Stock Photography – ExpertPhotography

9 Best Stock Photo Sites in 2024 (Paid and Free!)

Christopher Bryan-Smith — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 10:18:10 +0000

Stock photo sites are a godsend whether you are starting your own business or need a single image to spice up a document. You don’t have to worry about setting up your own photoshoot! Even if you only need something simple, stock image websites save you a ton of time and effort.

This article looks at the best stock photo sites from the point of view of contributors and buyers. With a contributor’s eye, we examine how beneficial the sites are for photographers looking to make money.

And with a buyer’s eye, we show you which sites are best for those wanting to purchase stock images.

Shutterstock tops our list of the best stock photo websites. Fair commission rates make it a good option for photographers. And a massive media library and reasonable prices make it a good choice for buyers.

Our Top 3 Choices for The Best Stock Photo Sites

Shutterstock Stock Photos

Adobe Stock

iStock Stock Photos

What is the Best Stock Photo Sites?

If you’re a contributing photographer, the best stock photo sites gives you a real opportunity to make money. They should be easy to sign up too, offer decent commissions, and provide extra information to help you compete on busy platforms.

Buyers need a stock site with a big, varied media library and fair subscription fees. They also need to find a site that offer the style of photography they need for their content. Sites that offer other stock media, such as video and audio, might also be a priority.

Before we look at all the best stock photo websites in detail, here’s a quick rundown of our selection. You can also see the best free stock sites towards the end of the article.

Our Top Choice

Shutterstock Stock Photos

+406 million images in library
Handy contributor smartphone app
Highly active subscribers
AI Generator for buyers

Adobe Users

Adobe Stock

Free with Creative Cloud subscription
Multimedia library
Contributors have access to Adobe Portfolio
26 million subscribers

Best Image Licensing

iStock Stock Photos

Linked to Getty Image's massive image collection
Contributor resource library
Adobe Plug-ins
AI generator for buyers

Best Commission Structure

Depositphotos Stock Photos

30 millions users worldwide
High minimum commission rate
Sells illustrations, videos, and sound effects
Clear tiered contributor categorization

Best for First-Time Contributors

Dreamstime Stock Photos

Easy registration for contributors
53 million users
Up to 50% commission
Generous subscription plans for buyers

Best Paid Stock Photo Sites

Now we look at all the best paid stock photo websites in more detail. We look at each from both a contributor’s and buyer’s perspective, so you can find out which is the best site to suit your needs.

1. Shutterstock

Number of Users	Number of Users 343,000
Image Library	Image Library 406 million
Commission Rate for Sellers	Commission Rate for Sellers Approx. $0.50 per image
Other Key Features	Other Key Features Video library, AI generator, contributor app
Best For	Best For Photographers looking for the most active paid stock site

Shutterstock is a mammoth stock image site. It’s the most extensive stock photo site, with over one billion images to search through. This is because they were one of the first stock photo sites around.

Their catalog relies on contributions from over one million different stock photographers. With this in mind, you can find an image to suit your needs. But because there is so much content, you may spend a while looking for your perfect picture.

For Contributors

Becoming a Shutterstock contributor is a good way to supplement your income as a photographer.

Shutterstock claims to have paid out over $1 billion to its contributors over the last 15 years. That’s a lot of money. However, Shutterstock has one of the largest contributor lists of any stock site. And over a 15-year time frame, that $1 billion is spread pretty thin.

The payment plans for users are quite generous to buyers, which is great if you’re looking for images. But it means a seller’s commission on a single photo can be as low as $0.50. You have to sell a lot of images at that rate to make a living.

However, Shutterstock has far more buyers than contributers. And because they’re paying for a subscription, all the users are actively buying images, which means there are millions of potential buyers.

343K subscribers might not sound like much, but user activity equals incredible amounts of daily traffic on the sight.

Contributors also have access to helpful material, like intel on trending topics, video workshops, and blogs by successful contributors.

The Shutterstock contributor app is a great tool for sellers. It allows you to upload images from your smartphone while monitoring activity and earnings on the go.

For Buyers

You’ll have no shortage of image options if you’re a Shutterstock subscriber. And it’s not just images. You also have access to a whole library of videos, music, templates, and 3D models.

Shuttershtock even has an AI image generator. Users input word prompts and the robot gives them an original image. It’s pretty impressive and helps buyers find exactly what they want.

The contributors are not happy, however. With buyers generating their own AI images, there’s less demand for real photographs. We’re not happy about it, but unfortunately, this is the way the industry is going.

You can get access to their site through a subscription or on-demand package. Monthly subscriptions start at $29 for three images and go up to $499 for 750, depending on how many you want.

Their yearly subscriptions offer better deals, starting at $29 per month (10 images) and up to $199 per month (750 images). There are also savings available if you pay upfront for the whole year.

Their on-demand packages begin at $29 for two images and go up to $575 for 250 images. Take advantage of Shutterstock’s free trial and enjoy 10 free image downloads. You can check Shutterstock’s pricing and save 15% with our code EXPERTPHOTO.

2. Adobe Stock

Brand	Brand Adobe
Number of Users	Number of Users 26 million (Creative Cloud)
Image Library	Image Library 263 million
Commission Rate for Sellers	Commission Rate for Sellers 33% for images / 35% for videos
Other Key Features	Other Key Features Multimedia library, access to Adobe Portfolio for contributors
Best For	Best For Adobe users

Of course, it makes sense for this imaging software giant to create its own database. And who wouldn’t want stock photo integration with every Adobe product? This is particularly useful for designing brochures or websites with Adobe software.

For Contributors

In theory, Adobe Stock gives you the best opportunity to get your work viewed and purchased. The site has 26 million users, which should mean there are 26 million potential buyers.

This number is a bit misleading, however. The 26 million includes everyone with an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, and many of them won’t use the stock library. But even a small percentage of 26 million is a lot, so it does offer an opportunity to make money.

Adobe Stock isn’t limited to still photos. It has the most eclectic media library, with videos, illustrations, graphic art, and 3D models. That means anyone in the creative industry can generate an include selling on Adobe Stock.

The commission rate is decent but not overly generous to contributors. You get 33% commission on image sales and 35% on video sales.

All contributors get access to Adobe Portfolio, which allows you to build a professional-looking website to display your work. You can use your presence on Adobe Stock as a funnel to your personal portfolio website. This could lead to direct sales or commissioned work.

For Buyers

For buyers, the site offers images, vectors, videos, audio, set templates, and 3D options. Searching is easy thanks to its refined advanced search feature. It even has the option to search images by their depth of field!

I’m a bit fan of the user interface. It’s easy to navigate and displays the stock photos with no distractions. Adobe offers 10 free stock images and a 30-day trial. But beyond that, you need to pay for their services.

Their monthly subscriptions include “standard assets.” This includes standard images, templates, 3D, and music tracks. Subscriptions start at $29.99 (annual, monthly paid) for 10 standard monthly assets and 500 generative AI credits.

There are other plans for 25, 40, or 750 assets (or 3, 6, or 25 HD videos) a month. For 750 standard assets, shell out $199.99 monthly on a yearly commitment (otherwise, $249.99 monthly). Beyond the first tier, you get savings if you opt for yearly rather than monthly payments.

If you want premium content or video, Adobe Stock offers “credit packs” that start at $49.95 for 5 images. Other tiers go up to 150 standard images for $299. These prices are about average when looking at the top end of the best stock photo sites.

3. iStock

Number of Users	Number of Users 825K
Image Library	Image Library +300 million
Commission Rate for Sellers	Commission Rate for Sellers 15 to 45 %
Other Key Features	Other Key Features AI generator, Adobe plugin, resource library for sellers
Best For	Best For Selling images with different license agreements

iStock is the sister brand of the giant Getty Images database. This database was created in 1999, making it the first stock photo website! With stock image databases, the longer they exist, the more content they offer. This means they have a wide range of images to fit the bill.

For Contributors

With such a large user-base, and many corporate clients among them, iStock offers a good opportunity to have your work seen.

The image library isn’t quite as big as Shutterstock’s, but it’s still massive. There is a chance your images could get lost in the crowd. But if you follow the trends using the insider information they provide, you can make sales and generate income.

Most image licenses are “royalty free.” This means if a user buys your image, they can use it as many times as they like after a one-time purchase.

However, top-performing contributors can negotiate licenses with royalties, allowing them to sell images on a per-use basis.

The commission rate for royalty-free content is between 15% and 45%. It varies depending on the type of content and the type of subscription plan help by the buyer.

iStock isn’t just a photo library. Contributors can sell illustration and video as well as still photos. It’s a host for thousands of creatives of all types.

For Buyers

They offer royalty-free photos, vectors, illustrations, and videos. They even have a video editor you can use. This is helpful for someone who wants to make simple video edits but doesn’t have the software or time to do so.

iStock offers three types of subscriptions—basic, premium, and premium + video. The monthly rate starts at $29 and goes up to $333, depending on what and how much content you want to download.

They also offer pay-as-you-go credit packs. You can buy three credits for $12 and up to 300 for $2400. And there are other offers in between, with bigger savings if you buy more.

One credit goes toward one high-quality, budget image. Three credits buy you unique, signature iStock images. Videos need more—6 and 18 credits, respectively.

Check out their pricing page to see which package is best for you. Their prices can be hefty, but you’re guaranteed high-quality content because they are partners with Getty.

4. Depositphotos

Number of Users	Number of Users 30 million
Image Library	Image Library 234 million
Commission Rate for Sellers	Commission Rate for Sellers 34 to 42%
Other Key Features	Other Key Features Sells illustrations, videos, and sound effects
Best For	Best For Commission structure for contributors

Depositphotos is one of the best stock photo sites I have come across. The breadth of the database offers you a range of stock photo options. There’s everything from stylized shots to more playful and simple images. They also provide royalty-free videos, music, templates, and special effects.

For Contributors

Joining Depositphotos as a contributor is very easy, but there is a vetting examination. This involved uploading your best images so their team can review them. They’re basically checking the quality is good enough and that it doesn’t breach any of their guidelines.

Depositphotos has a unique level system for their contributors. You start at Level 1, which allows you 499 file uploads. You can climb to Level 5 with 150,000 uploads. The more images you sell, the higher you climb.

You also get bigger commissions at higher levels. It’s a 30% commission when you’re on Level 1, which increases to a max of 38% when you’ve reached Level 5.

The commission rates for videos are the same as for images. But audio files earn 34% on Level 1 and 42% on Level 5, so it pays to have a bit of musical ability.

For Buyers

I enjoy the way it lets you refine your search. So will people who know what kind of images they want. Depositphotos also has a refined search bar that lets you browse by camera angle!

After you choose your image, you select the size and quality you want. Under your photo, they give you similar photo options that may better suit your needs.

Depositphotos also has a bunch of tools you can take advantage of. They offer features that can remove a background or upscale your image. This is useful for people who aren’t highly skilled at editing.

Depositphotos offers both monthly and pay-on-demand options. The cost is about average among stock photo sites.

They have multiple monthly payment rates. Ten images per month will cost you $9.99, while 750 images will cost you $299. You get extra savings if you go with the yearly plans and even more if you pay upfront!

Each photo above your allotted amount costs $1 each on all plans. And their on-demand options start at $29 for five images and go up to $219 for 125.

5. Dreamstime

Number of Users	Number of Users 53 million
Image Library	Image Library 247 million
Commission Rate for Sellers	Commission Rate for Sellers 25 to 50 %
Other Key Features	Other Key Features Easy registration
Best For	Best For First time contributors

Founded in the year 2000, Dreamstime is one of the oldest stock sties out there. It isn’t the first name that springs to mind when your think of stock sites, but it has one of the biggest media libraries and millions of active users.

For Contributors

The sheer number of users makes Dreamstime one of the best places for photographers to sell their stock photos. As a contributor, you will have a lot of company. But the number of buyers vastly outnumbers the contributors.

Registering as a contributor is also an easy process. It’s free to register, and all you need to enter is your email address and your full name.

Then upload your images using their guidelines. You can add descriptions and tags to help users find your work. And you can attach contracts and release forms using the integrated software.

The contributor commissions are some of the best of any stock photo website. The lowest is 25%, and this can go as high as 50%. Commission percentages and prices depend on the file type, file size, and the licensing agreement the files are under.

Commercial and editorial are the two main types of images licenses available to Dreamstime contributors. Dreamstime has model release form templates and info on how to fill them out.

For Buyers

Dreamstime has an incredibly large media library, with images covering practically every subject you can think of. Whether you want wildlife, architecture, or season-specific images, this site has you covered.

As well as your standard stock images, Dreamstime has one of the best libraries of editorial images. It’s constantly updated, so you can find images of the latest news events or the hottest celebs.

Buyers need to sign up to a subscription plan. They have monthly options offering anything between 5 and 750 downloads a month. They also offer a yearly subscription that gives you 750 monthly downloads.

They have separate subscription plans for video and audio downloads. And there’s an all-in-one plan that gives you access to every type of media, though this is the most expensive.

Best Free Stock Sites

Free stock websites are a godsend if you need images but have a tight budget. They offer thousands of images that are completely free to use, allowing you to illustrate your content without heavy outgoings.

But there are problems with free sites, which is why we promote paid stock websites. Firstly, the media libraries are much smaller than on paid sites. Even popular sites like Unsplash have just a fraction of what Shutterstock offers.

This also means many people are likely to use the same images. There’s a high chance you might use the same images as some of your competitors, making your content look unoriginal.

Free sites are also less beneficial to photographers looking to generate an income. Because they give their images away for free, contributors don’t get paid. The only thing you get back in return is exposure. That’s OK for amateurs, but professionals need that cold, hard cash.

Here are a few of our free stock photo website recommendations.

Unsplash

Unsplash is a free stock photo site you can’t avoid. It’s quick and easy to select and download the images you want. This is ideal for people who work with images where sourcing them is not a worry.

