12 benefits of creating stock images
Producing stock photos can offer several benefits, both creatively and financially:
Passive Income: Once you have enough images uploaded and approved on stock agencies, it’s amazing to wake up each morning to find that you have made money in your sleep. It's like having a money-making machine that doesn't mind if you sleep in. This is whats known as passive income and which can be generated for years without requiring constant effort. The only effort from your part is to go and have fun taking images, edit and upload.
Diverse Portfolio: You may hear some photographers insisting on finding a Niche, but with stock photography, you get to explore more subjects than a detective on a crime spree. Building a good stock photo portfolio encourages you to explore a wide range of subjects, styles, and techniques. This diversity can enhance your photography skills and creativity. Its Generally a great idea to start local and expand.
Monetise Existing Work: Do you have years worth of forgotten photos stored on old hard drives? Well, It's like a goldmine waiting to happen. You can monetise these photos by converting them into stock images. This means you can earn from pictures you've taken in the past. This is how I started.
Flexibility: You're the boss! You can shoot in your pyjamas or during a picnic in the park. I did my regular job plus cared for my mum whilst building up my business! It’s all about how much effort you want to put in. Stock photography offers flexibility in terms of when and where you shoot. You can create images at your own pace, fitting it into your own schedule.
Global Reach: In the morning when I check my stock photography accounts, my images have sold from Japan to the Middle East! They are purchased and used by individuals, businesses, and organisations around the world. To be able to share this information with prospective local customers; its amazing!
Portfolio Growth: As you continue to produce stock photos, like a collection of rare coins, or sports cards, your portfolio grows over time increasing your potential earnings over time.
Creative Freedom: No bossy art directors, managers or clients on your case! You're the creative genius and have total creative control over your work. You can choose the subjects, styles, and concepts you want to explore and share. You can take a photo of the same subject over and over again, and be amazed to see that they all get downloaded over time. Different people have different needs and just the time of the day can make a difference in someones perception when it comes to what they are looking for.
Networking Opportunities: You'll meet more photographers than a camera store on Black Friday Sale. Not that there are many Camera Stores left! Not in England anyway. Engaging with stock photography communities and agencies can provide networking opportunities and help you connect with fellow photographers and industry professionals. Living close to Heathrow Airport, I often take images of airplanes and have encouraged many photographers to start selling their images on stock sites. For one person, he has found that its opened exclusive avenues for him directly with an airline.
Learning Experience: Most people will find that their initial images will be rejected by Stock Agencies, as did mine, but for those who don’t take it personally, it's like going to photography school, where from the reasons of rejections, you start to learn how to improve your images, and as they start to get accepted, you get paid for downloads. It's a real learning experience. It pushes you to improve your photography skills and understand market trends.
Income Diversification: As I mentioned earlier, Stock Photography complements and adds to your other income sources. I always do it in my spare time such as client work. Quite often, when doing client work, I find opportunities to take a few Stock Images. Generally, I always keep a small camera on me, and when I don’t have a dedicated camera, I use my phone. Some images I took with a Google Pixel 4, have gone on to sell hundreds of times.
Exposure and Recognition: Stock Photography really encourages an individual to take lots of good images. Its the greatest way of increasing the technical ability of an image. With all these fantastic images, you increase your chance of of being one step closer to that well-framed award winning shot! Successful stock images may lead to recognition within the photography community and even exposure in magazines, advertisements, or websites. When speaking to local clients, its absolutely amazing to ask them to just Google your name. When they realise that you are a published photographer, your credibility seriously increases.
Personal Satisfaction: As mentioned earlier, nothing beats the feeling of seeing your photo on a billboard or in a magazine or even on a website. Seeing your images used in various contexts can be personally satisfying and rewarding and does a lot for your brand when proposing to new clients.
So, if you've ever dreamed of turning your photography hobby into a side hustle or just want an excuse to take more pictures, stock photography might be your ticket to fame, fortune, and a few good laughs along the way! 📷💰😄
However, it's important to note that success in stock photography requires some dedication, market research, and understanding the preferences of stock agencies and their clients. Additionally, the stock photography market can be competitive, so it may take time to build a substantial income.
