my 3rd highest earning account).I now earn more at microstock than previously at Alamy. 

Look at the date each image was accepted and now look at the earnings from a single download...that amount would have been just .50c when I started and it is now on autopilot... 

As I write this, one customer has just bought 47 of my images at high resolution in one go earning enough to buy a new lens! This industry never fails to excite me and I have now sold tens of thousands of images, plus the thousands of photographers I have introduced to microstock and stock photography in general have collectively sold close to half a million photos!!! 

You see, the sooner you learn how to sell stock photos, the sooner your images start to mature. The more they mature, the easier they are to get found. The easier they get found, the more sales they make. The more sales they make, the more $$$'s they sell for as the agencies reward their popularity with a higher value. 

How to Sell Stock Photos - What a great business!

It's like getting a pay rise every year as your images become more valuable and there has never been a better time to get into shooting and learning how to sell stock photos. Once you have a substantial library of good selling images at all the agencies we recommend, those images will still bring in an income long after you stop uploading...

In the beginning of microstock, photos sold for miniscule commissions as the industry founds its footing among the masses. Now it has time to mature and things have settled, the payout value is increasing and the industry is still growing at a phenomenal rate. I am currently seeing a real boom in sales despite the economic downturn with images selling for 10 times what they used to make. 

In fact, it is probably DUE to the downturn that people are looking to turn to more affordable stock photography. 

This is a really great business to be in as you can:

• Take it at your own pace and learn as you go
• You can upload as little or as many images as you like with no penalty
• You are under no obligation to shoot a certain amount of images
• It is a great way to learn and improve your photography
• ...and it is fun!

So why am I showing you how to do this? Won't that put you directly in competition with me?

Well, yes and no. 

You see, in all honesty, some people who read this book will foolishly give up at the first hurdle, some will slowly build a great library of images and start to earn some very welcome extra cash each month and others will simply fly at this. 

I am already seeing great results from pupils who have attended our two day workshop on how to sell stock photos and are receiving regular sales. More than that, even if everyone that read this book went out and excelled at this, there is still enough to go around for everybody...this industry is huge!

Index of Chapters:

1. Introduction
2. Equipment
3. Traditional vs. Microstock
4. Agencies
5. Exclusive or Non Exclusive?
6. Go it alone?
7. Licensed, Royalty Free or Rights Managed
8. Standards
9. The Images
   • Concepts/Subjects/What sells?
   • Still life/food/objects
   • Nature/animals/pets
   • Landscapes
   • Travel
   • People
   • Business
   • Family
   • Pollution/Environment, Urban Decay
   • Current Affairs
   • Property
   • Lifestyle
   • Trends and Technology
   • Sports
   • Composites, Vectors and Digital Artwork
10. Rejections
11. Lighting
12. Colours
13. Composition, macro, wide, cropped etc
14. Camera Settings
15. RAW/Jpeg Processing
16. Photoshop, Finishing touches and attention to detail
17. Noise/Grain
18. Keywording and adding info
19. Upload only your best
20. Consistency
21. Competition and inspiration
22. Setting up your own studio
23. Copyright, Trademarks and the Law
24. Getting seen/Marketing your work
25. Staying ahead of the game/Moving on/Future Proofing
26. Earnings
27. Close

So what are you waiting for? You don't have to be a professional photographer to make money with stock photography and you could start today!

 

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BONUS - Free eBOOK!

For a limited time I am offering a 150 page bonus eBook valued at $47 for all purchasers of "How to Sell Stock Photos". This book is entitled "The Business of Photography" and covers all aspects of running a photography business from getting clients, earning money with your camera, accounting, marketing, websites and even your health! As I said, this is a time sensitive offer so grab it while you can!

---

Get hold of a copy of "How to Sell Stock Photos", learn how to sell your stock photos and get cracking. I am so confident you will love what you read, if after 60 DAYS you are not motivated into selling your own stock photography online, I will give you your money back.

 

So how much are we charging for "How to Sell Stock Photos" and "The Business of Photography"?

Normal Price $94 Today Just $47 

 

	Please note: This eBook is a downloadable product in PDF format. You will be sent an email with a link to the download page once payment is complete.

The sale of just ONE image on an Extended License could earn that amount at microstock or the cheapest royalty free sale at Alamy would earn twice that. Good value? 

---

Good luck and here's to your success!

---

"How to Sell Stock Photos" is a quick and simple download. Paypal is used as a secure, authorized billing agent for your security. Your credit card is validated through Paypal's ordering system and once payment is made, you will be sent an email with a link to a download page where you can retrieve the book and start learning straight away. The eBook is in PDF format (free PDF reader available online) with a file size of approximately 4.31MB. Download times vary according to your internet connection (less than 2 minutes with ADSL/Broadband).

 We use a secure server to process your order "ClickBank will, at its option, replace or repair any defective product within six weeks from the date of purchase."

Internet Security Note: The secure order form on the next page will look like this:

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How to Sell Stock Photos

Great Discount on Photography e-books

Dear readers

 

I've managed to arrange a special offer on products that I believe you will find very useful in learning photography - it's 30% off the entire library of eBooks from Craft and Vision (plus two other great deals if you don't want the full set).