For a free stock photo site, the quality of the images is excellent. This is why they earn their spot as one of the best free stock photo sites. Of course, they don’t have the range that the paid services do. But over five million high-resolution images for free isn’t bad at all.

From its humble beginnings as a Tumblr blog, Unsplash has grown tremendously. The UN and other global organizations now use them. The only thing I have trouble with is their search engine. It is not as refined as others. You have to adjust your search occasionally.

You also get premium options on each search. This is done with independent photographers and Getty Images (iStock).

Pexels

Pexels is another one of the best free stock photo sites. Their search engine makes finding the perfect image a breeze. The search bar auto-fills suggestions as you type the same way Google does. In this same section, you can access your recent searches. They also suggest collections of images related to the search terms you use.

Pexels is one of the databases with an excellent curation of free stock photos. You won’t have to scroll through junk to find classy images. Also, Pexels is one of the only free services that give you access to free videos!

A nice feature is that they display the licensing terms. This clarity can be helpful for people who don’t know the details about copyright. You can see what you can use the images for and in what ways.

Pixabay

Pixabay offers the broadest range of materials for free. This includes free stock photos, illustrations, vectors, video, music, and sound effects.

I hadn’t heard of them before researching for this article. But after seeing their stock, I will use them in the future. Their database is vast, with over 4.2 million assets to choose from.

A nice feature that makes them unique is that some images display their metadata. If you’re using stock image websites, you probably don’t care too much about the photo’s information. But it adds a nice touch to some of the images, almost giving you the feel of more authority over them.

Like Unsplash, Pixabay links to premium site photos from iStock. But after browsing their catalog, I doubt you will even need to pay for this service.

Burst

Shopify powers burst. Shopify is an online platform that lets people set up stores and sell their products. Unsurprisingly, they have dipped their toes into the world of royalty-free stock photos.

I am a fan of their straightforward design. It takes nothing away from the images they present. The only downside is they do not have a dedicated advanced search feature.

I also think that their free stock photos aren’t as refined as others. But, it is different. The free stock photos here are not on any other stock image sites.

Another great feature is their “search by business ideas.” This is great for people starting a new business or Shopify account. Type in your business idea, and this feature suggests collections of related images. This can be helpful if you aren’t great at using the search bar to find specific photos.

Conclusion: The Best Stock Photo Sites

If you’re a buyer, the best stock sites offer a wide range of high-quality images at a reasonable price. For contributors, stock photo sites should provide high commissions and other services to help your business grow.

That’s why Shutterstock tops our list. It’s one of the original stock photo websites, which is why it has one of the most extensive media catalogs. Buyers can find anything they need. They are also fair with their contributing photographers, as they can make good money with the right stock photography strategy.

Free sites are also great for improving content, but they are far more limited than paid sites. They can’t offer the same number of images, and contributors get little more than a bit of publicity. That’s why we recommend going to a paid site if you want top-quality stock photographs.

Our Top 3 Choices for The Best Stock Photo Sites

Shutterstock Stock Photos

Adobe Stock

iStock Stock Photos

21 Best Selling Stock Photos you Should Know in 2024

Christopher Bryan-Smith — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 08:29:51 +0000

Selling Stock photos is a great way for photographers to make money. The trouble is, there’s a lot of competition on stock sites. And many photographers find themselves uploading hundreds of images but making very few sales.

The key to success on stock image websites is understanding the market. You need to build your stock photography strategy around knowing what images buyers are looking for. Uploading your favorite random shots simply won’t work. You need to be calculated and clever.

This article explores some of the hottest stock photography trends right now. All the themes and styles we look at are top trends in the stock image world. This is just an introduction to selling stock images, but it’ll give you a fighting chance in a busy stock photo marketplace.

Selling Stock Photos

Making money as a photographer is not easy. But it’s not impossible if you have a professional strategy with diverse sources of income.

One of those income sources has to be selling stock photos. It probably won’t be your main bread-winner because of the low margins. But it is a great way to supplement photoshoots, print sales, and commissioned work.

There are many excellent stock photo websites you can sign up to. Free sites like Unsplash are great if you’re looking for exposure. But you should opt for a pro-level stock website like ShutterStock if you want to make money selling stock images.

Selling images should never be taken lightly. You can’t just upload a random selection of your work and hope it sells. You need to have a strategy that incorporated the hottest trends in stock imagery. You need to offer the types of images people want to buy.

You can read our full article on how to make money with stock photography in this link. Or you can see our full guide to running a photography business here.

Best Selling Stock Photos

Now we’ll look at the best selling stock photos, looking at themes and styles that are bang-on trend.

We’ve broken the list down into categories, so you can find a theme that suits your photography. You might find some topics that fit with the work you’re already doing. Or you might find something new that sparks your creativity.

They also give you insight into what’s happening in the photography and content market at the moment. It’ll give you a better understanding, allowing you to move with the ebbs and flows of market changes in content.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle has become one of the most in-demand stock photography trends. The rise of influencers means our social media streams are flooded with images of smoothies, bunch, and yoga.

A clear aesthetic has developed, and companies have been co-opting it for marketing and internal materials. Companies want to be seen to help their employees, and this type of stock imagery lets them tap into the wellness space.

Healthy Food

More and more, people are becoming conscious about the type of food they eat. Ultra-processed foods are being replaced by healthy alternatives. And we can see this in the type of food photography people are buying.

Good images of fruits and vegetables do quite well on stock websites. But users are looking for more trendy food items, like vegan cakes and smoothies.

Smoothies are very photogenic, and you can include some of the original whole fruits in the images as well. This allows you to show the ingredients and the final product in one image.

Healthy food is also more exotic these days. Westerners love to use ingredients and recipes from other parts of the world. Things like quinoa and acai bowls are all the rage with trendy socialites. That’s exactly the type of thing stock photo buyers are looking for.

Self-Care

Looking after yourself has become an industry in its own right. Led by influencers on social media, it is now fashionable to take time to pamper yourself. It’s true, there’s nothing quite like genuine R&R time to de-stress from our busy lives.

As with healthy food, this is something companies are trying to tap into. And they need images that exude the self-care aesthetic we’ve all become familiar with.

Whether it’s a face mask and slices of cucumber or a candle-lit massage, these images promote wellness and contentment. Get that right and buyers will be snapping up your self-care images.

Yoga

Yoga has become a part of many people’s and companies’ wellness programs. It’s the perfect remedy for a stiff body that’s been stat at a desk day after day.

Every town and city in the western world now has at least one yoga studio. And for many, yoga has become a full-on way of life. It has its own set of values and an east-meets-west style with a specific set of accessories. This is all photogenic stuff.

Thanks to its popularity, there’s no shortage of potential models. You can snap some picture of their yoga practice, building up your catalog of lifestyle images.

Yoga is a great subject for photography. With dynamic poses and a positive energy, it’s easy to snap some eye-catching yoga photographs.

You should make them as original as possible. There’s no shortage of yoga images on stock sites, so yours need to stand out from the crowd.

Meditation

Meditation or mindfulness is a growing trend in the west. It’s similar to yoga as an eastern import, but more and more people are finding a mindfulness practice helps them de-stress and recharge.

Much of the paraphernalia is also similar to yoga, with lots of Asian artefacts and Buddhist symbols. These are things you should incorporate into your meditation images. It isn’t just about the person meditating, it’s the style and aesthetic that goes with it. That’s what buyers are after.

Fitness

As wellness becomes more of a priority, more people are joining gyms or hiring personal trainers. That’s why this another area you can exploit for your stock photography collection.

Gyms are great locations for photoshoots. You have hunky men and women getting in shape, there are fitness classes, and there are plenty of props you can incorporate in your images.

People use the gym in different ways. Some want to build muscle, while others want to slim down and lose weight. You can explore both with your photography.

And fitness isn’t limited to the gym. Many people work out in public spaces like parks. These are great locations for a photoshoot.

Home Office

With more companies offering flexible or fully-remote options, the home office is becoming a common feature in people’s lives. That’s why the home office is such an important topic in stock photography.

Getting your home work environment right is important. You need a space that’s professional but doesn’t feel like a corporate office. It’s should be a blend of comfort and professionalism.

That’s what you need to achieve with your home office stock photos. You need to show what someone’s home office could potentially look like.

Family Photos

This theme is more traditional, but good family photos still perform well on stock websites.

Traditional nuclear families still top the charts, but buyers are looking for less conventional family models too. Images of interracial families or families with same-sex parents are growing in popularity. That could be a lucrative niche to tap into.

Including grandparents will also broaden the appeal. Three-generation images do very well, as do photos of grandparents with grand children.

People want photos of happy families. Sad-looking families or families in strife don’t sell. Smiles produce all the money when it comes to family photos.

Inclusivity

The popularity of images representing inclusivity have shot up in the last few years. Whether they depict the LGBTQ+ community, cultural diversity, models with non-conventional good looks, buyers are snapping them up.

Plus-Size Models

Plus-size models have become standard, even in the world of high fashion. It’s now common for curvy women and men to grace the covers of prestigious magazines like Vogue.

Many companies want content that promotes more realistic beauty standards. They need their promotional materials to represent their workforce, which for most companies is a variety of shapes and sizes.

The era of the size zero is over, so search for a wider variety of body types when model scouting.

Unconventional Beauty

Similar to plus-size models, we’re seeing a growing demand for images of models with unconventional good looks. They often have features that might previously have been seen as issues. But now people want unique faces with interesting features.

We’re seeing more images of people with freckles and birthmarks. Sometimes scared faces can also draw a lot of interest. Even unusual haircuts or facial hair can add an element of unconventionality that buyers are looking for in their stock images.

LGBTQ+ Community

Cultures around the world are more welcoming and accepting of the LGBT+ community than they once were. Things are not perfect, but more people are out and proud than ever before. That’s why stock photos relating to this theme are doing so well.

Pride celebrations are always vibrant and make for eye-catching stock images. You can also do more personal photo shoots with gay couples or members of the trans community. This links to the topic above.

Shoot happy, celebratory images, but avoid stereotypes with negative connotations. People are not buying stock images to offend or harass the LGBTQ+ community. The images need to express positivity.

Multi-racial Communities

Most major cities around the world have become melting pots of different races, ethicities, and cultures. We see it on the high street, in our offices, and in our personal lives. Stock images are also moving in that direction.

Stock image websites used to be dominated by Caucasian faces. And to be honest, they still are. That’s why a good collection of stock images with multi-ethnic models could improve your sales.

As with most of these topics, people are looking for positive energy. They want pictures that show harmony and friendship between peoples. Interracial tension and aggression won’t generate any income.

Photography Styles

Photos of all styles can be used a stock images, as long as they stick within the site’s guidelines. However, there are a few modern trends that are proving particularly popular with buyers. These include drone images, images that use bold colors, and more conceptual photos.

Flat Lay

Flat lay is a popular photography style with influencers and content creators on social media. Now stock image buyers want to copy that aesthetic for their content.

The concept is simple. You lay your props out on a flat surface and take an overhead picture. The key is in the choice of props, the arrangement, and the colors.

You can use the flat lay style for many themes, like food or lifestyle photography. It’s ideal for recipe-related content, as you can show ingredients and utensils on your surface.

Leaving some negative space is a good idea when shooting flat lays for stock websites. This allows buyers to add their own to the image without the image looking cluttered or unprofessional.

Aerial/Drone Photography

Aerial photography is similar to flat lay, only on a much larger scale. Now drones are readily available (if you have the budget), aerial photography has never been easier.

You can capture epic overhead or high-elevation landscape shots, which are incredibly popular with corporate buyers. Open spaces and winding roads evoke feelings of exploration, aspiration, and freedom. That’s why people love them.

You do need the budget to buy a good drone camera, but it will prove a worthy investment if you get some good aerial shots.

Retro Film Aesthetic

Film photography is all the rage right now, and content producers are jumping on the bandwagon. They are clamoring for grainy film photography images with a retro look.

You can dust off your old 35mm camera and shoot a few rolls. Or you can use software like Luminar Neo to add a retro film look to your digital images. Most buyers won’t care if the image was actually shot on film. They just want the film look.

Bold Colors

Using bright, bold colors is a great way to get your work seen on stock photo websites. Often, buyers are looking for images that feature a specific color. They might even use words like “yellow” or “blue” in the keyword search.

Don’t use too many colors in one image. Use one color and use a lot of it. Try this with a variety of different colors.

You can mix and match, of course. But stick to just a couple of colors, complementary colors, or a few different tones of the same color. You want colorful images that pop.

Conceptual Images

Open your mind and make some conceptual images. Stretch your imagination and make images that are wacky and out of the ordinary.

If you were making conceptual images for your own project, the images would have to have a meaning. But that’s not true with conceptual stock images. Buyers are looking for images they can add their own meaning to.

This can be tricky to get right, but it can be a money spinner if you get it right.

Street Nightlife

The eerie glow of neon lights is a visual we’re seeing more often in stock libraries. People are looking for moody images of inner-city nightlife.

Neon signs and flood-lit underpasses are popular visual elements. And the grainy effect of high-ISO images adds to the mystique of the images.

Busy night spots are also good locations, buzzing with people. You want to capture the sensation of the after-hours experience.

Locations

Images of specific locations or types of locations have always been popular on stock photography websites. But there are a few trends that set your images apart from the competition.

Cityscapes

There’s nothing new about cityscape images. But they are still popular with stock image buyers.

The trouble is that people already have stock images of the most famous cities, like New York and Paris. But there is a gap in the market for less iconic cities. And these images are popular because the cities are not iconic. Often, they want a generic-looking city.

You can shoot classic, broad cityscapes. But also look for new angles and perspectives to make your images original.

Famous Locations

Images of famous places still do well on stock websites. But we’re all feel a bit jaded by the cliche images of Paris, Rome, or New York.

You can still use those locations. But find ways to make your shots original. Someone might be creating content about Paris, but they don’t want box-standard image of the Eiffel Tower. You can include the tower, but take the photo from a different angle.

