Set up an online photo gallery and sell hard-copy prints or high-resolution digital photos to visitors to the site.
Setting up an online photo gallery is a great way to showcase your work and attract potential buyers. Organize your photos into different categories or themes to make it easier for visitors to navigate and find what they are looking for. Offer options for customers to purchase physical prints that can be shipped to their address or provide digital downloads of high-resolution images.
Print your own greetings cards.
Printing your own greetings cards allows you to showcase your photography skills while tapping into the lucrative greetings card market. Create unique designs using your photos and consider themes that have broad appeal. You can approach local shops to stock your cards or explore licensing opportunities with established greetings card companies. Additionally, you can sell your cards directly to the public through platforms like markets or set up an online store to reach a wider audience.
Make your own postcards.
Postcards are a popular souvenir item, and tourists are always on the lookout for unique and captivating images. Capture local attractions, parades, festivals, historical architecture, and natural landscapes to create postcards that cater to both locals and tourists. You can sell these postcards at local tourist spots, gift shops, or through your online platforms.
Offer a service for creating inventories of valuables and assets.
Use your photography skills to provide a valuable service for homeowners and businesses. Offer to take photos of their valuable possessions and assets, such as artwork, jewelry, and electronics, to create comprehensive inventories. These inventories serve as a record in case of theft or insurance claims. Market your services to individuals, businesses, and even insurance companies to ensure accurate documentation and protection of valuable items.
Take pet portraits for pet lovers.
Pet owners love to capture special moments with their beloved companions. Offer your services as a pet photographer, specializing in capturing the unique personalities of pets. Set up outdoor or studio sessions where you can capture memorable portraits that pet owners can cherish. Promote your services through local pet stores, veterinary clinics, and online pet communities.
Take portraits of children for parents.
Parents are always looking for professional photographers to capture precious moments of their children’s lives. Consider setting up a temporary studio in shopping centers or partnering with children’s clothing or toy stores to offer portrait sessions. Advertise your services through local parenting groups, social media platforms, and by distributing flyers to schools and community centers.
Offer your services as a child birthday party photographer.
Parents often want to enjoy their child’s birthday party without worrying about capturing every moment. Offer your services as a photographer for children’s birthday parties. Document the celebrations, candid moments, and group shots, allowing parents to relax and enjoy the event. Create packages that include digital photo albums or prints as part of your service offering.
Take photos at news events to sell to news agencies.
If you have a knack for capturing newsworthy moments, consider attending local news events and taking compelling photographs. News agencies are always on the lookout for striking visuals to accompany their articles. Build relationships with local journalists and news outlets to sell your photos for syndication. Make sure to stay informed about upcoming events and have your equipment ready to capture the action.
Take photos to be used as royalty-free stock photos.
The demand for stock photos is constantly growing as businesses, marketers, and content creators require high-quality visuals. Consider submitting your best photos to established stock photo businesses or start your own stock photo business. Build a diverse portfolio that covers various themes, such as nature, lifestyle, business, and travel. Ensure your photos meet the technical specifications required by stock photo platforms and make them available for licensing.
Team up with a freelance journalist.
Collaborate with freelance journalists to provide captivating visuals to accompany their articles. News features, travel stories, and human interest pieces often benefit from strong imagery. Reach out to local journalists or writers who cover topics aligned with your photographic style. This collaboration can lead to published work and exposure for both you and the journalist.
Take photos of people’s cars.
Car enthusiasts take pride in their vehicles and often want professional photos to showcase their prized possessions. Contact car clubs and offer to attend their meetings or rallies to take photos of the club members and their cars. You can offer individual owners the opportunity to purchase prints or digital copies of the photos featuring their vehicles. Additionally, you can collaborate with automotive blogs or magazines to have your work featured.
Approach real estate offices about taking photos of houses.
Real estate agents rely on visually appealing photos to attract potential buyers. Offer your services to real estate offices to capture high-quality images of houses for brochures, newspaper advertisements, and online listings. Pay attention to lighting, composition, and staging to showcase the properties in the best possible way. Build a portfolio highlighting your real estate photography skills and present it to local real estate agents.
Offer your services to aged care facilities.
Aged care facilities often organize events and celebrations for their residents, providing an opportunity for you to capture special moments. Offer your services to take photos of elderly people on birthdays, anniversaries, or other significant occasions. These photos can serve as cherished memories for the individuals and their families. Approach local aged care facilities and establish partnerships to provide your photography services.
