Even if you are a hobbyist photographer like me, wouldn’t it be nice to make a little money - a few dollars now and then to help with that next gear purchase? You know there is one in your future!

And wouldn’t it be great to make a little extra change without the hassle of bookings or appointments and high client expectations?

Best of all, wouldn’t it be nice to make money while you sleep, with your camera gear tucked away in your backpack?

If your answer to any of these is yes, let me show you how you can do all of them.

Stock Photography

The ‘secret’ to this plan is Stock Photography. Photographers submit photos to stock agencies like Getty or Shutterstock or Adobe Stock. Rights to use the photos are then available for purchase by users wanting a photo for a website, a newspaper or magazine article, or to illustrate a document.

The transaction is handled completely by the stock agency and you get a portion of the proceeds every time one of your photos sells.

The reason I titled this article “Make Money While You Sleep” is that your photos are available 24 hours a day around the world. So while you are sleeping in Topeka, someone in Tokyo might be buying rights to one or more of your photos. (At times in this article, I might mention ‘selling a photo’ but that’s just a simplified way of saying selling usage rights to the photo. The photo remains your property no matter how many times it is sold by a stock agency.)

Again and Again

To be clear, you still own the copyright to the photos you upload to stock agencies. The buyers are merely purchasing the right to use the photos. The beauty of stock photography is that you upload a photo once and it might be sold dozens or even hundreds of times. And you get paid each time someone licenses a photo, no matter how many times it has been used before.

Big Bucks?

The downside, if you will, of stock photography is that it is a volume business. Typically, your share of an individual photo license might only be a few cents. Most sales will net you less than one U.S. dollar. However, the key is to have lots of photos available to give potential users a choice of your work.

Additionally, most of the stock agencies have a variety of pricing plans and subscriptions for purchasers. So the amount the license to a particularly photo sells for is dependent on the type of plan the buyer has, and is some cases, the planned usage. As the photographer, you don’t see any of this, except that you will see variations in the amount you receive for any particular photo.

As an example, on the day I am writing this article, I sold a particular photo twice in one day through Shutterstock. On one sale, my commission was 10 cents. Later, the same photo sold again and my commission was $2.00. In another case of a photo that has sold a few dozen times, my commission varied from 29 cents to $78.00 for the same photo.

But, again, it’s all about volume.

Sounds Like a BIG Time Commitment

There certainly is some time involved in submitting photos for stock. Beyond the normal editing process, you also have to provide a description and keywords. That’s how potential buyers find your photos. But you can upload the same photo using the same description and keywords to multiple stock agencies.

If you’ve been making photographs very long, you likely already have a significant supply of photos that would make good stock photos. You just have to prep them and upload them.

While there are photographers who set out to shoot ‘stock photos’ the majority merely make use of opportunities. For example, you are on a nature shoot and you take ten or twenty photos that are good but maybe don’t capture precisely the view that you might like to hang on your wall. But those others likely would still make good stock photos. Many of my successful stock photos were actually ‘outtakes’ before I got “the shot.”

Additionally, once you become attuned to the concept of stock photography, things that you just happen upon can make great stock photos.

Take this photo for example. I was merely walking down the street on my way to photograph a particular subject when I saw a paper cup recently abandoned on a dust and cobweb filled ledge. I liked the contrast of the new paper cup against the dirty and cluttered background. I took a couple of shots of it with stock in mind.
*After a small amount of editing, I uploaded the photo and it has sold about 30 times. But I didn’t set out to take anything like this shot. It was just there as I walked by.*

I also recently shot photos for a stock upload of the most mundane of objects - my garbage bin sitting at the curb. I took shots of three different angles of the bin waiting to be picked up, and then three angles of the bin with the lid open after it had been dumped by the garbage truck.

Stock photo opportunities are everywhere.

How Do I Get Started?

If you’d like to try your hand at stock photography, you start by identifying the agency or agencies you would like to contribute to. The most popular are Adobe Stock, Shutterstock and Getty/iStock. But there are also several others - perhaps a dozen or more that might appeal to you. Just remember that, in most cases, you do not have to confine yourself to just one agency. In fact, in the beginning especially, I recommend that you plan to contribute to at least the three main agencies, and more if you choose. There is no requirement that you continue with an agency if you decide it’s not for you.