That goes for any famous location around the world. Look for new perspectives without losing the essence of the place. Buyers will want people to recogniae the location immediately, but they don’t want a shot they’ve seen a million times before.

Beaches

Beaches might be an obvious location, but beach stock images are always popular. The beach represents vacations, relaxation, and tranquillity. Any holiday-related content will have a picture of a beach on it somewhere, so creators are always looking for original images.

Aerial beach shots have become very popular. But more traditional shots of yellow sand, blue skies, and turquoise seas are still in demand.

Tropical beaches are always the first to come to mind. But other types of beaches can prove popular too. Everybody loves the beach.

Landscape Elements

As well as full-on landscapes, people are looking for elements from landscapes. They are looking for symbols that represent a feeling or an idea.

One common example is palm trees against a blue sky. People are also looking for other images of foliage. Single clouds or interesting cloud formations also fit this category.

Simple images that evoke feelings of relaxation or freedom. That’s what people are looking for. They should be simple and uncluttered so buyers can add text or other information to them later.

Conclusion

Selling stock photos can be a good earner for photographers. But you have to get it right. You won’t have much success adding random pictures to your account. You need to have a strategy and upload specific types of images with a high selling potential.

As we’ve seen, you have plenty of themes and styles you can choose from. Topics within the lifestyle genre are doing very well. But more traditional subjects like families and cityscapes are still popular too.

The key to selling on stock photo websites is offering images that people want. Get that right by following the stock photography trends, and you’ll see the money rolling in.

How to Take Stock Photos: A Complete Guide

Trevor Marshall — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:57:29 +0000

How to Take Stock Photos That Sell

Making money from stock photos can be a bit of a nightmare. There are so many options out there for picture editors. And it might seem that no-one wants to pay for images any more. But the good news is, that there is always a market for top-quality, topically-relevant images. And we’re here to help you to navigate your way to taking (and selling!) your photos.

Taking the Right Pictures

Stock photography is a great way to make money from your images. To maximize your income, it’s important to take photos that sell. Research current trends and what clients are looking for by searching online, checking magazines, trade newspapers, and attending trade shows.

Planning your shoot with a shot list will help you capture all the angles and scenarios you need. Dedicate time specifically for stock photography to ensure you get the best possible shots. Shoot with the end product in mind, considering how clients might use the image.

Only show your best work and cover a range of topics within your chosen field. Follow current trends to increase your chances of making sales. Adding keywords and descriptions to your images is vital so potential buyers can find them. Photos that sell well can provide a steady income stream for photographers who put in the time and effort.

The stock photo world covers all sorts of sectors © T P E Marshall

Selling

Selling stock photos can be a great way to make extra money from your photography. To get started, research what types of images are in demand and plan your shoots around popular concepts like business, lifestyle, and outdoor activities. Capture high-quality photos with perfect exposure, pleasing compositions, and natural-looking subjects.

After the shoot, edit your files and choose only the best images to market. Keep your photo library organized with programs like Lightroom or Capture One. You can also use Photoshop to create unique images that would be impossible to photograph in real life.

To sell your stock photos, you can join a stock photo agency or market them yourself. Agencies handle hosting, marketing, and sales, but take a percentage of each sale. If you sell on your own, create a website or use a platform like Photoshelter to showcase your work. Set your pricing based on licensing models like Rights Managed or Royalty Free. With focus and planning, you can turn your stock photography into a profitable business. If you’d like to learn more about selling stock photos, there are many helpful resources available.

Business Tips

To improve your stock photography business, consider licensing your images through premium stock agencies like Shutterstock and Adobe. While you may sell fewer photos, you’ll earn more per sale compared to microstock agencies. Premium agencies have higher standards, but your images don’t have to be exclusive.

Diversifying your stock offerings is key to making money. Work with multiple agencies to increase exposure and cross-submit to non-exclusive ones. Study the stock photography market to understand what types of images are in demand, and submit every viable photo from your shoots.

Use relevant keywords to help buyers find your images in large databases. Consistency is crucial, so make time to regularly shoot and submit new photos. Let your unique photography style shine to stand out from the crowd. You can also sell through your own website to keep all the profits, but remember to get model releases and treat your stock photography as a serious business.

Best Stock Photo Sites

To help you get an idea of the types of images that sell, check out the most popular stock photo sites. They are a great resource for finding high-quality images quickly. They have a range of photos for website, document, or creative project needs.

Shutterstock is one of the largest stock photo sites with over a billion images. iStock by Getty Images also offers a wide selection of professional photos, illustrations, and videos. For those on a budget, free stock photo sites like Unsplash and Pexels provide beautiful images at no cost.

We’ve reviewed the most popular stock photo sites to help you check them out.

Becoming Profitable

Selling stock photos can be a profitable way to make money as a photographer. To get started, create a portfolio of your best images that are likely to sell well. Focus on capturing photos that are in demand, such as popular travel destinations, rather than just what you enjoy shooting.

Choose the right stock agency to represent your work. Research their commission rates, submission process, and the types of photos they sell. Make sure your images are a good fit for their collection.

When submitting your photos, include only your best work. Check every image at 100% for technical issues like dust, chromatic aberration, and sharpness. Add relevant keywords and metadata to help potential buyers find your images.

Building a successful stock photography business takes time. Continuously work on selling stock photos and stay up to date with trends in your genre to maximize your sales.

Shutterstock

Shutterstock is a popular stock photography website where photographers can sell their photos. To become a Shutterstock contributor, you need to create a free account and upload your photos. The photos must be JPEGs that are at least 4 megapixels in size.

Once uploaded, add details to your photos like the image type, description, and keywords. This helps customers find your photos more easily. Shutterstock pays contributors a percentage of each photo’s sale price, ranging from 15-40% depending on how many photos you sell per year.

You can track your earnings and see which photos are selling well. To become a shutterstock contributor, focus on creating a large, diverse portfolio of high-quality, well-edited photos. Use Shutterstock’s contributor resources to stay on top of trends and give your photos the best chance of selling.

Travel Photos

Selling your travel photos can be a great way to make money with your photography. To get started, make sure your photos are high-quality and error-free. They should be well-lit, beautifully composed, and better than what already exists.

There are many ways to sell your travel photos, such as through stock photography agencies, directly to clients, or as prints. Choose the method that aligns with your goals and the types of photos you capture.

Actively promoting your work is key to maximizing sales. Use social media, email lists, and collaborations with stock agencies to market your photos. Keep in mind that the destinations you want to visit may not always be the ones that sell well. To learn more about how to sell travel photos, check out this in-depth guide.

What Equipment Do You Need?

Different stock picture agencies will have different requirements. But in general you will need a good quality camera to meet their specifications. The key is to buy wisely, and expand your gear as you are able. Then you can increase the range of niches you can shoot.

Camera, Lenses, and Accessories

To take great stock photos, you need the right equipment. A high-quality camera is essential. Look for a DSLR or mirrorless camera that meets the requirements of stock agencies.

The lens you choose is just as important as the camera. Wide-angle lenses are great for landscapes and interiors. Telephoto lenses work well for wildlife and sports. And macro lenses are perfect for food photography.

Lighting equipment is a must for indoor studio shoots. Options include studio strobes, continuous lights, and flashes. Accessories like tripods, filters, and reflectors are also useful. Build up your collection over time as you need them. And don’t forget about props to add interest to your shots. If you want to learn more about stock photography equipment, there are many great resources available.

Best Sellers, What to Avoid, and FAQs

If you want to dip your toe in the water, then what are the best places to start? We’ve looked at some best-selling stock photo ideas, and some you really should avoid. We have also chosen some FAQs to answer your queries too.

Top Sellers

We’ve gathered together 20 of the best-selling stock photo themes to inspire your next photography project:

They range from modern aging, which shows older people staying active and adapting to new trends, to DIY projects like baking bread or growing herbs. Mental health awareness and time spent in nature are also in demand.

Wanderlust is back as people travel more. Environmental consciousness and sustainability are important trends. Buyers want real-looking models, not photoshopped perfection. Social responsibility and mindfulness are respected behaviors.

Healthy food alternatives are here to stay. Home office setups with houseplants are a hit. Moving images like cinemagraphs and stop-motion are trending. These are just some of the trends that can point you in the right direction.

Quality photos that tell stories and connect to what’s important never go out of style. Adding your own personality can make your stock photos stand out. If you’re interested in selling stock photos, these themes are a great place to start.

Ones to Avoid

There are many types of stock photos to avoid using. Over-exaggerated emotions and unnatural activities in strange settings look funny and make it hard for people to connect with the subjects. Low-quality or poorly edited images will make your business look bad.

Instead, use high-quality images that are timeless and can’t be outdated by the changing world. Avoid cliches, stereotypes, and outdated references that might even offend your customers. Focus on organic and natural-looking photos that tell your story.

If you want to learn more about the bad stock photos to avoid using, there is a lot of helpful information available.

FAQs

What are stock photos? You’ll find answers to this and other questions in our article. You can find stock photos of nearly any subject to illustrate websites and publications.

Stock photography agencies have vast catalogs of images online. Photographers contribute their work to the catalog voluntarily. The agencies then make the photos available for people to use on their websites, blogs, and publications.

Using stock photos is much easier and cheaper than hiring a photographer. Stock photo companies have already handled the legal aspects, so you can use the images without worrying about copyright issues. If you want to learn more about what stock photos are, there are great resources available with further information.

15 Best Places to Sell Photos Online (Sell Your Photos 2024)

Trevor Marshall — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 07:12:57 +0000

Selling photos online is one way of making money as a photographer. Whether you sell stock images or printed photographs, selling online can prove to be a reliable revenue stream. Being a professional photographer isn’t easy, so finding the best platform for online selling can give you business a big step up.

In this article, we look at 20 of the best places to sell photos online. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of each platform. And we’ll provide tips on making the most of each one. Finding ways to sell your photos is essential for building a successful photography business.

Our Top 3 Choices for Selling Photos Online

Picfair

SmugMug

Alamy

What Are the Best Places to Sell Photos Online?

Starting a business taking portraits or covering weddings can be fun. But but clients and paid gigs can be inconsistent and fleeting. But if you set up a platform for selling photos online, you can create an evergreen source of income.

There are plenty of options out there. The most popular ones are stock photo agencies. There are also a few websites where you can sell your pictures directly to clients or even as artwork.

Stock photography sites are significant in two ways. First, stock websites sell your work for you. After you upload the photos, all you have to do is sit back and watch your profits grow.

But apart from helping you sell photos online, stock photo agencies also provide information on current stock photo trends. In other words, they give you ideas and hints on what images will likely make you money.

The problem with these sites is they provide a lot of content, which grows every minute. That means your photos compete with millions of other options on the internet.

Another downside is that it can take a long time to edit and work on images to upload. Stock photo websites have strict guidelines when selling photos online. You must follow plenty of rules around the quality and information needed for every image.

We’ve also included other types of photo selling websites, like those dedicated to selling art by independent artists. The downside is that these sites cover all types of art, not just photography. But it means you can sell the work you love to make, not only photos that relate to popular stock niches.

Before we look at our recommendations in more detail, here’s a summary of our top picks.

Our Top Pick

Picfair

Set your own prices
Payments are handled by Picfair
Use your own custom domain name

Best Portfolio Platform

SmugMug

Works well as a photographer's portfolio website
Set your own prices for your work
You get to keep 85% of the sale price

Best for Non-Exclusive Commissions

Alamy

50% royalty payments
More than 60 million photos
Non-exclusive contracts

Best Standard Stock Site

iStock Stock Photos

Part of Getty Images
Up to 45% royalties
High recognition for increased traffic

Best Integrated eCommerse

ShootProof

Wide range of portfolio templates with customizable options
Excellent eCommerce tools with automated invoicing
Integrated print selling options

Best for Videos

Shutterstock Stock Photos

More than 91 million videos
In excess of 184 million pictures
Up to 30% royalties

Best Shopfront

Etsy

World's largest online marketplace for creatives
More than 30 million users
You keep 96.5% of the sale price

Best Creative Space

Canva

Very popular design platform
Allows users to upload and sell their images
Always evolving with new features

Multimedia Creators

Zenfolio

Excellent security with watermarks and password-protected galleries
Displays images, videos, and other media
Integrated eCommerce and print selling programs

Best for Integration

Adobe Stock

Works seamlessly with the Adobe Creative Cloud
Immediate royalty payments
Used by more than four million buyers

Best for Artistic Photography Work

Artfinder

Sells art of all kinds from independent artists
Full control over your online store
Seller forum for sharing information and strategies

Best for Self-Curating

Dreamstime Stock Photos

Royalties up to 49.5%
Self-curated content
Excellent starting package

Best for Selling to Multiple Sites

Wirestock

Sell to multiple stock sites quickly and easily
Automatically handles keywords and captioning
Simple to use

Best Instagram Integration

Instaproofs

Easily upload your images from your Instagram account
$10 a month lets you keep 100% of the sale price
Free plan takes 12% commission

Best Print-on-Demand Option

Fine Art America

Printing and shipping handled by the site
You set your prices
You keep 35% of the sale price

The Best Places to Sell Photos Online

Let’s look in more detail at the best places to sell your photos online.

1. Picfair

Service Offered	Service Offered Stock photo site
Key Features	Key Features Direct selling to clients
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for a quick and easy way of selling their photos

Picfair is our top recommendation to photographers looking to sell photographs online. It’s one of the most popular platforms for photographers, and with good reason. The account is easy to set up and use, the portfolios look professional, and Picfair helps you out with invoicing and accounting.

Picfair allows you to upload as many as 10,000 images and sell them through their systems. The platform gives you your own site where you can create different portfolios and galleries, allowing you to display your work in a professional way.

You set your own prices on your work, and Picfair doesn’t add any extra or hidden prices. They also don’t take a commission from your sales, so all the money goes straight in your pocket.

