11 Ways To Earn An Income With Your Camera

Are you a photographer? Are you trying to turn your hobby into a business? Are you looking for different ways to make money? Well here are 11 ways to earn an income with your camera.

11 ways to earn an income with your camera

Browse these industries to see what kind of work you’ll like to pursue.

1. Stock Media

Providing your photography to stock image sites accomplishes two things:

Passive income: This is a good way to earn a passive income because it does not require constant work. You merely post your photos and wait.
Easy marketing: By being on a few stock photography sites you will increase your digital presence on the internet and grow your awareness on Google Search.

The downside to stock photography is that your photos may become buried among millions of other creators’ photos.

2. Real Estate

The goal of real estate videography is to create a cinematic video that will increase the chances of a home selling. The benefits of this industry are many if you can create a strong relationship with a proficient client.

If you land a Real Estate Agent who handles wealthy homeowners, this could be a good way to land higher commissions.

3. Social Media Content

A lot of brands are looking to increase their awareness. Why not reach out to them to see if you can make their content? Many brands are now hiring creators to create user-generated content for them.

What some creators have done is pair up with up-and-coming influencers and become their full-time videographers.

4. Action Sports

This option is perfect for sports lovers but may require more experience before you can get into the industry. If you’re going to be shooting boxing matches, football games, or any kind of fast-paced sport, you’ve got to be amazing at your job. You have to be able to capture action fast and proficiently.

A downside to shooting action sports is that it may reduce your freedom and require you to work as an employee for a corporation.

5. Commercials

Commercial photography/videography is when you are commissioned to create commercial advertisements for a brand. Sometimes it may be similar to social media content and you’ll be creating content for brand awareness.

Most of the time you’ll be paid to make commercials for a brand’s services. It’ll be your job to highlight important features that will drive customers to make a purchase.

6. Weddings

This option is well-known in the photography community. It is very common for most photographers to have shot a wedding.

The amount of money you make as a wedding photographer is going to depend on your clientele and your packages. The more clients you take, and the richer they are, the more money you’ll make.

Some photographers make a lot of money in weddings not because of their clients, but because of their packages. If you can offer enticing add-ons like wedding movies or lifetime storage, you may be able to attain higher commissions.

7. Music videos

Similar to a few other industries on this list, the amount of money you end up making with music videos is going to depend upon what kind of client you have.

When you’re starting out and aren’t that well known, you may be shooting content for indie bands with low budgets.

If your work stands out, you could be headhunted by a large production company to make content for their artists.

8. Live Events

Live events encompass industries like concerts, conferences, parties, festivals, and exhibitions. This could be something you partake in as a freelancer, or as an employee of an event planning company.

It could be your job to show off the features of the event to attract more fans, or it could be your job to document the performing acts.

9. Documentaries

Being able to film a narrative may be a bit more difficult than the other industries because it could require more skills than simply being a videographer.

This would be a good industry to partake in if you are fond of being a director and having a hand in telling a story.

10. Product photography

Product photography differs from many of the other industries because it involves very little human interaction. This option is very beneficial for introverts.

When taking on this process, make sure you are not only proficient with gear, but also with understanding lighting setups and product sets. It’s important to know how to construct a scene so that the advertised product is highlighted.

11. Travel

You can tackle the travel industry through many different avenues.

Some photographers choose to be employed by a travel agency, some simply make lifestyle vlogs and travel the world, and some may even be hired by countries that want to welcome more foreigners.

It will be your job to entice newcomers to the destination.

Which one will you choose?

One of the best perks of being a photographer is that you can actually perform in many different industries if you commit to being a full-time freelancer. So don’t think that you have to choose only one option.

Take a look at what your interests are, and maybe try some out for a period of time.

I hope this list of 11 ways to earn an income with your camera helps you to get started and live your passion.

Good luck on your journey.