Once you make your selections, the next step is to complete the agency’s sign-up process. This will include personal information such as your name and address and perhaps a phone number. You will also be required to provide your social security number for tax purposes, but that can usually wait until later. It will just be required before you can be paid. You will also need to provide a method to receive payments. Options include direct deposit to a bank account or PayPal. One agency in know of has started paying by Venmo.

You will then be asked to submit some photos for evaluation. The agency wants to be sure that the quality of your photos meets their standards. Pay attention to focus, lighting, and normal colorization. Also, if anything in your photo has any kind of identifying information such as a trademark, that should be removed. Finally, do not put any kind of watermark on the photo.

You will also be asked to keyword your photos. Just do your best to think of words that someone might search for if they were looking for a photo like yours. Admittedly, this can be a little tedious, but there are plug-ins and apps which make this process a whole lot easier. We’ll look at an example later.

You should be notified within a few days whether your photos meet the agency’s standards. If not, they will typically tell what you need to do to pass acceptance. Once accepted, then it’s just a matter of uploading more photos.

Is One Agency Better Than Others for Making Money?

In general, the answer is no. However, almost every stock photographer who has been at it for a while can list the agency where they sell the most photos. But it varies depending on what and how much you upload. Many photographers claim that Adobe Stock is their favorite agency. Others swear by Shutterstock. For me, over the nearly eight years that I have been listing photos on stock agencies, Getty/iStock has provided my best income.

My experience is that Adobe Stock pays the most per photo sold, but I sell fewer photos there. And Adobe Stock has a far higher rejection rate than the other agencies - meaning that they decline more of my photos for inclusion in their catalog. I upload the same photos to all three agencies and Adobe Stock rejects about 35% of the photos I submit, while the rejection rate for Shutterstock and Getty/iStock is about 2-3% for the same submissions.

I sell more photos, numerically, on Shutterstock than on the others, but their compensation per photo sold is generally less. Getty/iStock is in the middle - I sell fewer photos (but substantially more than on Adobe Stock) and their compensation per photo is higher than Shutterstock.

Exclusivity

Some agencies, particularly Getty/iStock, allow you to apply to become an exclusive contributor. Being ‘exclusive’ means that your compensation percentage is higher. However, it comes with downsides.

First, it’s relatively difficult to be accepted as an exclusive contributor. Your work will be closely evaluated before you are considered.

Second, by being exclusive, you cannot submit to any other stock agencies. If fact, you can’t even sell your photos on your own website if those photos were uploaded to the ‘exclusive’ agency.

I’ve looked at going exclusive with Getty/iStock but in the end, I like the flexibility of submitting the same photo to different agencies. In tracking my sales, I’ve found that I’ve made some reasonable profit on photos which sold on Shutterstock or Adobe Stock, but never sold on Getty/iStock. Different people seem to tend to stay with an agency they like, so I feel it is better to have my photos on whatever site a given group of purchasers might select.

Preparing Photos for Upload to Stock

It's often surprising what kind of photos people are looking for for stock agencies. The photo can be of almost anything from a single flower or a piece of fruit to a complex landscape. Therefore, a great source of photos when you are getting started are pictures you may have taken in the past, but which you didn't feel were 'good enough’. The subject does not particularly matter, but there are a few considerations for good stock photos.