Handling money and organizing earnings is one of the most stressful parts of being a professional photographer. But Picfair makes that part of the business super easy.

Picfair handles all payment processing, streamlining the transfer so it goes directly into one of your financial accounts. UK users can have the money sent directly to their bank account, while international users can use apps PayPal and Wise.

If you’re worried about theft, Picfair take security very seriously. Their platform is completely secure, and they add watermarks automatically so viewers can steal you images. And don’t fear, the watermarks only appear on the images when being viewed by website visitors. They don’t touch the original image and buyers get a clean version.

Their photo licensing rules favor photographers, so you know they have your interests at heart. They provide you with all the licensing information you need, so it’s totally transparent. There’s also no exclusivity agreement with Picfair, so you can publish, promote, and sell your images on other sites too.

We mentioned that Picfair doesn’t take a cut of your sales revenue, which is true, but users do have to pay a subscription fee. All the plans are reasonably priced, but it does mean you can make a loss if you don’t sell any pictures. Thankfully, they have plenty of advisory material to help you sell more photos.

2. Smugmug

Service Offered	Service Offered Portfolio site
Key Features	Key Features Simply choose your website design and add sales functionality
Best For	Best For Photographers who want to add photo sales to their portfolio

SmugMug is an excellent site for those photographers with an entrepreneurial mindset. It allows you to create a professional portfolio to display and sell your work, making it a central hub for your photography business.

They don’t offer the biggest selection of templates portfolios, but what they do have is excellent. Sleek, professional designs give you an impressive store font presents your work in its best light.

There’s no limit to the number of JPEG images you can store, allowing you to display all your best work. RAW file storage, however, is an additional extra you need to purchase.

They provide guidance on pricing your work, but you have final say on how much you charge. You need to bear in mind that SmugMug takes a 15% commission on all sales through the platform, so that might influence your prices.

Integrated payment systems for the likes of Paypal make the financial side of the business super easy. There are no credit card processing fees, and tax calculations and receipts are generated automatically.

You can also sell prints as well as digital images, and the printing services are integrated into your account. The number of printing services available depends on your location, but the streamlined process gives you more options for making money from photo sales. Shipment and delivery are also taken care of.

The 24/7 support channels are a godsend, especially when you’re setting up your account. Both phone and chat are manned by real people, so you always get the answers you need.

SmugMug makes it easy to run a photography business. Your account becomes a portfolio, a sales hub, an accounting center, and a creative community.

Check out our full SmugMug Review if you want to learn more.

3. Alamy

Service offered	Service offered Stock photo site
Key Features	Key Features More than 60 million images
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for generous royalty payments

Alamy is a British stock photography website that was started in 1999. To date, it has over 60 million photos and videos. There is a reason for this tremendous amount of content. And it’s partly because of the 50% royalty payment on each photograph it sells.

Despite the large commissions, exclusivity agreements are optional, so you can still sell the same images on different platforms. That’s why this is one of the first choices for selling photos online.

And they don’t just accept images. You can also upload stock video footage to help broaden your appeal and generate more sales. Their catalog is extensive, and they have curated galleries to help users find what they need.

Alamy doesn’t make any changes to your work once the images are uploaded, and the copyright stays with you. You still own the work even if you have an (optional) exclusive agreement. The platform is also completely secure, so no one can steal your work from their platform without paying.

Alamy‘s pro-creator attitude influences its ban on AI-generated images and videos. Everything on their site has been created by a real-life artist, which is great news for sellers and buyers.

4. iStock Stock Photos

Service Offered	Service Offered Stock photo site
Key Features	Key Features 15-45% royalties
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for a comprehensive, high-traffic site

iStock photo is Getty Images’ microstock branch. It’s a great place to sell stock photos if you are starting because it’s a well-known site with millions of users all looking for stock images and content to illustrate their media.

iStock has a massive library, which means you work can get drowned out. But with the right research, you can find popular yet under-represented niches.

iStock also includes popular forums and resources that help you understand how to sell photos online. This information is especially useful if this if you’re first experience selling stock images.

The royalty payment starts at 15% per download. It can increase to 45%, depending on how popular your photos are. If a customer purchases an image using their subscription credits, you only receive 15%.

If you are into exclusivity, iStock Photo will give you 22 to 45%. This rate works on a contract with a 30-day notice period.

You never have to work about your work being stolen or used illegitimately. iStock has excellent security and no one can use your images without making a purchase first. They also use temporary watermarks in the viewer, so people can’t screenshot the images and use them illegally.

5. ShootProof

Service Offered	Service Offered All-in-one photography business tool
Key Features	Key Features Website templates and integrated sales features
Best For	Best For Photographers looking for a bright, stylish website to sell their photos

ShootProof is another platform that works as a central hub for your online photography business. It’s a portfolio website with galleries to display your best images. It’s a sales platform that allows viewers to buy your work. It also offers file storage and invoicing and accounting support.

The galleries and portfolios are simple yet stylish, and you have options to customize the templates to make them more personal and unique. You can also make password-protected galleries for specific clients, allowing you to share your work privately and securely.

The platform provides contract templates with personalized logos, which is a big help if you’re new to the legalities of professional photography. These include model and property release forms, which can be a pain when you’re starting out. You can also upload contract templates if you already have your own.

eCommerce is simple with ShootProof. You can set prices, create pricing packages and bundles, and arrange discounts. They also help you sell prints of your images, working with several US-based and European printing companies.

ShootProof offers several subscription plans. They are all reasonably priced, so it’s a case of finding the plan that matches the needs of your business at this time. You can also upgrade at a later date if business picks up.

Read our full ShootProof review for more information.

6. Shutterstock Stock Photos

Service Offered	Service Offered Stock photo site
Key Features	Key Features Huge repository and non-exclusive use
Best For	Best For Anyone looking to sell their photos in several locations

Shutterstock houses 184 million images and 91 million videos. They have been enjoying steady growth in sales since its founding in 2003. In 2017, people downloaded 172,000,000 images from this website.

Uploading to the marketplace will net you up to 30% of the sale price of your image. This percentage depends on the size of your image, with payouts falling between $0.25 and $28.

The best thing is that you keep the copyright. So you can still sell the images elsewhere.

7. Etsy

Service Offered	Service Offered Storefront
Key Features	Key Features Set up your own store to sell your images
Best For	Best For Anyone looking to sell directly with full control over prices

Etsy is the biggest marketplace on the internet for handmade products. The items you can sell can be physical prints or digital photography downloads. Most of the products are unique. And many are one-off items the creators won’t make again.

With over 30 million users, Etsy is a great platform to sell your photos.

You can also recreate your brand on Etsy. You set the price for your images and even design a page that best displays your photos.

Etsy keeps 20 cents for each product you upload and 3.5% of the sale price. Selling items here can be a challenge. But they offer a helpful handbook to teach you all about branding and marketing. The information they share includes how to price your items, how to sell your photos, and how to succeed.

8. Canva

Service Offered	Service Offered Design website
Key Features	Key Features Sell your images to Canva users in their designs
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for an extra outlet for their photos

Canva is one of the most user-friendly graphic design editing platforms. It has drag-and-drop features that allow anyone to create anything from posters to Instagram Story animations.

A lot of the graphics and photos that Canva offers are free. But they also sell other services, including stock photography.

Unlike some traditional stock photography agencies, this stock website makes it easy for people to buy pictures. Users have to drag and drop the photos. Then they click to purchase them to remove the watermark.

Canva’s ease of use means lots of potential to earn money. Many people don’t usually use stock agencies but regularly buy photos from the platform.

With millions of users, Canva continually expands and looks for new stock photos to sell. You can apply and post your stock photos on the website. But they also regularly ask their contributors to photograph custom projects for them.

9. Zenfolio

Service Offered	Service Offered Portfolio and eCommerce platform
Key Features	Key Features Hosts video media and has integrated eCommerce features
Best For	Best For Multimedia creators

Zenfolio is another fantastic portfolio and eCommerce platform for photographers. It’s easy to set up and use, streamlining many processes that can be a pain when running a photography business.

While the templates look fantastic, Zenfolio doesn’t have a wide selection, unlike some competitors. That’s not a problem if you want your work to speak for itself, but it is more difficult to make a truly unique portfolio.

Security is excellent, with Zenfolio adding in-viewer watermarks and preventing viewers from copying images without purchasing. You can also apply specific security settings to individual galleries.

Zenfolio is a great portfolio option for multimedia creators, as the platform allows you to host videos as well as images. They get the same security treatment as the images, and clients are able to download and redeem prepaid videos.

As an eCommerce platform, you can sell digital images and physical prints. Thanks to the embedded print partners, selling physical pictures is just as easy as selling digital files. Although, printing options are limited outside the USA.

The easy of use, reasonable pricing, and professional built-in features make Zenfolio a great option for selling photos online.

10. Adobe Stock

Service Offered	Service Offered Stock photo site
Key Features	Key Features Integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud
Best For	Best For Any Creative Cloud users

Adobe Stock (formerly Fotolia) is another microstock photography website. It represents over 57 million images. Adobe repurchased this site in 2014, integrating it into its Creative Cloud service. Here, you can receive royalties between 20 and 46%.

The best part about this site is that your royalties come immediately. Other sites wait until you reach a financial threshold or after 30 days.

Four million buyers use this site, so showing them your images is in your best interest.

11. Artfinder

Service Offered	Service Offered Platform for artists and artisans to sell their work online
Key Features	Key Features Self-managed curation
Best For	Best For Photographers wanting to sell prints outside of stock photography niches

Artfinder is one of the best website for independent artists to sell their work online. The site isn’t exclusive to photography. In fact, most of the sellers are not photographers, but Artfinder is becoming more and more popular with those selling photographs.

Artfinder has over 450,000 active users worldwide and is growing quickly. That means it has 450,000 potential buyers of your work. And all the users are art lovers. They aren’t businesses looking for stock images, which allows you to display and sell your passion projects, not just the in-demand niches.

Signing up and becoming a seller is completely free. You set your own prices and Artfinder provides you with performance stats and other handy insights to help your online store. They also give you tips on making attractive listings and attracting more buyers.

A sellers’ forum is another great feature, allowing you communicate with other artists on the platform. You can ask questions, find interesting insights, and make friends. It’s an open, positive, and support community of artists from all over the world.

There are no exclusivity agreements when listing your work on Artfinder. That means you can use Artfinder as one part of a bigger online sales strategy, incorporating several platforms to maximize exposure and sales.

12. Dreamstime Stock Photos

Service Offered	Service Offered Photo gallery site
Key Features	Key Features Self-managed curation
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for more control over how their images are presented

Like iStock and Shutterstock, this agency is a perfect starting point if you want to sell online photos. It’s user-friendly. And the requirements aren’t as strict as its rivals.

What makes Dreamstime different is that you get to create and curate your galleries. That way, you have more control over selling photos online. In that respect, you can think of this agency more as a hosting site.

But, of course, that doesn’t mean you can post just anything. Your submissions will still undergo screening to ensure you don’t violate the site rules. For instance, you can’t upload violent or copyrighted content. But if you follow all the guidelines, you can expect to make money once your images are online.

Your commissions start at 25% for a non-exclusive image and 27% for an exclusive option. But as you sell more photos, that can go up to 45% and 49.5%, respectively.

13. Wirestock

Service Offered	Service Offered Image syndication
Key Features	Key Features Lets you upload to multiple platforms easily
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for maximum reach for their images

Wirestock is a handy tool to help you sell your photos on multiple platforms. You can upload the images to Shutterstock, Depositphotos, and more… All at the same time! And all with just a few clicks of a button.

Another benefit of Wirestock is that the platform handles captioning and keywording. Your future sales and commissions depend on how easy it is to find your images. As well as how well the keywords capture their essence. Using Wirestock to take care of this tedious process is a real time-saver!

Wirestock allows creators to focus on creating instead of juggling multiple platforms.

14. Instaproofs

Service Offered	Service Offered Storefront
Key Features	Key Features Integrates simply with your Instagram account
Best For	Best For Selling images with interest generated via Instagram

Instaproofs is an online photo storefront. The “Insta” part of the name comes from the ease of taking images from your Instagram account to the website.

You define the print sizes and the price tags that come alongside them. The free account lets you create 15 galleries with a 3 GB storage capacity. The site will also take a 12% commission from your sales if you’re not a paying member.

But if you think it’s worth it, you can also subscribe for $10 per month. Doing so lets you sell images without commission, which helps if many people buy your photos.

15. Fine Art America

Service Offered	Service Offered Direct printing and sales
Key Features	Key Features Site handles all the sales, printing, and delivery
Best For	Best For Anyone looking to sell their printed images easily

Fine Art America is a print-on-demand site. That means they only print and ship your images when a buyer buys one. Their focus is on fine arts, such as photography and digital images of painting, etc.

You can set your prices on Fine Art America, and the website will add its markup. You keep 35% of the final price, and they get the other 65%. So if you demand $10 profit, they will price your piece at $47.

But it isn’t bad since you control how much you want to earn per image. Not to mention that you don’t need to print the photos yourself.

FAQs About the Best Places to Sell Photos Online

Here are answers to three questions we get asked about the most. We hope they help you decide where to sell your photos online.

Can I Build My Own Website?

Yes, absolutely. In fact, building your own website is one of the best ways to create an online portfolio and sales hub without fees and commissions.

There is nothing like selling your work on your own site. If you are tech-savvy, you can find a way to do this for “free” (not counting domain and hosting fees).

If you aren’t proficient in web design or programming, you can join Wix or Square Space. They do all the background work for you.

Once you set up your website, you can offer as many photos as you want! There is no fee or commission to pay third-party sites after each sale.

A quick Google search can help you find the best website builder. Then you can start selling your own high-quality photos.

It’s a great option if you get a lot of traffic to your site.

What Is the Difference Between Microstock vs Regular Stock Sites?

