- Stock Photo Beginner’s Guide: Part 1
- Stock Photo Beginner’s Guide: Part 2
- Stock Photo Beginner’s Guide: Part 3
Fall is prime time for stock photo sales.
Companies are preparing for the winter holidays, and stock photo buyers are looking for fresh content. I’ve already seen a small bump in my sales.
If you want to turn your photos into a side income with stock, right now is the best time to start.
Turn off the TV. Turn off your Facebook notifications. It’s time to get cozy with a few stock agencies once and for all.
Life gets hectic, so I’m going to make this really easy for you, with a quick guide on getting started, below. Print it out and put it by the computer.
By this time next week, you could be up-and-running if you follow these simple, 20-minute steps. (Feel free to do more than 20 minutes per day, if you have time.)
Already past the beginning stage? Watch your inbox in the next two weeks for PART 2 and PART 3, on advancing your stock photo sales.
Today, it’s time for…
The Snap & Sell Photo Club Kick-in-the-Pants Guide
PART 1: GET STARTED NOW – can make these into actual guides or featured articles on the site
DAY 1: Sign Up
Today, go to these three stock photo agencies and sign up as a contributor. This should take no longer than 20 minutes.
DAY 2: Get Acquainted
Read through the rules and requirements for becoming a contributor at each of the above agencies. Again, this should take about 20 minutes. You’ll find them here:
- Bigstock
- Fotolia
- Dreamstime (must be signed in to access this page)
Days 3 & 4: Set Aside Your Best Shots
In 20-minute chunks over the next two days, go through your photo library and set aside your 10 best candidates for stock. Keep in mind what you read in the agency requirements on Day 2. To speed up the process, choose photos that don’t require a model release (feature no recognizable people).
Look for:
- Strong composition
- Clear, obvious subject matter
- No clutter or distractions in the photo
- Good exposure and focus
- No direct, on-camera flash
- No logos or trademarks in the photo
Days 5 & 6: Submit Your First Batch
Submit your 10 best shots to Bigstock. You’ll need to take and pass their test first but don’t worry, it’s “open book.”
Add titles and keywords to all of the photos before you hit the “Submit selected for approval” button to send them off for inspection.
Now that you have the hang of submitting images to Bigstock, submit the same 10 images to Fotolia and Dreamstime. The process is basically the same.
Day 7: Celebrate!
In under a week, you got your stock photo portfolio started! And in 20 minutes a day, at that! All that’s left to do now is wait to hear back from the agencies.
Stay tuned for next week’s guide…
The Snap & Sell Photo Club Kick-in-the-Pants Guide
PART 2: ATTRACT MORE BUYERS
Now get going!
