Make money with photography

Almost anyone with a digital camera can find a way to make some money with it. The amount of money can vary from a few dollars to a substantial income depending on one's skill level, equipment and time to invest in photography ventures. Some means of making money can be done with only a point and shoot camera. Others may require lighting and a SLR camera.

So what can you do to generate some cash with only a point and shoot camera? Have you ever listed something for sale on ebay or in a magazine that allows photo ads? If so, you know that having a photo makes a huge difference in being able to sell an item.  While it might seem that everybody owns a digital camera today, that isn't true. Some people have no reason to need one on an ongoing basis so they may need someone that can take a photo for them to use in an ad. You can offer your services taking photos for people who may need a photo of their car to list on a car trading site or a picture of that exercise bike that is sitting in the corner unused that they want to sell in a classified ad. This won't generate a lot of income but it can make you a few dollars with a camera you already have without expensive equipment outlay. Think of small business such as flea markets, antique shops or even small car lots and approach them to see if they might need someone to take photos of their merchandise.

Once you are able to afford a SLR camera, then you may want to consider taking photos of cheerleading squads, sports teams such as little league,   and dance teams. Any event where children are involved, there will be parents wanting photos.  Selling photos to the parents will require having the ability to print the photos or having them printed by a printing service so be sure to add that cost to any prices you quote for this type of photography.

Another idea is taking photo of pets if you are good with animals and have patience. Many pet owners are very attached to their pets and want photos of them either alone or as part of a family portrait.

Taking seniors portraits is another venue for making a profit at photography. Senior portraits have typically been done by a school approved photographer and all looked alike, but those days are changing fast. Today, seniors want photos that capture their personality and more schools are giving them the freedom to choose their own photographer. In addition, many students want a variety of photo to remember their senior year ranging from studio shots to outdoor shots to photos showing them involved in their hobbies. Instead of a few photos many now want a whole senior portfolio.

So what if you can't find any people that want to hire you to take photos? Can you make money taking pictures of trees, flowers, bridges or household object? You actually may be able to. There are websites where you can sell what are called "stock photos". These are photos of ordinary objects or landscapes that a business might need for use in an ad and they don't want to hire someone to take them themselves. The way these work is that you upload your photos to the website and they will sell copies of them for you, collect the money and send you a payment. Generally these site take a certain percent of the profit for selling your photos and they may have high standards in regard to the quality of the photos.