Microstock is a pretty new term in photography. It was born with the introduction of sites such as iStock and Shutterstock. Traditional stock agencies generally sell stock photography at a higher price. In contrast, microstock sites offer a low-cost alternative.

The average price that microstock photo sites sell ranges from a few cents to about $5. The photographer then receives a percentage of that sale price. These sites often offer monthly subscriptions to customers for several downloads a month.

Regular stock photography sites, on average, charge a higher price for photos. But it is not unusual for them to sell a photo for a few dollars. So while you may sell more photos on a microstock site, your average sale price will usually be higher on a traditional stock website.

What Is the Difference Between a Managed vs Unmanaged Stock Photo Site?

Some managed stock photography companies have an editor who reviews your photo submissions. And they select the photos that they will want to represent.

So the chosen photos then go through a quality control (QC) process. And this ensures they are good enough for that agency.

An unmanaged agency is one where all the photos you submit are accepted as long as they pass QC. For example, Alamy Stock Photo is an unmanaged stock photo site.

There are pros and cons to using either. The more photos you have online, the more chance of selling one. But on the flip side, the more photos the agency has on its site, the more yours will be lost amongst the crowd.

The other advantage of a managed stock site is that only your best photos will be on sale.

What Should I Look For in the Fine Print?

There are several details to look for. It’s important that after you choose the company that will sell your work, you read and understand the terms and conditions.

There will often be a minimum term that they will want the photo for. So if you decide to pull your images from one agency and move to another, it might be months, if not years, before you can.

You should also be clear on the exclusivity that the agency will need regarding your work. Some stock photography sites will allow you to send the same images to other sites. But some will want exclusive rights to the photos they accept.

That means you won’t be allowed to send those photos to other stock photography sites. This would include similar photos taken that are considered “sister images.”

The other important factor is the commission that you will receive. While one agency might sell your photos at a higher price, they may offer a lower commission.

This could range from 20% to 50% or more. So ensure you check how much you will make from each sale.

Conclusion: Best Places to Sell Photos Online

Stock photography websites are perfect because they take the workload off your shoulders. You can make money just by sharing your portfolio. You can try all the websites we mentioned in this article. Most of them are non-exclusive, so you can add the same image to different platforms and widen your audience.

Non-stock websites will make you more money per image. But they may need more work. For instance, Etsy requires that you print and ship the photos yourself. That process takes time, effort, and energy. But if you stick with it, the long-term payout can be better than stock photography.

So which is the best site to sell photos? We think Picfair is the best choice for selling photos online. This is due to its extensive and varied customer base and worldwide presence. It also has a user-friendly eCommerce features that streamline the accounting process.

Our Top 3 Choices for Selling Photos Online

Picfair

SmugMug

Alamy

How to Become a Shutterstock Contributor (Sell Your Photos)

Christopher Bryan-Smith — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 08:00:34 +0000

Becoming a Shutterstock contributor is a great way to supplement your income. It isn’t easy making a living as a photographer. We’re all trying to build our brand and find new sources of income. But Shutterstock allows photographers and other creatives to make some extra money.
We’ll show you how to sell photos on Shutterstock as a Shutterstock contributor. We’ll help you get started on the platform. And we have all the pricing and licensing info so you can sign up with confidence. It’s worth noting now that Shutterstock isn’t a career opportunity. But many photographers use Shutterstock to make a few bucks on the side.

What is a Shutterstock Contributor?

Shutterstock is an online stock photography resource. The website has millions of images members can use. Shutterstock subscribers can download stock photos and use them for their own media. They can use them for websites, blogs, marketing material, and print media.
Shutterstock doesn’t only supply stock photos. Their catalog includes videos, illustrations, 3D images, and animations. It’s a one-stop shop for anyone looking to decorate their website with professional artistic content. Shutterstock has become a vital resource for thousands of outlets around the world.
Shutterstock is one of the biggest stock photo websites online. Millions of people are signed up to Shutterstock. They’re creative people all over the world. And Shutterstock brings these people together into a global community.
There are two types of Shutterstock accounts. The first is the Shutterstock Customer account. This type of account is for people looking to source and buy stock photos and media. The other is the Shutterstock Contributor account. That’s what we’ll focus on here.

What is a Shutterstock Contributor?

The Shutterstock Contributor accounts make up the creative side of the Shutterstock community. Contributors submit images to the Shutterstock platform. They contribute to the Shutterstock photo library where customers can find the images they want.
Shutterstock has an active customer base. And the customers download the stock photos they want from the library. But media isn’t free. Customers need to pay for the service. Some customers have a monthly subscription that allows them to use a certain number of photos per month. And others use a pay-as-you-go service and pay for each photo individually.
The fact that customers pay for the photos they use means contributors get paid. We’ll get into the pricing specifics later. But it’s good to know a Shutterstock contributor sees a reward when their images are used. That’s why Shutterstock is a creative way to sell photos online.
Free stock websites offer their contributors more exposure. And they serve as a shop window for potential customers. While that is enough for some, Shutterstock pays their contributors when customers download their work. That gives you a tangible reward for the work you do.

Creating a Shutterstock Contributor Account

Signing up as a Shutterstock Contributor is easy. And it’s completely free. There’s no sign-up fee. And you don’t need to pay anything to upload and submit images. All you need to do is enter your name, display name, and email address. Once the email has been verified, you’re in.

Uploading Photos

There’s no limit on how many photos you can upload. But there are a few technical restrictions on the media you submit. Stock photos need to be JPEG files. You can’t upload RAW files. And they need to be at least 4 megapixels in size. The maximum file size for photos is 50 MP.
You can also upload videos and vector images. Videos need to be MOV or MP4 files. And they have to be between 5 and 60 seconds long. Vector images should be EPS files compatible with Adobe Illustrator versions 8 or 10.
This can be slightly confusing at first. Megapixels (MP) are different from megabytes (MB). MP refers to the dimension, while MB refers to the file size. Here’s a section from their website to help explain.
For example:

2000 x 2400 pixels = 4.8 Megapixels. A file of this size is acceptable.
1200 x 3000 pixels = 3.6 Megapixels. This is smaller than our minimum size requirement, and this file will not be accepted by our system.

Adding Details to Stock Photos

Once you’ve uploaded a stock photo or two, you can add details. The image details help Shutterstock catalog your work correctly. Your photos will then be in the right place in the library, making it easier for customers to find your best photos.
You can select the image type. The two options are Photo or Illustration. And you can select the usage—either Commercial or Editorial. We’ll look at usage agreements in more detail below.
You can free-type a description of each image. And you can select two categories. There are plenty of categories to choose from, including wildlife, landmarks, food, education, and people.
Then you can add keywords to help users find your stock photography. The Shutterstock bot gives you a list of suggested keywords. It’s good at selecting relevant keywords. And you can select your own manually if you need more. You can add up to 50 keywords to a single image.
You need to add the detail for each stock photo individually. This is time-consuming. But taking the time now means you’ll reap more rewards in the future. Customers will be able to find your work more easily. And that means more sales. There’s also a multi-select tool to speed things up.
Once you’ve added all the detail to your stock photos, you can submit them for review. This can take up to five days. But in our experience, you won’t wait much more than a day or two.

How Much Money Do Shutterstock Contributors Make?

While you don’t get any money if your photos are viewed, you do get paid for every stock photo download. There’s no fixed rate for downloaded photos. The amount you get paid per image depends on how many photos you sell. The more photos you sell, the more money you receive for each photo.
The minimum payout amount is 15% of the photo’s sale price. You receive this amount if you sell fewer than 100 photos in year. That goes up to 20% if you sell between 101 and 250 photos yearly. This gradually increases until you reach the top level, where you’ll receive a 40% payout for every stock photo sold. But you must sell more than 25,000 photos per year to make the top level.
As Shutterstock pays a percentage of the sale to the contributors, we can’t give you an exact amount you’ll receive. The price of stock photography varies on their website. And the price can also depend on the type of licence the photos have.

When and How Do Contributors Get Paid?

A Shutterstock contributor gets paid at the end of every month. But only if they reach the minimum payout amount of $35. The amount isn’t lost if you don’t make enough in one month. It stays in your Shutterstock account until you reach the minimum payout target.
Checking the money in your Shutterstock account is easy. You can link your Shutterstock Contributor account to your PayPal, Payoneer, or Skrill accounts. We hope they’ll expand the compatibility to include Tranferwise and other payment services.

Tracking Your Earnings

You can easily track your earnings on your Shutterstock account. Not only can you see how much money you’re making, you can also see which photos are selling well. You can even see where in the world people are buying your stock photos. That’s not very helpful for business. But it’s cool to see where you’re popular.
You can view the details of your earnings. You can view sales for the month. Or you can monitor the entire sales history. The site breaks it down so you can find all the information you need. This is very useful if you’re self-employed.
You can see your top performers. This shows your most downloaded photos. It’s nice to see which photos are popular. But it can also help you develop a sales strategy. You can see the type of images people are looking for and using. Then you can upload more images in that style or on those themes.
Shutterstock only shows you their Shot List. It’s a monthly guide that reveals their most requested content. You can take inspiration from this, creating stock photography to suit the trends. And you’ll be able to predict new trends as your portfolio grows.

Images Uses and Licenses

Shutterstock releases images with two types of licenses. There’s the Standard license and the Enhanced license. The standard license allows customers to use the images for editorial purposes. That includes decorating websites or blogs. And buyers can use them in news articles and other publications. They can’t be used for advertising.
The Enhanced License allows the buyer to use the image for sales and marketing purposes. That means buyers can use the stock photos for advertising. Customers pay more for images with enhanced licenses. And that means the contributors also make more money.
Before listing your stock photography with an Enhanced license, you need to consider a few things. You can’t use a person’s likeness in adverts without their permission. If your image includes people, every recognizable person in the image needs to complete a model release form. Models under 18 also need a minor release form.
You also have to be careful with brand names and other copyrighted properties when you sell photos. You need a property release form from the owner of the property.
Advertising is a tricky business. But thankfully, Shutterstock has everything you need to navigate these rough waters. You can download all the necessary release forms from their website.

The Shutterstock Contributor App

The Shutterstock Contributor app gives you full control of your account from your smartphone. You can upload and submit images from anywhere. And you can monitor sales and performance on the go.
You can upload photos you take on your phone. That allows you to update your portfolio constantly. It’s perfect if you’re traveling or you spot something on your way to work. You can edit it on your phone with Lightroom Mobile. And then you can upload the photo using the Shutterstock Contributor app. It gives you more control and makes your life easier.

How to Make Money as a Shutterstock Contributor

Making money as a Shutterstock contributor isn’t easy, especially if you want to make a lot. You’re competing against other contributors. And they’re all trying to sell photos too. With thousands of Shutterstock Contributors, it can be difficult to get your work noticed. But here are some tips.

Create a Big Portfolio

The bigger the better when it comes to your Shutterstock portfolio. You can’t rely on a couple of your best photos. Create content with a broad set of subjects and themes. Don’t just take photos of flowers or cars. Expand your repertoire. You’ll become a better photographer too.

Edit Your Photos

Editing your photos will help you sell photos. Use editing tools like Adobe Lightroom or Luminar Neo to make your photos stand out. You don’t need to go crazy. But adding a filter or preset can make a huge difference. Buyers want a finished image. They don’t want something they need to edit themselves.

Be Professional When You Upload Stock Photos

Take the uploading process seriously. Take your time to add keywords, descriptions, and categories. It helps customers find your work on a busy stock photography site. People don’t want to scroll for hours to find what they want. With the right keywords, they’ll be able to find your uploads in no time.

Use the Shutterstock Contributor Resources

Use the Top Performers page to evaluate your uploads. What type of images are selling? And which photos aren’t doing so well? Look at the evidence and create a strategy targeting certain audiences.
You can also use the Shot List monthly release. Look at it every month to see the current trends. After a few months, you’ll be able to predict future trends. You’ll be one step ahead of the other contributors.

Should You Become a Shutterstock Contributor?

The short answer is yes. Shutterstock is an excellent stock photography website with one of the biggest image libraries in the world. Users are buying millions of stock photos every week. And there’s no reason they can’t be buying your stock photos. You’ll get more exposure as an artist. But you’ll also receive a financial reward.
Becoming a Shutterstock contributor is the perfect side hustle for a motivated photographer. It’s a great way to supplement your income. But don’t get over-excited. You have to work at it. And it might be some time before you see the big bucks coming your way.
Can you make money on Shutterstock? Yes, you can make money. But you can’t make a living. At least not for a long time. You don’t get much for each sale when you sell photos on Shutterstock. You need to sell a lot of photos to make substantial amounts of money.
Being a Shutterstock Contributor should be your side project. Don’t quit your day job.

13 Best Paid & Free Image Hosting Sites in 2024

Nick Constant — Sun, 21 Aug 2022 15:00:48 +0000

Paid or free image hosting sites are a blessing to any photographer. You can use these websites to easily share your images or provide a backup for some of your favorite ones. There are plenty of image hosting sites. But they all offer different features. So choosing the right image hosting site for you isn’t always easy.

We’ll take you through 13 of the best free image hosting sites. We compare what they offer and look at the features that make each site helpful for photographers. By the end of this article, you will have plenty of information to decide on the best free image hosting site.

Our Top 3 Choices for Free Image Hosting

SmugMug

Amazon Prints

Wix

Why You Need to Consider Paid or Free Image Hosting

Image hosting is vital for all photographers. Whether you’re a professional photographer or an enthusiastic hobbyist, it doesn’t matter. Data loss because of a hardware malfunction is painful and frustrating.

There’s a saying that it’s not a question of if your hard drive will fail, but when. The solution to this is image hosting.

Having your photos stored in a cloud service gives you that extra assurance. If something happens to your computer, you won’t lose your photos.

Uploading your images to the cloud also frees up space on your computer, allowing it to work faster. And finally, your images are available across devices. You can share pictures with family and friends and access them anywhere, at any time.

