How to Sell Your Photos

Author: Jason Kay

Stories of ordinary people becoming millionaires overnight with the help of some wonderful programs are flooding us from all directions and even though many of these stories are exaggerated at best and total lies at worst, there are many ways in which you can make money, even if you are not a unique talent. Well, I don't mean that photography does not require talent, but even beginner photographers can make money by selling their photos. Most likely you will not make your first million selling photos, but this is a viable way to earn some extra cash. Photos are a product and as with all products, you need to know what to offer and where to sell it.

What You Can Sell

For those people, who have no idea about photography, a photo is just a photo, but for people who are familiar with photography and arts in general, there are separate distinct groups of photos. The most obvious distinction of photos is based on their content, but for the purposes of selling photos, this distinction is not as important as what the photo can be used for.

The two major uses of photos are for the Web and in print. Web photos tend to be low resolution and lower quality is acceptable for them, while print photos generally are high resolution and low quality is unacceptable. As a beginner photographer, you will most likely target the Web market first because the entry barrier there is not as high as with the printing market. Additionally, if your camera is not a high-end one, your skills in photo processing will hardly be able to compensate for this, so in this case, print photos are not an option for you because of technical reasons. This shouldn't discourage you because the Web market is vast and there is a lot of space for beginners.

The main buyers on the Web market are Web designers, who make sites for their clients. For many Web designers it is much easier and cheaper to buy ready-made photos than to take the pictures themselves. A solo Web designer can make 10 or even more middle-sized sites a month, which means that he or she will need at least 200-300 photos and illustrations. This does not mean that you will be able to sell 200-300 photos a month to each Web designer you contact, but even if you manage to sell him or her 10-20 photos a month, or more realistically a batch of several hundred photos for him or her to use in the next year, then you can make a lot of money.

Similar to other arts, photography also has genres. Not surprisingly, photos of people, nature and cities sell best. Another category, which is especially popular with designers, is objects of different kinds. You can shoot a light bulb, a pen, some pills, or whatever object you choose, and this may be enough. Add some unobtrusive background to it and you get a cool photo for a Web site. But be careful with copyrights because not all manufacturers will be happy if you shoot their products and make money from this. Try shooting generic products, which have no visible branding.

Similar copyright issues apply to people. If you want to shoot people and you want to be on the safe side, ask them to sign a model contract, which clarifies all the issues in regard to copyrights and sales. Very often you won't have to hire professional models and you can shoot your friends and relatives instead. Your models don't have to be extremely beautiful because pictures of ordinary people also sell well. Shooting friends and relatives has one more advantage - they work cheaply or free.

Nature and urban photos are always in demand, but avoid photos which look as if they were taken by tourists because they simply look too unprofessional to be sold. Abstractions are also popular, so if you are creative with PhotoShop or another image processing program you can wake up the Picasso in you.

Where You Can Sell

The type of photos you have is one of the major factors in choosing your sales channels. Basically, the options to sell your photos are the following:

1. Stock photo sites. Stock photo sites are the most popular sales channel. Stock photos are photos you have already taken, i.e. you have in stock. You open an account with a stock photo site, upload your images and every time somebody downloads your photo, you earn a commission. Different sites have different policies, but it's not unusual to earn $40 per photo each time it is downloaded.

If your photos are popular, it is not impossible to reach dozens of downloads per week. One of the prerequisites for success is to submit sought after photos and to use the right keywords in the descriptions of your photos. The best stock photo site I have found is Shutterpoint. They provide photographers an e-commerce store-front for selling photos, handle advertising and promotion, handle all purchase transactions, provide customer service, and securely deliver images to buyers. All of these features are provided for a very reasonable fee, and in addition, other members often provide valuable feedback on your photos. This is a great way to begin your career as a professional photographer.