 

Craft and Vision ebooks are amazing - partly because they're so inspirational but also because they are so cheap - even without a discount.

 

At less than $5 per eBook to get in the minds of pro photographers like world-renowned author David DuChemin it'd be crazy to not to check them out. Notice that these are also available as iPad apps!

 

Here are the offers from David and his team for the next 48 hours:

 

Offer 1: GET THE WHOLE LIBRARY - 30% Off

 

If you love photography then you'll want to have the Craft & Vision PDF eBook collection. These amazing eBooks are a great way to be inspired, learn new methods and techniques, and gain new insights into your own unique vision.

 

Featuring 9 authors, including world-renowned author and photographer David duChemin, the Craft & Vision titles are sure to make your digital stocking overflow with gear-less wonder.

 

Interested?: Check out the titles that you get in this bundle here.

 

For the first time ever Craft & Vision is releasing their 21 eBook collection for just $73USD (that's 30% off). That's $3.47 per eBook - an amazing deal.

 

To get this great deal simply click this shopping cart link which will take you straight to the shopping cart with the discount already applied.

 

Note - for this full library deal you don't need a coupon code - the discount is already applied.

 

Offer 2: 5 or More eBooks get you 20% Off

 

Want to get your hands on some Craft & Vision eBooks but don't want to buy the whole library? Add at least 5 eBooks to your shopping cart and then use the coupon code of LAND20 before hitting the 'update cart' button and you'll have 20% taken off your total.

 

Start adding your eBooks to the cart here

 

 

Offer 3: Buy the latest release "Light and Land, Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom" for $1 off

 

Just after the latest eBook from Craft and Vision - In the last week they've just released "Light & Land, Landscapes in the Digital Darkroom" by Michael Frye. Use the code LAND4 to get $1 off Light & Land.

 

Whether you're grabbing just one of these eBook or the full collection - I'm confident you'll be happy with them. David and his team deliver in terms of value every time.

Wedding Photography Tutorial

The Wedding Photography Blueprint is being described as the most in depth and informative wedding photography tutorial system for sale on the web. It comprises of footage taken from a full, 2 day wedding photography course as well as an actual wedding in order to give you a full and comprehensive understanding of what to expect and what to do when shooting weddings. 

Also intertwined at various and well timed intervals throughout, are screen recordings of sometimes problematic images being worked on in Photoshop in order to salvage excellent looking wedding photos from somewhat mediocre RAW files (basically, cock-ups). These are placed alongside many other traditional Photoshopping tutorials which includes the use of recommended software and add-ons to make your images really stand out from the crowd. 

The author and professional photographer behind the project is Nick Stubbs, a seasoned, full time professional with over 25 years experience using Medium format, SLR’s and DSLR’s to shoot weddings, portraits, stock and commercial work. 

Nick understands the fears and reservations people may have about going it alone as a wedding photographer (either part or full time) but also understands the buzz and excitement this career path can take. 

"Many people are sometimes put off by what they read online or hear at their local camera club about shooting weddings. What we are trying to do is alleviate that fear and encourage all beginners by producing a highly detailed blueprint that will act as a complete foundation course upon which they can build their own style over time." 

As well as the above, the DVD set also includes; 

• An in depth 99 page eBook with set tasks and “homework” to keep you on your toes 

• All you need to know about camera and flash settings needed throughout the day to ensure you get the “safe” shots before playing with natural light and more artistic shots 

• Editing Tips and tricks to salvage poorly exposed, must have shots 

• Low light photography 

• Flash and natural light photography 

• Group shots 

• Interviews with other successful wedding photographers 

• An interview with a wedding couple about their wants and needs from their wedding photographer 

• Plus much more including bonus eBooks 

For more information you can visit their website below: 

Go to www.weddingphotographyblueprint.com

Best Regards, 

Krister Laitinen

Point and Shoot Camera Tips

When taking pictures with a point and shoot camera, you can be very limited with your creativity and flexibility. However, you can still take great shots as long as you follow the tried and true compositional techniques for visual images.

Compositional techniques are not only used for photography, they are used for videotaping, painting, and any other visual media. If you can master composition in photography, you can easily take any other field that is similar. A point and shoot camera is what? A visual capture device and although it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of SLR cameras, it still is very powerful.

Many people assume that because it’s a point and shoot camera they won’t take good pictures. People use this as a crutch and blame the poor images as the result of bad quality cameras.

Not True at all!

Think back in the day of the pin hole camera. They took nice photos and all they had was a hole that exposed the image. Nothing else.

 Here is a very useful compositional tip that can help you immensely.

Keep it simple. Working on creating simple compositions means isolating the subject, reducing the background clutter, and making the subject of interest very easily viewable. The viewer should instantly be able to know what he or she is to look at.

You can achieve simpler photos by:

-Moving in closer
-Using the depth of field to blur the background
-Focusing on, for example, one flower instead of five
-Leaving unnecessary information out of the frames of the border.

You can take great photos whether you use a point and shoot camera or a digital SLR. The photo is not made by the equipment but by the eye of the photographer.