13 Best Paid and Free Image Hosting Websites

Here are our top 13 picks. We list the file size limits for images, supported file types, editing tools, and if they have paid options.

Our Top Pick

SmugMug

A range of free and paid plans
Large 3 GB file size limit
Unlimited space available
Editing tools included

Best for Prime Subscribers

Amazon Prints

Comprehensive list of compatible files
Generous 2 GB maximum file size
Editing tools included
Paid plans up to 2 TB storage

Best Website Builder Option

Wix

Excellent range of templates
Very user-friendly site
No coding required
Up to unlimited storage space available

Best for Cross-Platform Sharing

Dropbox

Huge 2 TB maximum file size
Apps available for Mac, iOS, PC and Android
Up to 5 TB paid storage
Very flexible storage arrangements

Best for Google Workspace Users

Google Photo Prints

Up to 200 MB image size
Editing tools included
15 GB of free storage
Cross-platform compatibility

Best for Social Networking

Flickr

Free storage for up to 1,000 items
200 MB maximum image size
Comes with editing and sharing tools
Unlimited storage with paid plans

Best for Showcasing Images

500px

Up to 21 free uploads per week
50 MB maximum image size
Editing tools are included
Follow other photographers' portfolios

Best for Free Unlimited Storage

ImgBB

Unlimited storage even on free plans
32 MB maximum image size on free plans
Comes with editing tools
Simple drag-and-drop upload process

Best Option for Reddit Users

Imgur

Unlimited storage
Maximum 20 MB image size
Upload up to 50 images per hour
Good range of compatible file types

Best for Easy Image Resizing

PostImage

Up to 24 MB file size in free plan
Unlimited storage
Tailored resizing for different uses
Editing tools included

Best Option for Pinterest Users

ImageShack

Up to 10 GB storage on a free trial
Comes with editing tools
25 MB maximum file size
Unlimited storage space

Easiest to Use

imgbox

Unlimited storage space
Maximum 10 MB image size
Free to use
Simple drag-and-drop uploads

Best for Remote Uploading

Uploads.im

Unlimited storage space
Good range of compatible file types
10 MB maximum file size
Easy Pinterest and X (Twitter) sharing

1. SmugMug

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 3 GB
Supported File Types	Supported File Types RAW, JPEG, GIF, PNG, HEIC
Storage Space	Storage Space Unlimited except RAW (512 GB, 1+ TB plans)
Editing Tools	Editing Tools Yes
Options	Options Free 14-day trial, monthly and yearly paid plans
Best For	Best For Photographers wanting a website and storage solution

SmugMug is one of the most popular platforms for photographers. It’s a great site to display your photos and sell prints and other products.

No one who takes photos is left behind. There are features for everyone, whether you are a pro, an enthusiast, or a “memory maker.”

The basic plan is relatively cheap, and you can pay an annual subscription. This gets you the secure photo storage that you need.

You get more storage and increased features with the pricier plans. These include the ability to create a customizable portfolio site with your own domain. There are 21 design options. And there are editing tools that allow you to tweak the templates.

They have also introduced RAW file storage services. You can pay for RAW file storage starting at 512 GB. Plus, they have plugins for Adobe Lightroom and Capture One. And there are apps for mobile and desktop for easy organization.

Another bonus of SmugMug is that you can set up an eCommerce store to sell prints or photos. And sharing on social media is also an option. You can try SmugMug with a 14-day free trial.

2. Amazon Prime Photos

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 2 GB
Supported File Types	Supported File Types RAW, JPEG, PNG, GIF+
Storage Space	Storage Space 5 GB, 100 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Editing Tools	Editing Tools Yes
Options	Options Free with Amazon Prime membership, paid storage upgrades
Best For	Best For Anyone with an Amazon Prime subscription

Prime Photos is Amazon’s photo storage solution, available free for Prime members. You can store and share unlimited high-resolution photos on your desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. And it includes 5 GB of storage for videos. The full list of compatible file types is quite extensive.

The service also lets you order photo prints, cards, custom wall decor, and other products. And it includes free shipping.

With a Prime membership, you can invite up to five people to receive unlimited photo storage. With “groups,” you can share images with anyone, even if they’re not a Prime member.

You can use iOS or Android mobile apps to auto-save your photos. Then safely delete them from your phone to free up space on your device. As with the other options, you can pay to upgrade Prime Photos to a complete suite of services.

3. Wix

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 25 MB
Supported File Types	Supported File Types JPEG, PNG, GIF+, and others
Storage Space	Storage Space 500 MB (free), 2 GB, 50 GB, 100 GB, Unlimited (paid)
Editing Tools	Editing Tools No
Options	Options Free and monthly paid plans
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for a combined website builder and image storing solution

Wix is well known for being one of the biggest website hosting platforms on the internet. They have been around for many years. And they have solidified themselves as an easy-to-use, cheap way to have a professional website. But you can also use Wix for free image hosting.

It doesn’t offer a fully dedicated service specifically tailored for free image hosting. Instead, you have to set up a website with Wix in a way that shares your photos easily. This is both a negative and a positive, depending on why and how you share your photos.

It’s negative because you must spend time setting up and organizing an efficient way to present your images. But this isn’t too much of an issue because Wix provides many great website templates.

It’s a positive because you get to share images exactly how you want to present them. This could be particularly useful for people who want to share their work as a portfolio.

Wix allows you to upload in JPEGs and PNGs with an image size limit of 25 MB.

4. Dropbox

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 2 TB (desktop and mobile)
Supported File Types	Supported File Types RAW, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, PDF, GIF, HEIC+
Storage Space	Storage Space 2 GB (free), 2 TB, 3 TB, 5 TB+ (paid)
Editing Tools	Editing Tools No
Options	Options Free and monthly paid plans
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for a comprehensive online storage solution

Dropbox is a simple and efficient way to store your photos. The best way to understand this platform is as a virtual box where you can “drop” your photos. They’re saved in the cloud and available for you to access anytime.

You can also upload images from your computer to Dropbox as you would with any other files. Or you can upload them from its Android and iOS apps. File sizes are limited to 50 GB through the Dropbox website and 350 GB through the Dropbox API.

Dropbox supports a broad range of image files. You can organize your folders and sub-galleries and share links to individual files or folders. You can also sync your photos to a folder on your desktop.

Once photos are in the cloud, you can share the files directly with other Dropbox users. It also backs up photos automatically. So you don’t have to worry about losing data.

To share a photo, right-click on the image and then copy and paste the link to your desired sharing location. You can also share this link via email. Plus, your contacts or visitors can download your photos if you provide them with access.

Dropbox doesn’t provide specialized tools for photographers. But it’s an excellent option for storing original or edited versions of your photos. And Dropbox is free up to 2 GB of storage.

5. Google Photos

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 200 MB
Supported File Types	Supported File Types JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, HEIC, ICO, WEBP, and some RAW files
Storage Space	Storage Space 15 GB (free), 1 TB (Google Workspace), 100 GB, 200 GB, 2 TB (paid)
Editing Tools	Editing Tools Yes
Options	Options Free and monthly paid plans
Best For	Best For Google Workspace users

Google Photos is an excellent service for uploading high-quality images. And you can do so in large quantities, which many other sites don’t offer. The platform also offers automatic backups, unlimited space, and uploads.

You can store photos at a maximum resolution of 16 MP. Videos can have a maximum resolution of 1080p. To save a bigger image or video file, you must pay for space on Google Drive.

To get started, download the Google Photos app or go to Google Photos. You can automatically upload your photos and sync them with your Google account.

You can store images using your free 15 GB storage space from your Google account. Or you can pay for 100 GB, 200 GB, or 2 TB storage plans. You can upload JPEGs, PNGS, and GIF images, as well as some other file formats.

Google Photos provides an easy way to share and upload images. A lot of people have a Google account. So if you don’t want to create a new account on a different platform, this might be the photo-sharing platform for you.

6. Flickr

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 200 MB
Supported File Types	Supported File Types JPEG, PNG, GIF (non-animated)
Storage Space	Storage Space 1,000 items (free), Unlimited (paid)
Editing Tools	Editing Tools Yes
Options	Options Free, monthly, yearly, and two-year paid plans
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for good social media integrations

A lot of photographers have forgotten about Flickr. But it has been around for a long time, and it’s still trendy to use. Flickr offers free image hosting. And you can organize your images into albums and edit them from within the app.

One of the main draws of Flickr is social networking. You can share your photos with the community and join groups for different types of photography.

Photographers can mark their favorite images and also leave comments. And you can edit your privacy settings to control who sees your photos.

Flickr offers a large amount of storage and an interface that’s simple to use. You can upload up to 1,000 high-resolution images on their free plan.

If you upgrade to the Flickr Pro plan, you get unlimited storage, 6K photo display, and access to advanced statistics. You also receive discounts for SmugMug, Blurb, PHLEARN, and Priime.

7. 500px

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 50 MB
Supported File Types	Supported File Types JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, HEIC, TIFF
Storage Space	Storage Space 21 images per week (free), Unlimited (paid)
Editing Tools	Editing Tools Yes
Options	Options Free and monthly paid plans
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for online storage with easy sharing options

Created with professional photographers in mind, 500px offers a platform to display your images. The free version lets you upload 21 photos per week. But if you buy any of the membership options, you can upload unlimited photos. Plus, you’ll receive priority customer support.

The primary function of 500px is showcasing images, not social media sharing. And you can’t link to other sites.

The most significant benefits are displaying your photos and networking. You can share your pictures and make comments on other photos. You can also follow your favorite photographers.

You can build a profile on 500px and license your photos as stock photography. You’ll get paid up to 60% commission for any sales.

8. ImgBB

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 32 MB (free), 64 MB (paid)
Supported File Types	Supported File Types JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, WEBP, HEIC, PDF
Storage Space	Storage Space Unlimited
Editing Tools	Editing Tools Yes
Options	Options Free, monthly, yearly, and three-year paid plans
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for unlimited storage online

ImgBB is one of the best free image hosting sites because it’s easy to upload, organize, and share photos. It has a minimalist approach to its design. And I am a big fan of it. This simple layout makes it easy to identify and upload your images.

One of the best points about ImgBB is that it doesn’t restrict the number of images you can upload, even using its free service. You will get an image size restriction of 32 MB. But you can upload images up to 64 MB in the paid monthly plans.

Once your account is set up, you can drag and drop your files onto the page to upload images. Another strong point of ImgBB is the quick access to a range of links. These include direct links to a full-size image or thumbnail HTML links for integration with different sites.

I would say ImgBB is one of the best free image hosting sites on our list. You can read our review of ImgBB for more information.

9. Imgur

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 20 MB (non-animated)
Supported File Types	Supported File Types JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF+
Storage Space	Storage Space Unlimited, 50 images per hour
Editing Tools	Editing Tools No
Options	Options Free
Best For	Best For Anyone who wants unlimited online storage for free

With Imgur, you don’t have to worry about your photos expiring. You can also store as many images as you want. Plus, they have features to add captions to your photos or upload them via email.

Unlike some of the other image hosting options, Imgur allows direct linking. Each image can have a link posted in forums or embedded in HTML.

You can upload many different file formats to Imgur besides the standard ones like JPEG and PNG. These include BMP, TIFF, GIF, APNG, PDF, and XCF. It supports non-animated files up to 20 MB and GIFs up to 200 MB.

You can share your images on most social networking sites. Imgur is often used for uploads to Reddit.

10. PostImage

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 24 MB (free), 48 MB (paid)
Supported File Types	Supported File Types JPEG, PNG+
Storage Space	Storage Space Unlimited
Editing Tools	Editing Tools Yes
Options	Options Free, monthly, and yearly paid plans
Best For	Best For Anyone looking to tailor the size of their photos according to usage

PostImage is another free image hosting site that provides a simple way to send your photos over the web. My favorite feature of PostImage is when you upload photos. Before you even select your images, it gives you two options.

The first is to resize your image. PostImage has made this amazingly helpful by providing the resolution. It also tells you what these resolutions are best for. This ranges from a thumbnail to a 21-inch monitor.

The other option you get is to set an expiry date for your photo. You still have the option for no expiration. But having an expiry date could suit your needs, especially if you don’t want your images lurking around the web.

Apart from this initial resizing tool and the expiration date, PostImage has no other editing features. But you do get the opportunity to upload your photos in bulk.

The free version downscales “hot link” images to 1280 pixels. Their premium plan shows these images in their original resolution.

PostImage is a great free image hosting service if you want a simple, fast way to share your images. It’s specifically meant to share images on websites, blogs, message boards, and eBay.

11. ImageShack

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 25 MB
Supported File Types	Supported File Types JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF+
Storage Space	Storage Space 10 GB (free trial), Unlimited
Editing Tools	Editing Tools Yes
Options	Options 30-day free trial, monthly and yearly paid plans
Best For	Best For Pinterest users wanting online storage

ImageShack is another of the more familiar image hosting sites on our list. It may not be a free service anymore. But you do get a free 30-day trial. This may be beneficial for a particularly busy time when you have to use an image hosting site for a short period.

will prefer using this site as it has a similar layout. This layout style makes it extremely easy to quickly sift through large amounts of imagery.

ImageShack is now a primarily paid service. But you still get all the extra bells and whistles of an image hosting site during your free trial.

These features include great mobile app integration, image stats, and many photo editing methods. It even has a useful watermark option that can save you lots of time.

The ImageShack free trial allows you to upload up to 10 GB of images during that month. Paid versions have unlimited photo storage. Each image can have a maximum size of 25 MB. And you can upload all the major image formats. These include JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, and GIF.

12. ImgBox

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 10 MB
Supported File Types	Supported File Types JPEG, PNG, GIF
Storage Space	Storage Space Unlimited
Editing Tools	Editing Tools No
Options	Options Free
Best For	Best For Anyone looking for an easy-to-use online storage solution

ImgBox is a free, easy-to-use platform for sharing your images. This platform has unlimited storage space and lets you store your photos permanently. JPEGs, PNGs, and GIFs are all supported.