Use your best photos to make a calendar.
Calendars are practical and popular items that people use throughout the year. Select your best photos and create a thematic calendar, such as showcasing attractions and views from your local area. Design and produce the calendars yourself or utilize online printing services. Sell the calendars directly to customers, promote them through local businesses, or offer them as unique gifts.
OR
Make a calendar from your best photos to use as advertising for your digital-photo-taking business. This calendar can be online or printed.
Offer your services to trade/business-to-business magazines.
Trade and B2B magazines often require high-quality visuals to accompany their articles and features. Reach out to these publications and offer your photography services for events, conferences, or trade shows. Attending these out-of-hours events can provide unique opportunities to capture behind-the-scenes moments, networking interactions, and industry-specific content. Establish relationships with editors and journalists to increase your chances of getting commissioned for assignments.
Offer to take photos of objects for online auctions.
Selling items online, particularly on platforms like eBay, requires appealing product photos that attract potential buyers. Offer your services to individuals who want to sell their items but may not have the necessary photography skills. Take professional-quality photos of the objects, highlighting their features and details. Provide an upload service where you handle the image processing and ensure the photos are optimized for online use.
Take photos for small businesses’ advertisements.
Small businesses often struggle to create compelling visuals for their advertisements. Offer your photography services to capture high-quality images that showcase their products, services, or brand identity. If you have the necessary graphic design skills, you can even go the extra mile and create the advertisement materials for them. This comprehensive service can be a valuable asset for small businesses looking to enhance their marketing efforts.
Capture memories at high-profile events.
High-profile events such as concerts, festivals, or New Year celebrations are moments that people want to remember. Attend these events and approach attendees, offering to take their photos as a memento of their attendance. This can be done on-site or by setting up a booth or designated area where people can have their photos taken. Print the photos instantly or provide digital copies that can be easily shared on social media platforms.
Create photo-themed t-shirts.
If you have a knack for capturing interesting or humorous digital images, consider leveraging them to create unique t-shirts. Select your best photos and incorporate them into t-shirt designs. If humor comes naturally to you, you can even add captions or witty phrases that complement the images. Explore printing options, such as using print-on-demand services or setting up your own online store, to sell these photo-themed t-shirts.
Offer ski-lift snapshots as souvenirs.
Ski resorts attract visitors who want to capture their skiing or snowboarding experiences. Position yourself at the top of a ski-lift and offer to take snapshots of skiers or snowboarders as they reach the peak. Capture their excitement, adrenaline-filled moments, or group shots. Provide instant prints or offer digital copies that can be accessed later. This service adds a fun and memorable element to visitors’ ski resort experiences.
Take digital panoramas for real estate virtual tours.
Real estate virtual tours have become increasingly popular for property listings. Offer your expertise in capturing high-quality digital panoramas that can be used to create immersive virtual tours. Utilize stitching and viewer software to combine multiple photos into seamless panoramic images. These virtual tours provide potential buyers with a comprehensive view of properties, enhancing their decision-making process.
Offer photos to webmasters for website use.
Website owners are often in need of visually appealing images to enhance their web pages. Offer your photos to webmasters for use on websites, blogs, or online articles. Create a portfolio of diverse images that cater to various industries and themes. Provide webmasters with the option to purchase the rights to use your photos for a small one-off fee, or explore partnerships where you receive attribution for your work.
Transform your photos into saleable art.
Use your photographs as a foundation for creating unique and saleable art pieces. Convert your color photos into black and white, and then apply hand-coloring techniques using oils, watercolors, or pencils. This artistic touch adds a personalized and artistic element to your photos, making them one-of-a-kind pieces. Showcase and sell your hand-colored photographs at art exhibitions, local galleries, or through online platforms.
Capture celestial wonders through a telescope.
If you have access to a telescope and a telescope adaptor for your camera, venture into astrophotography. Take photos of stars, constellations, and other celestial objects through your telescope. These images can be used to create calendars featuring star sign constellations or offered to astrology websites as visual representations. Astrophotography allows you to explore the beauty of the night sky and share it with others.
Capture the essence of historical buildings earmarked for demolition.
When old buildings with historical significance are scheduled for demolition or major structural changes, document their unique features and architectural details through photography. Take photos that showcase the building’s character, craftsmanship, and historical value. These images can be valuable to developers, new residents, local councils, or historical preservation organizations. By preserving the visual legacy of these buildings, you contribute to the documentation of local history and provide a visual record for future generations.