2. Stock agencies. Stock agencies are similar to stock photo sites, but in addition to listing your photos, they consult buyers and handle all the legal and logistical matters. Stock agencies usually deal with professional photographers mainly but there are stock agencies, which are beginner-friendly. As with stock photo sites, you usually have to decide (if you have the choice of course) whether you want to sell exclusive rights or only per use rights.

3. Sell directly to newspapers and magazines. Although this is hardly the easiest way to sell your photographs, it is worth trying. Newspapers and magazines are a very tough market to get into but can be a very high paying one. For a start, you can try your local or community media.

4. eBay and similar auctions. Auction sites, such as eBay, are one more sales outlet you can try. Yes you really can earn decent income from selling photos on eBay. This is a good alternative if you sell other products in addition to photos, but even if photos are the only thing you sell, eBay and the other auction sites can do a lot for you. Make sure to avoid small and dark photos. Listings should be created which are descriptive and include realistic prices. Check the Completed Listings option when searching to see examples of photos which have sold.

5. Freelance sites. Unlike the other options listed up to here, freelance sites are generally a place for work for hire projects. This means that usually a buyer comes and asks you to make some photos especially for him or her, but very often there are buyers who offer to purchase your already made (or stock) photos as well.

6. Your own website. Even if the other options work great for you, having your own website is a valuable sales channel. You can offer everything you like - i.e. low resolution mockups for free, paid downloads, etc. The downside is that you need to market your site, otherwise you will hardly get much traffic and, respectively, sales. Search engine optimization is a must and if you are really serious about selling your photos via your website, you can even consider starting an affiliate program.

7. Free samples. These days advertisements are something one can hardly sell without. Instead of launching an expensive campaign, you can give photos away for free but keep your logo on them. This is a kind of advertisement and it will bring you new customers.

About the Author:
Jason Kay recommends you sell your photos on Shutterpoint, which offers a store-front to showcase and sell your photos and handles all transactions for you.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - How to Sell Your Photos

Understanding Photo Id Systems and Their Many Uses

Author: Sher Matsen

In our modern, high tech world photo ID cards are found far and wide, with many different uses. No longer are driver's licenses or passports the main focus for photo ID. Thanks to sophisticated yet affordable photo ID systems, companies are able to easily integrate photo ID into their organizations and enjoy the benefits they have to offer.

Let's have a quick look at just some of the places you might be able to utilize a photo ID system within your organization.

1. Educational - Colleges and universities have been providing photo ID to their students for years. However, today that practice is expanding right down to elementary school. The latest photo ID systems are able to meet individual needs. For example, some schools may be focused mainly on identification of the student to the staff, while others may be looking for a more sophisticated approach with additional security features or the ability to be used to check out library material.

2. Churches - With today's religious environment where religious organizations are working around the world providing aid, proper photo ID is often necessary. They also hold large conventions where security can be an issue. A quality photo ID system will allow you to produce the type of photo ID you need for the delegates and coordinators to be easily recognizable.

3. Conventions - Organizations from all walks of life gather together in facilities to hold conventions of all sizes. Behind those conventions are always the people that make it all happen. But in today's environment of hostility, it is important for all of those behind the scenes to have proper photo ID. Sometimes it's even necessary for those attending the convention depending on the type of convention.

4. National Security - There are many levels of security within the country. There are also many types of facilities, all requiring photo ID. There will be various levels of security associated with national security depending on its purpose. With the many photo ID systems on the market it's very easy to meet these needs.

5. Cities and Hospitals - Municipalities and hospitals around the world cannot possibly have all their staff know each other. Therefore proper photo ID is necessary for security in many different levels. These photo IDs must be of the highest quality.

6. Airlines - In our insecure world where terrorists and other security threats are a reality, security is of the utmost importance. After 911 the way airlines handled security of those that worked on the plane, and worked in the airports changed dramatically. In most cases, the photo ID must be so much more than just a photo. It will be associated with entering secured areas, and often will have embedded electronics. Many airlines outsource the production of these photo ID cards, yet with the sophisticated photo ID systems available for in-house printing, there's an opportunity for increased savings by in-house production.