The platform offers several features. These include image galleries, drag-and-drop uploads, and direct links.

You don’t even need to create an account to upload your images. But having an account gives you the ability to access your photos later. It also allows you to upload your images quicker with preset settings.

You can even share your photos via social media and allow comments from others through ImgBox. You can learn about current social media image dimensions here.

13. Uploads.im

Image File Size Limit	Image File Size Limit 10 MB
Supported File Types	Supported File Types JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, PSD, PDF
Storage Space	Storage Space Unlimited
Editing Tools	Editing Tools No
Options	Options Free
Best For	Best For Anyone wanting to upload from remote websites

With Uploads.im, you can upload various image file types via their main page. You can upload directly from your computer by clicking the “local” button. Or you can click on the “remote” tab to upload from a URL.

This platform supports uploading several images at one time. The size limit for a single image is 10 MB. There are no restrictions on the number of image files you can upload. And images won’t be deleted after a certain amount of time.

You can share your image on Pinterest or Twitter or post it to a forum or blog with links and codes. And they also provide a hyperlink shortener.

Uploads.im isn’t your traditional image hosting site where you can easily view your images. But it can be useful if you only share images occasionally or need to share an image in a pinch.

Conclusion: Best Paid and Free Image Hosting Sites

These paid and free image hosting websites offer some great features. The file size and type of files you can upload determine how much you can utilize them. You also want to watch out for included editing tools that can be a huge time saver.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution that is perfect for everyone. You may need to use a couple of services that complement each other to meet all your image hosting needs. But after looking through our list, you should see what services will work best for you.

Our Top 3 Choices for Free Image Hosting

SmugMug

Amazon Prints

Wix

What Are Stock Photos? (9 Examples & How to Use Them)

Christopher Bryan-Smith — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 15:40:04 +0000

So, what are stock photos? And why are they so popular? Check out this guide for all the answers!

When it comes to photography, there are a lot of different types of photos that you can take. But one type of photo that is especially popular is the stock photo.

Quality and Variety

Depositphotos Stock Photos

Are you asking what stock photos are and how to use them properly? Check out this article for valuable information. And when you’re ready to start using stock photos, visit our store for a vast collection of high-quality images.

What Are Stock Photos?

Stock photos are images created by photographers that are available for use by others. They cover all types of photography with no limits on genre or style. Stock photos are cataloged and made available by a stock image agency.

You can use stock photos to illustrate and decorate websites and publications. There are millions of stock images available online. No matter what topic you must illustrate, you can find an image that works.

Stock site assets aren’t limited to photos. Many stock image websites also provide illustrations, animations, and web templates. You’ll find stock video footage too. But photos are the most commonly provided resource.

Stock photography has been around for more than 100 years. Stock photography agencies have several staff photographers on their books. And they make their work available to print publications.

These days, you find stock agencies on the internet. They have vast catalogs of stock images people can use for their websites, blogs, and publications. Photographers and image-makers contribute their photos to the catalog voluntarily.

Photo by Andy Vu (Pixabay)

Types of Photos on Stock Websites

There are no restrictions when it comes to genres in photography. Stock websites have any photos you can think of. But stock images have a reputation for being generic or “stocky.”

“Stocky” images look staged and unnatural. Subjects are clearly actors creating a scene that’s directed. The colors are often flat, and there’s very little creativity with lighting and camera work.

These stock images can still be used for textbooks and instruction manuals. But other content creators want something more creative and natural. They want photography work that fits with the style of their publication.

Most stock photography websites are moving away from the staged and unnatural style. Adobe Stock, Depositphotos, iStock, and Shutterstock still offer an excellent range of stock images.

But JumpStory and Unsplash offer more creative photography options. Gratisography takes it even further with its quirky collection of images.

You don’t need to worry about quality when you use a legitimate resource for stock images. They all use high-resolution photos you can use in any publication. Enlarging them won’t be an issue.

And with the rise of AI in photography, many stock photo websites now have AI-generated content. You’ll have to decide whether they fit with the aesthetic you are looking for.

Photo by Ale Bloshka (Depositphotos)

The Benefits of Stock Photos

Hiring a full-time photographer is expensive. Even hiring a freelance photographer temporarily can be more trouble than it’s worth. You might not have the budget. And you might not need that many photos.

Stock photos make your life that much easier. You can search a stock image catalog and download the photos you need. You can insert them into your media without writing a contract for a staff photographer. It’s cheaper and far less time-consuming.

You may need to pay a subscription or royalty fees. But these are cheaper and easier than hiring a professional photographer whenever you need a few pictures.

The stock photo companies also know what’s popular. They can check their data to create a stock catalog with images people want. Their libraries are curated and crafted to make it easy for users to find what they need.

Using a legitimate stock photo company also helps you avoid legal issues. If you use a photo with no image license or steal a picture from an unregulated source, you might find yourself in hot water. Stock photo websites have the legalities straightened out already.

Photo by Huey Davies (Gratisography)

How to Access Stock Photos

Most stock photography agencies are now online. The information super-highway has streamlined the process of accessing stock images. You no longer need to call the agency and order a physical catalog. And you don’t need to go to their office in the city.

There are paid and free stock photo websites you can use. Most paid stock agencies have a subscription-based. They give you a limited number of monthly image downloads for a set price. Adobe Stock and Shutterstock do this.

Other paid stock photo websites have a pay-as-you-go system. You pay a price for each stock photo you download. Prices can vary. This payment type has become more common for smaller or sporadic projects. You used to find them mainly on more specialist stock image catalogs.

Now, stock sites use a blend of subscriptions and on-demand options. iStock offers both a subscription and Credit Packs that can be used to buy individual photos and videos. Depositphotos has adopted a similar system with a subscription and an On Demand option.

Several other stock photo websites are free to use. You don’t need an account, and there’s no limit on the number of photos you can download. Their collections of photos tend to be smaller. But they’re an excellent resource for budget-conscious creators.

Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay are three websites that provide excellent free stock photos. They cover nearly any photography genre you can think of. And they’re all high-quality photos. You can also register for free to access more stock photos.

Unsplash and Pixabay even have paid options through iStock. And Pexels is partnered with Canva if you frequently use that web-based design service.

Photo by Nastya Gepp (Pixabay)

How You Can Use Stock Photos

Copyright and licensing laws mean you can’t just use any photo you find on your website. Rights of use belong to the creator or their agency. You can’t go to a photographer’s website, copy an image, and use it on your web page. That’s illegal.

Stock photo agencies have special licenses that let others use the photos in their library. The agency and the photographers agree to the terms of the license. This ensures no one is being ripped off. The photographers have agreed for their photos to be used in this way and get paid.

You can use your stock photos for your site or blog if you get them from a reliable source. You can also use stock images to create your own artwork, like composite photos or digital collages.

Image licensing is a tricky business. Even if you pay a subscription for stock images, you don’t have free reign over them. There are legal limitations that determine how you can use a stock image. It depends on the type of image license the agency has.

The two most common stock photo license types are editorial and commercial. Each has its own set of rules about how you can use the images.

Photo by Lightfield Studios (Adobe Stock)

Editorial Use of Stock Photos

Most online stock images have an “editorial use only” license. This is especially true with free stock photo websites.

Editorial use images can be used for news media, illustrating blogs, and websites. Any photo can have an editorial license. There’s no restriction on styles or genres of photography. They can be anything from portrait and landscape to street and food photography.

You cannot use editorial use photos for commercial purposes. You can’t use a stock photo with an editorial license to advertise a product. And you can’t use them in any for-profit capacity. If you want to advertise, you’ll need a commercial license.

Photo by Jan (Adobe Stock)

Commercial Use of Stock Photos

The commercial use license agreement allows photos to be used in for-profit activities. You’re free to use them to advertise products or services. You’ll find them in marketing materials for brands and corporations.

Unlike editorial license photos, they can include logos and brand names. And the images can be used on resale products, like packaging and clothes.

Commercial use images are far less common than editorial photos. And while you can use commercial images for editorial purposes, you can’t use editorial photos for commercial purposes. The terms of a commercial license are far more complex.

Any recognizable person in the image must give permission when advertising a product. Anyone featured in the photo has to provide a model release form. Without it, the person can take legal action for using their image without consent.

If you’re using a paid stock image service, it’s more likely that the images have a commercial license. And you won’t find commercial stock images with logos or brand names. Free sites are less strict about the images they include in their library, which can cause problems.

Photo by Dami Adebayo (Unsplash)

Royalty-Free and Rights-Managed Licenses

Royalty-free and rights-managed licenses refer to relationships between buyer and photo agency. It determines the ownership rights of the photos being purchased.

A royalty-free license is the most common you’ll come across. Most free and paid stock photo websites use a royalty-free agreement. These include Adobe Stock, iStock, Shutterstock, and Unsplash.

Royalty-free images have a non-exclusivity agreement. It means the photos are available to all subscribers, not only you. Anyone can download and use the same image on their website or publication. The only restrictions relate to commercial and editorial purposes.

Right-managed licenses are negotiated on an individual basis. The buyer manages the rights to the photos they want to use with the stock photo agency. The license is tailored to each client’s needs. They can negotiate exclusive rights so the images can’t be sold to or used by anyone else.

Getty Images is the place to buy stock photos with rights-managed licenses. They are by far the biggest commercial stock photo website. They dominate the rights-managed market.

Every company wants a unique and outstanding marketing campaign. That’s why larger companies always go for a rights-managed license. With royalty-free images, there’s a risk the same image will be used by someone else.

Photo by Everst (Shuterstock)

The Ethics of Using Stock Photos

You have a lot of freedom when it comes to stock images. Whether using editorial images or planning a commercial project, you can use the photo in many ways. But there are some ethical considerations to consider.

Every stock photography company credits its contributing photographers. They’re the creator and the artist, so they deserve to be credited for their work. This is no different when using stock images on your website or blog.

You should never pass stock images off as your photos. This isn’t just unethical. It’s illegal, too. If you’re using other people’s work to illustrate your publication, you should give credit where it’s due.

Many digital artists use stock photos for digital collages and composite images. But using stock images for digital collages creates another ethical problem. When does the image become your own and not the original creators?

There is no definitive answer to this question. But you must add enough creativity to ensure the piece is your own. Making minor tweaks isn’t enough to claim ownership of someone else’s image.

It’s best practice to show effort and integrity. Our colleague Anna Maghradze utilizes this creative approach as a successful example. She gives her collages a distinct and dreamy vibe.

This effort can be made in many ways. There are excellent editing tools like Adobe Photoshop and Luminar Neo. They have excellent mask and layer tools that let you combine different images. There are some excellent drawing tools, too.

Stock photos may be easy to access and an excellent resource. But the photo does not become yours when you download it. Some of the rules are set by law. But others rely on the good ethics of the users.

Conclusion: What Are Stock Photos?

So, what are stock photos? Stock photos are an excellent resource in today’s content-heavy world. Everyone needs photos to decorate and illustrate their publications and websites. Professional photographers can be too expensive and inconvenient. Stock images are the perfect solution.

You have to make sure you’re downloading photos from a trustworthy source. You don’t want to break any copyright laws. And you need to know the images with the correct license for what you want to do. You can’t advertise with editorial-use images.

There are some excellent stock photography websites online. You have free and paid options, which offer extensive libraries of images. And now, many stock image websites are finding their own niche. You’ll be able to find exactly what you need. Just remember to credit the artists.

Quality and Variety

Depositphotos Stock Photos

We hope we’ve answered the question, what are stock photos, and you’ve learned how to use them properly. If you’re ready to use stock photos, visit our store for a vast collection of high-quality images.

Foap Review 2024 (Should You Sell Your Photos on Foap?)

Jenn Mishra — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 14:56:07 +0000

It is the dream of many photographers to sell photos online.
Getty and iStock remain the industry standard for selling stock photos. But there are also apps like Foap, Snapwire, EyeEm, and Twenty20, or other websites like Picfair, to name a few.
Today we’ll see how the Foap app stacks up against the competition.