Chronicle the growth of a suburban township.
Select a growing suburban township and photograph its development over a period of time. Capture the transformation of landscapes, construction projects, infrastructure development, and the evolving community. These photos can be compiled into a series that depicts the progress and growth of the township. Developers, new residents, local councils, or community organizations may be interested in purchasing these images as a testament to the area’s development and potential.
Document the construction process of a building.
Offer your services to construction companies, local history or architectural organizations, building owners, or residents to capture sequential photos of a building being constructed over time. Take regular photos at various stages, showcasing the evolution and progress of the construction project. These images can be used for educational purposes, historical documentation, or promotional material. They provide a visual narrative of the construction process, highlighting the hard work and dedication that goes into creating a new structure.
Increase the value of photos featuring well-known individuals.
If you have photographs of well-known people, consider getting them signed by the subjects themselves. Contact the individuals through appropriate channels, such as their management or representatives, and request their autographs on the photos. The signed photographs carry additional value and can be sold to collectors, fans, or enthusiasts who appreciate the connection to the notable person captured in the image.
Provide a pre-rental photo documentation service.
Offer a service to house renters and real estate agents where you take photos of rental properties before tenants move in. Document the state and condition of the residence, capturing details of each room, fixtures, and existing damages if any. These photos serve as a record that can be referred to when the tenant moves out, ensuring clarity and accountability regarding the property’s condition. Real estate agents and renters alike can benefit from this service, promoting transparency and dispute resolution.
Photograph fittings in houses for home buyers.
Offer your services to home buyers by taking detailed photos of the fittings in the house at the time of sale. Capture images of fixtures, built-in appliances, and other elements included in the sale. These photos provide a visual reference for the buyer, allowing them to ensure that the fittings promised in the agreement are present and intact. It adds an extra layer of security and clarity to the home buying process, helping buyers make informed decisions.
Cover sports events for regional papers.
Contact regional newspapers and offer your services to take photos of sports events that occur on weekends or outside regular working hours. Sports photography captures the excitement, emotions, and highlights of the games, contributing to engaging coverage in the newspapers. Attend various sporting events, such as local matches, tournaments, or championships, and provide compelling visuals that enhance the newspaper’s sports section.
Provide virtual tour planning services to security companies.
Collaborate with security companies responsible for managing large events. Offer them virtual tours of the event venues, highlighting security hotspots, vulnerable areas, and points of interest. By providing detailed visual information, security companies can better plan their coverage, instruct staff on strategic placements, and be aware of potential risks or concerns during the event. This service enhances security preparations and contributes to the overall safety of the event.
Capture digital panoramas and views for real estate virtual tours.
Real estate agents rely on captivating visuals to attract potential buyers. Offer your services to capture digital panoramas and stunning views of properties for use in virtual tour brochures. Using stitching and viewing software, create immersive virtual tours that allow prospective buyers to explore the property online. High-quality photos showcasing the property’s best features can significantly impact buyers’ interest and ultimately contribute to successful real estate transactions.
Sale Modes:
1. Set up online. When you are taking your photos, give your subjects a web address where they can view thumbnails and order high resolution digital versions or prints. This is particularly effective if you are taking photos at events or tourist destinations.
2. Collect the photo subject’s details and fee and organise to send your subjects a print photo in a simple cardboard frame with a bonus generic shot of the location where you took their picture (and your details in case they want to hire you for something else.)
3. Charge a fee then email the photo to them later. The beauty of digital photography is that you can take the photo, show it to your subject then organize payment/delivery method if they like the photo.
4. Have a computer with CD-RW with you and give your customers the digital portrait on a disc.
Notes:
1. Asking people for permission to publish their photos. It is important to obtain written consent from anyone whose picture you have taken and intend to sell. There are standard forms used by most professional photographers, obtain one of these to use, or create your own. Then if a news organization is using your photos, send copies of the signed forms with the photos.
2. Sensitivity
Exercise sensitivity when taking photos of people or situations. In most situations it is better to ask first. One particular area of sensitivity can be trade shows. Vendors are often sensitive about people taking photos of their merchandise, so check with them before taking a photo and make sure they are aware where the photo will appear. If you are taking photos for a particular publication or trade magazine make sure you have a copy of the publication and/or some generic cards/brochures. Also, make sure you get the necessary documentation and ok to photograph from trade show organizers before attending.