That's only a few of the types of customers that find themselves in need of photo ID. With the range of photo ID systems available on the market there's a system for everyone. Of course we can't possibly address all the photo ID system options in one short article, so let's look at a few of the features to give you an idea of what is available on the market.

1. Superior Print Quality - In today's market there is simply no reason to settle for anything less than superior print. Even level entry photo ID systems have exceptional quality available. Fargo's high definition printing™ technology is recognized throughout the industry as the standard to aim for.

2. Holographic HDP Film - For the most secure HDP card you simply need to print them with HDP holographic film. Holographic imaging has become very popular in the past few years. Its popularity is based on the reduced ability of reproduction. An added bonus is its superior ability to recognize fake photo ID.

3. Card Printers & Encoders - There are many choices in card printers and encoders, and there is a wide range of pricing associated with them. There are options such as laminators, encoding, oversized printing, financial card encoders, dual or single side printers, color or black white printing, and more.

4. Larger Photo Printing - Traditionally photos were always a bit small, but now many of the photo ID systems allow for much larger photos. This makes identification much easier because of these more detailed photos.

5. Integration - You want to choose a photo ID system that's easy to integrate into other components of your business. With so many different photo ID systems on the market there's simply no reason why you can't have this integration.

Not so long ago photo ID cards were more of a novelty then a real asset. Photo ID systems were far too expensive for most companies to consider adding to their office. Today, things are much different. Technology has changed and become more available, and our world has become more threatening and less secure. That means more companies are looking to integrate some type of photo ID into their workplace. Today it's easier than ever to do with so many photo ID systems available for in-house printing.

About the Author:

Check out ID Superstore for low prices on plastic cards and plastic card printers. Also save money on name badge holders.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Understanding Photo Id Systems and Their Many Uses

Photo Restoration: The Art Of Restoring Memories

Author: gardnerwilkinson

 

Photographs are your windows to the past. Nothing can preserve memories of an unforgettable occasion. But with time, the photos can get dulled due to age, or may get creased due to mishandling or improper storage. Photo restoration procedures are carried to restore old photos to their original state.

 

Photo restoration procedures are ideal for removing imperfections from photographs. The photos are first scanned and the digital copy is saved on a computer. Then with the help of specially designed photo restoration software, the imperfections are gradually removed from the digital version. The various imperfections that can be removed via photo restoration services include the following:

 

* Creases – Due to improper storage or mishandling, photos can develop deep creases. After the photo is scanned, the photo restoration software identifies the creases and helps the specialist to remove the creases and restore the photo. Crease removal takes considerable amount of time and is quite tedious as well.

 

* Faded colors – This problem is pretty much unavoidable no matter how well the photos are stored. The color will always fade with time. Photo restoration software can take care of these as well. The scanned digital version of the photo is fed into the computer. The software analyzes the photo and compares the color saturation between different sectors of it. It restores the color to the faded sections of the photo by comparing the saturation of hues and applying the required amount of color.

 

* Tears – Photos are, after all, printed on paper. So, there is always a chance of the photo getting torn due to mishandling. In these cases, the photo restoration software can work wonders. Even if photos have been torn to pieces, the photo restoration software can often reconstruct the photos and create new copies of those, provided all pieces have been found. The pieces of the photo are spread over a paper containing a light adhesive on one side. The photo pieces are rearranged properly to form the outline of the photo in question. Once the photo has been rearranged and being held together by the adhesive, the photo is scanned and the remaining process is carried out by the photo restoration software.

 

These imperfections and many more can be fixed by professionally designed photo restoration software. Photo restoration is the best way of ensuring preservation of our precious photos for years to come.

 

About the Author:

Photo Restoration Services - Picture Evolution offers a full range of photo editing services. Whether you are looking for a unique photo gift or just need a photo repaired or enhanced we can take care of all your photo editing needs.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Photo Restoration: The Art Of Restoring Memories