In focus. This is probably a major issue that many photographers struggle with. I know as a sports photographer that I am trying to use a relatively shallow depth, the field to blur the background and separate a player from spectators or other players on the field. However, for stock photography, you are generally looking for a photo that is in focus across the full spectrum, or at least the major part of it is in focus.
No logos or identifying marks. There are a few exceptions to this for editorial photos, which I will discuss later. But largely, a stock photo should not display any recognizable commercial logos or wording. This can sometimes be a little tricky in the editing process because you have to scan the entire photo. For example, I spent time removing logos from the side of trucks and from billboards on a cityscape shot. But the photo was rejected because the name of a building in the far background was visible and slightly readable. However, once I edited that out and resubmitted the photo, it was accepted.
People. It is acceptable to have people in stock photos. In fact, lifestyle photos, showing people doing ordinary things tend to sell very well. They are not the kinds of photos that we typically think of when we photograph people. A photo of a well-dressed man in a suit standing with his arms crossed probably won’t garner many sales. But that same man in a t-shirt eating a hamburger at a picnic table is more in line with what people want from stock. However, you will need to provide a model release for every person who appears in a photo when you submit it to a stock agency.
Variety. Many times, a photographer will submit a number of photos taken at about the same time and of the same general subject. It is acceptable and a good use of time to do this, but photos that are too similar will likely be rejected. So even if you are taking multiple shots of say, what you are having for lunch, it pays to take photos from different angles - head on, overhead, from the diner’s point of view and so on. (Yes, take your camera everywhere - even to lunch. Good stock photos can be anywhere.)
Keywording. All agencies require that you provide keywords for each photo in addition to a description. This is how potential buyers find your photos so pay careful attention to this phase. There is an art to keywording - thinking of any word or phrase that someone might use to find your photo. And most agencies like to see about 50 keywords per photo. However, there are several apps available that analyze your description and the photo itself and produce a list of keywords for you. My favorite of these apps is ImsStudio but there are several others, including plug-ins for editors like Lightroom. However, you should take some time to review any keywords produced by these apps. They are generally on point, but anomalies do show up. You want to avoid uploading a photo with keywords that don’t apply, i.e. ‘russia’ as a keyword for a photo taken in the U.S. (That’s an example that has happened to me.)

Releases

In essence, a model release is permission from a person who is recognizable in a photograph for that photo to be used in commercial application. ‘Recognizable’ doesn’t always mean that a person’s face is showing. The rule that most stock agencies apply is “could the person recognize themselves in the photo?” So even a shot of a person’s back or particular clothing might be deemed enough to require a release.

*One agency wanted a model release for this photo of my wife working at her computer. It met their definition of ‘recognizable’ even though you can’t see her face.*
*Two other agencies accepted the photo without a model release.*
*It’s always better to get a release at the time of the photo shoot and not need it than to have a photo declined because you don’t have a model release and maybe can no longer get it.*

Essentially, the agency wants protection from a photo subject who might later object to their photo appearing in an advertisement and claim it was taken without their permission.

Without getting into specific legalities since I am not a lawyer, a model release is a contract which requires some sort of exchange to be valid. The photographer gets the use of the photos and the model gets something of value in return. While this sounds like money is involved, that’s not always the case. Many people, including some professional models, are willing to sign releases in exchange for what’s called Time for Prints, or TFP. This means that, in exchange for use of the photos (and the model’s time), the photographer agrees to provide prints or digital copies of the photos to the model.

The ‘Catch-All’ Release

There is also one interesting variation to the model release. If you are your own model, in other words, you are taking photos of yourself in some lifestyle pose, you can submit what’s called a ‘catch-all release.’

Normally, you must get a separate release for each model in each photo session (not for each photo, but for photos taken on a particular day and time frame).

But if the model and the photographer are the same person (you), then you only need a general release that can span a longer period of time.
*This is a photo I took of myself drinking coffee at my kitchen table. Only a ‘catch-all’ release was required.*
I typically create a new ‘catch-all’ release for myself about once a year but I know of no limitation on it covering a longer period.

Just remember that this only applies when the photographer and model are the same person. You can’t do a ‘catch-all’ release for anyone else, including your family members. They need separate releases for each session.

Property Releases

Similar to model releases, although not required as often, is a property release. This is required when a photo submitted for stock shows some kind of recognizable property. Examples might include the interior of a building such as a restaurant where you are photographing your lunch. (But this can be mitigated by a tight shot of the meal which doesn’t show recognizable parts of the restaurant.

The release is very similar to a model release but requires that a responsible party - the owner for example - release the depiction of their property in the photo. Additionally, ‘property’ doesn’t just refer to structures. It can include anything that can be owned and is recognizable or unique, such as artwork.

I’ve found this most often to be an issue where recognizable property is in the background of a photo. Note, for example, that in the photos of me drinking coffee and my wife working on her computer, above, there are no photos or other items hanging on the walls. It’s not that we have bare walls in our house, but before the photos were taken (or afterward in post processing), I removed things like photographs that might trigger the need for a property release.

In one case, I didn’t remove a photo hanging on the wall behind me and the agency wanted a property release for the photo. That one was easy because it was one of my own photographs. But I still had to provide them with a release stating that as the photographer (and copyright owner) of the photo, I gave my permission for it to be included in the stock photo. (There is no such thing as a ‘catch-all’ property release.)

Sometimes, it’s enough to just remove a logo. I was asked for a property release for a Royal typewriter that was prominent in one of my photos. Rather than track down someone at the typewriter company for a release, I just removed the ‘Royal’ logo from the typewriter and it passed the agency’s inspection. That doesn’t always work, but it’s something for consideration in more generic property like a typewriter.

Commercial vs Editorial

Stock photos are classified as either commercial or editorial. The difference is that commercial photos can be used in advertising or selling a product, service or brand. Conversely, editorial photos can only be used for factual, news or educational purposes. In general, editorial photos can be a little more lenient as far as display of logos.

Technically, a model release is not usually required for recognizable people in an editorial photo. But in my experience, most stock agencies still require them even in editorial submissions.

Additionally, for editorial photos, most agencies require that the description include the date and location where the photo was taken. This is to help those who might be looking to illustrate a particular location or event to narrow down photo choices.

In general, editorial photos sell for less money than commercial photos, but sometimes they make up for it in volume. I have a photo of the front of Churchill Downs, the famous horse-racing venue in Louisville, posted on all of the stock sites I use. It sells regularly for news articles about horse racing, the Kentucky Derby, and other equine news.

Video

While the vast majority of assets on stock photo sites are still photographs, there is a growing preference for video. Most stock agencies accept video although a few only accept video as editorial content.

In general, stock videos must meet the same requirements as stock photos - no visible logos or identifying symbols and you must provide model releases for any people appearing in the video. And yes, if you appear in your own videos, only a ‘catch-all’ release is required for you.

Beyond that, there are four basic requirements for stock video:

The video must fill the entire frame - no black bars on the sides or top/bottom
No sound
MP4 or MOV format
No less than 5 seconds nor more than 30 seconds in length

Videos typically sell for a significantly higher rate than still photographs and thus your proceeds from each sale are higher.

Also consider taking stills and video in the same session. For example, in the photo above of me drinking coffee at my kitchen table, I have uploaded several different views of that same general scene. But in the same session, I also took videos of myself drinking coffee and uploaded those.

Stock video of coffee being poured into a cup

How Much Money Can I Make?

Like anything else, the amount you can make is dependent on what you put into the endeavor. But stock photography is a front-loaded business. You put in effort in the initial stages and then the result continues to generate income without any further work on your part.

That said, remember that stock photography is largely volume driven. Not every photo you upload will sell. In fact, actual sales usually come from a relatively small percentage of the total number of photos you have uploaded. In my case, about 22% of the photos I have uploaded have actually generated one or more sales.

But you never know what will sell and what won’t. There are some guidelines available from the various agencies with suggestions for what to consider uploading at various times of the year. Stock photos can often be tied to various times of the year. Right now, in the US, I’m uploading photos of leaves changing colors and other autumn-related photos.

In the end, though, it is also about making your photos stand out with good composition, descriptors and keywords.

Another thing to remember, though, is consistency. Photographers who regularly upload stock photos - even a few - do better than those who only upload sporadically. Why? Because the algorithms of the agencies tend to prioritize photos from those photographers who regularly contribute.

Even though a majority of the photos you upload to stock might never sell, a larger volume of work tends to increase your presence to potential buyers.

What About Real Numbers?

There are a lot of variables but in general, the more photos you have - and you are regularly uploading - the better your chances for continued sales.

Personally, in almost eight years of uploading to stock - with a period of about two years where I didn’t upload much - I have a little over a thousand photos uploaded to stock agencies (most of the photos to multiple agencies). I realize income of a few hundred dollars a year. I’m not getting rich from stock photography by any means, but it has helped with some gear purchases. And I find it an enjoyable way to add to my photography hobby.

Conversely, a friend of mine who uploads far more photos than I do and has been at it for about 15 years, has several thousand photos uploaded. Over the past ten years, he has realized income of about $170,000. Now that averages $17,000 a year - not enough to buy a yacht and sail around the world, but nothing to sneeze at, either.

Your Turn

Have you tried stock photography? If so, let us know about your experiences in the comments section. If you haven’t tried it, why not now. It costs you nothing but a little time to get started and you might make a few dollars from those outtakes stored on your hard drive.

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Make Money While You Sleep