We Highly Recommend iStock Stock Photos Looking for a more reliable and profitable way to sell your photos online? Check out the Store with millions of high-quality royalty-free photos, illustrations, videos, and music. Overview of the Foap App Foap is a photo selling app. Photographers upload pictures through the smartphone app available on Android or IOS. Consumers buy images to use for marketing or personal use (e.g., blogging). Companies can request specific types of photos by setting up a mission. Missions are briefs or assignments. One or more photographers win the mission. There is a lot of good information throughout the site about what customers are looking for in an image. Pricing on the Foap app is simple. Customers pay $10 for an image and a license. The creator gets half ($5 per image). In the industry, this is a pretty good deal. Other stock photography websites have a complex pricing structure that depends on image resolution and type of license. For instance, iStock pays between 15% and 45% commission per image. The commission at Dreamstime is comparable at 50% to 60%, but pictures may sell for only $1. With any photo selling platform, check the licensing agreement carefully. On Foap, the buyer can do just about anything they want with the photos. This is what Foap has to say about licensing: “Photos with a ‘Commercial’ license can be used for commercial purposes. This means that companies can use these photos for marketing their products and or reproduce the photos for selling it, e.g. on the t-shirts, cups etc.” This seems cheap for $10. Your image could end up mass-produced or used in a TV marketing campaign for $10. This is unlikely to happen (there is a lot of competition out there). But if it did, you’ll have already agreed to the price. Be aware of what you are agreeing to. Reviews of Foap The Foap app seems popular with a 4.5 rating in the Apple store and a 3.4 rating in Google Play. In looking at Foap reviews, lots of users like the idea of a photo selling smartphone app. But many users complained about slow uploads and errors when working on the app. Android users may have more problems than iPhone users. Foap is quick to respond to each app review. Reinstalling the app is the most common suggestion. Downloading the Foap App I downloaded the Foap app onto my iPhone 11 and created an account. This was simple. The app did not ask me to verify my identity with a photo ID. This was something complained about in more than one Foap review. Using the Foap App The app opens onto an Explore page that features a gallery of sold images. Scrolling through the gallery shows a mix of photos. Some are quality stock photos like those seen on sites like iStock. Others are more casual mobile phone shots. FOAPs ‘explore page’ shows recently sold photos When you click on an image, the Foap app asks you to rate it. Photographers see the averaged rating. This gives them some feedback on the quality of the picture. But the one-to-five-star rating system does not provide the user with any ideas on how to improve. Once you rate an image, the app goes immediately shows you another photo. But if you go back and click the image a second time, you will get information about the photographer. You can also see the photo’s rating, and you can add the photo to an album. Only now can you see who created the image. Foap seems to hide the maker rather than celebrate them. From the photographer’s gallery, you can see how many photos they have uploaded, how many they have sold, and their followers. I did not see anyone who had sold a large number of photos. The numbers suggest that the Foap app is more of a social environment than a marketplace. For instance, one user uploaded over 500 photos, had nearly 16,000 followers, but had sold only three images. When I looked at recent uploads, rather than sold pictures, I had to look deep into the gallery before I found a user who had sold even one image. Uploading Photos on Foap To see if Foap was a way to make money, I uploaded ten photos. This is the maximum you can upload at one time. I chose pictures without people as these need a model release that I did not have. The upload process was quick. But entering the required description and tags was much more tedious. Foap does not read the embedded metadata for the photo. This information uploads automatically with my image to sites like Getty, 500px, and Flickr. Tags are hugely important when selling stock photos. The Foap app appears to use AI to suggest tags. But my photos stumped the app! Foap offered no tags for many of my uploads. The suggested tags weren’t relevant at all. After entering tags for an image, you cannot copy the tags onto photos with similar content. Before uploading, you must state if there are people or recognisable faces in your image. If so, you need to get permission from the people to submit the picture. The upload process is straightforward. But uploading a large number of images takes a long time. You also have to enter important information for each photo manually. Key Features of Foap Here are some key features for users looking to sell their photos on Foap. Foap Missions Missions are at the center of selling images on Foap. Sometimes they are thematic. Other times they feature a specific product. When I reviewed Foap, there were about 20 active missions. Users compete to win the mission and earn prizes. Some missions are free to enter. Others require payment in coins. Coins are tokens that you purchase or earn by watching ads. This idea is similar to photo competition sites like Gurushots. But the mainstream stock image platforms do not gamify assignments. A thousand coins cost about $20. Premium missions cost around 50 coins to enter. This works out to be roughly $1 per competition. It is worth it if you win a prize, but there are a limited number of those available. A missions award ranges between $3 and $150 for winners. Total rewards are listed but are usually split among various prizes. Prizes for winning or placing in a mission vary widely. Most rewards are a combination of prize money and coins to be used to enter future missions. Some missions apply to specific products. The industry standard is for the company to provide the product to the photographer. But for Foap, the photographer must purchase the product to photograph. This is an investment that may or may not pay off. I explored a mission for a shoe company. Buying one pair of shoes was about $50. To break even on my investment, I would need to sell ten images to the company. This seems like an inexpensive way for a company to get around hiring a product photographer and paying for a photo shoot. It may also be a way for a company to sell more product. You can only submit a new image to a mission. You cannot enter an image already in your gallery. You have to upload photos from scratch. This means going through the entire upload process again and entering descriptions and tags. Foap Market Place Foap has a website. But the website is for image buyers rather than photographers. I used the site to search for my images. Even my most uncommon tag resulted in nearly 20,000 hits. And my photo was buried deep. It is unclear how Foap sorts the pictures or how I can move my images closer to the top. It is unlikely a buyer would find my photos where they are. When I did find one of my images, I saw that metadata is included as part of the information. I complained about metadata information not uploading with the photo. But Foap is collecting this information from the image. Foap chooses to make it more difficult for photographers by requiring manual entry of descriptions and tags. Metadata is shown in the bottom right corner. Withdrawing Money from Foap You are not paid automatically by Foap. It is your responsibility to either “cash out” (Android) or “withdraw money” (IOS). Then you enter your PayPal information. To use Foap, you must use PayPal. PayPal fees also apply. Other stock photography sites payout regularly. You need to meet a minimum threshold for some, but you do not have to worry about getting your money eventually. On Foap, you must request payment by the middle of the month. The money will be sent to your PayPal account by the end of the month. If you miss the deadline to request money, you have to wait until the next month. This process seems tedious in the world of online banking. Conclusion So, can you make money selling photos on Foap? The short answer is yes. Foap is a legit photo selling app. But in my opinion, Foap may not be the best photo-selling app to make money. At times, it has more in common with game apps or marketing promotions. It is possible to make money with Foap, but probably not more than a few dollars. This may have more to do with the competitive stock image industry rather than Foap itself. We Highly Recommend iStock Stock Photos Looking for a more reliable and profitable way to sell your photos online? Check out the Store with millions of high-quality royalty-free photos, illustrations, videos, and music.

8 Types of Stock Photography to Avoid (Bad Stock Photos)

Anabel Dflux — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 14:12:05 +0000

There are a lot of bad stock photos out there. You know the ones I’m talking about. The cheesy, over-the-top, exaggerated images that are so cliché they make you cringe. Unfortunately, these are the types of photos that often get chosen for marketing materials and website design. And why? Because they’re cheap and easy to find. But that doesn’t mean you have to use them in your own work.

Avoiding Bad Stock Photos: What is Stock Photography?

Before I can tell you what NOT to do, I need to tell you what stock photography is!
Stock photography means images that are available to be licensed for specific uses. More often than not, these images are licensed for commercial use. This includes decorating a website, featuring in a presentation, or used as an advertisement for something.
A buyer pays a fee to both the artists that produced the image and the agency managing the image. They acquire the right to use the image legally in different ways, while the photographer retains copyright of their work.
Photographers take stock images or share a collection of their images to make a few extra bucks off of photographs that aren’t currently being used for anything. Some photographers even make a living off of producing stock images.

However, not all stock images are created equal. These are the types of stock photographs to avoid:

1. Abstract Images

Stock imagery is not just photography. Illustrators and 3D animators find their work being licensed as well.
But the use of abstract or very general 3-dimensional renderings is a bit too outdated. Anyone getting 90s nostalgic vibe here?
These types of images tend to be a bit useless and visually displeasing. Users have gotten used to very high quality content due to the rise of the internet.
These images are space eaters and are better left in the past where they belong.

2. Overly Happy Corporate Office Employees

Once upon a time, it was typical to use photographs of happy employees to show that a company is reliable and trustworthy.
That time is long gone now.
No matter how many happy office setting photographs you use, everyone knows what the actual dynamic in a traditional office workplace is. Trust me, you’re fooling no one.
These types of images are incredibly outdated and the butt of many jokes. Unless you’re finding yourself wanting to be funny or sarcastic, I suggest running very far away from the stereotypical happy corporate office employees.
Customers want to see the actual employees and workplace, not stock images of them. If you’re not going to use photographs of your real workforce, and instead choose actors, this may build a level of distrust in your business.
You want to be authentic. Plus, in this current work climate, startups and quirky office settings are very hip!
If you don’t want to place the photos of your real office and people working there, focus on something else.

3. Over-Exaggerated Emotions

This goes hand-in-hand with avoiding the “I am so stoked to be in this office” images. Over-exaggerated emotions don’t work for the same reason that cheesy infomercials don’t work. Everyone thinks they are a parody!
This is because the natural range of human emotions is a bit more subtle (unless you’re acting or a very animated individual. But this is not the norm).
Why do you think people will be touched by something that’s totally unnatural and looks funny? We want our audience to be able to connect and empathize with the subjects in the images.
Instead of being overly literal about emotion or shoving an idea down someone’s throat, consider more organic imagery to tell your story.

4. Unnatural Activities in an Unnatural Setting

Everyone uses their laptop in a lawn chair sitting in the middle of the ocean in the Bahamas, right? Or is it just me?
Photographs of people doing activities in a setting they wouldn’t be doing it in are just plain weird.
A business meeting on your laptop at the edge of a massive cliff? No way.
These images were once the gimmicks of selling “How-To” guides and other products. They attempted to convince you that by following their procedure, you’ll be able to work remote anywhere in the world.
But these images are unrealistic and uncomfortable (and at times, terribly Photoshopped). Avoid them.

5. Cliches or Stereotypes

As individuals and businesses, we tend to shy away from being associated with cliches and stereotypes. So why use cliche and stereotypical images?
Some stereotypes can actually be offensive to your potential customer base. It’s better to avoid them altogether.
Try to think outside of the box and do something creative! This imagination can set you apart from competition.

6. Outdated References

Technology, pop culture, and news change daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. You don’t want your business to be left behind. Using outdated references will only make your point irrelevant.
Try to use, and photograph, timeless images that cannot be outdated by the changing world. This especially rings true for images of tech and gadgets.
For example, all those using imagery or memes of presidents or those in office will no longer be trendy the moment the officials change.

7. Low Quality or Low Resolution Images

This should be a given, but you’d be surprised! When using stock images, always download the highest resolution or quality available. Don’t pay for something too small to be usable.
Sometimes, this happens just due to technological constraints. Older stock images come from cameras that were not capable of having the resolution that current cameras can.
It tends to be better to select stock images from newer camera models.

8. Bad Photoshop / Editing

Avoid taking, using, or dare-I-say, spending a dime on a stock image that is poorly edited. Images with skin smoothing akin to a cheap phone app that simply blurs the face or overly edited eyes are massive nos.
Your content and imagery will make or break a business venture. Audience members and potential customers are attracted to quality. It is worth spending extra money on a great image than settling for a good one.
This also rings true for purchasing a stock image that you then edit. If you need something specific edited but your skillset is not up to par for the job, outsource your editing to a professional.
Whatever you do, please don’t Photoshop your product into a stock image! Yikes!
The final result will look like a late night infomercial that we all make fun of.

Stock Photography Trends for 2019

Much like doing commercial photography or portraits, the content creation trends change yearly.
Agencies such as Adobe Stock use statisticians and professionals alike to predict the photography trends for the coming years. Instead of using or doing the aforementioned bad images, try to switch up your stock photography to the following subjects.
2019 is seeing an increased interest in:

Vibrant pop colors and minimalist compositions. Bright colors are all the rage right now, especially when partnered with simple and elegant compositions.

Robotics and up-to-date technology. Technology has begun infiltrating every aspect of our life. Taking photographs of updated robotics interacting with humans in a pleasant manner is trending.

Travel and natural images. Due to the rise of Instagram travel blogger popularity, beautiful landscapes and exciting travel images are making a huge splash in the stock world.

Social causes. Our modern climate has become more compassionate, sensitive, and receptive to social causes.
Diversity. Along with social causes is the positive portrayal of a variety of races and cultures from all over the world. This creates a beautifully inclusive world.

More candid, organic, and natural portraits. Gone are the days of overly posed and Photoshopped portraits. Companies are now leaning towards more organic, empathetic, and candid portraits.

Adorable pets doing adorable things. Dogs, cats, and other pets will forever be top trending images, both as stock and on the internet!

Leave those dingy stereotype photographs in the past! Your stock photography portfolio will thank you for it.

11 Tips to Improve Your Stock Photography Business

Darina Kopcok — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 11:56:32 +0000

There was a time when stock photographers made a lot of money from licensing their images online. So much so that many had stock photography business careers, shooting for stock agencies alone.
Do you have a lot of images gathering dust on your hard drive?
Perhaps you have some “practice” images that you never did anything with. Or you have hundreds of photographs from past shoots that seem useless to you now.
Here’s the thing. They’re not useless.
Whether you are a career photographer or a serious hobbyist, there is money to be made licensing your images via stock.

Professional Portfolio Hosting

Smugmug

Looking to improve your stock photography business? Discover a powerful software that can help you store, share, and showcase your work to potential clients.

11. Stock Photography Business: Consider Premium Stock for Higher Income

Microstock is what most people think of when they think of stock photography. This category of stock is all about high volume sales at a low price point.
The images are generic and the production values are not always very high.
To make any money at all, you need to be licensing thousands of images. Your commission will be only a few dollars or even cents!
If you are an experienced photographer, you may want to consider “premium” stock photography.
Agencies such as Shutterstock and Adobe have premium divisions. These are focused on working with a select group of photographers. The images are high-quality and licensed at a much higher price point.
In fact, the pricing structure is simple. One set price for a low resolution file, a higher price for a high resolution file.
With premium stock, you will sell far fewer photographs but make more cash.
Keep in mind that premium stock agencies have more rigorous standards than microstock agencies. They’ll be more picky in terms of the photographers they take on and the quality of images they demand.
They are known to reject a lot of images if they don’t meet aesthetic and commercial standards.
One plus of working with a premium agency is that your images do not have to be exclusive to that agency.
You can license them to other agencies that are not exclusive or through your own website or sell through sites like Fine Art America.

10. Diversify to Make the Most of Stock Photography

If you want to make money in stock photography, you need to diversity your stock offerings. This means working with more than one agency.
You cannot hope to make a lot of cash licensing through a single agency.
When you work with two or three agencies, you increase the chances your work will be seen. Your name will become known if you stick to building your image bank.
Be sure to cross submit if you are working with non-exclusive agencies.
If you work with agencies that demand exclusivity, be sure to shoot images that specifically align with that agency’s aesthetic and mission. And do not submit elsewhere.
Note that if an agency is asking for exclusivity, they should be paying you a higher commission on your photos than an agency that is non-exclusive.

9. How to Read the Stock Photography Market

Being successful in stock does not mean shooting willy-nilly. Submitting any and every random photo you’ve taken or shooting whatever you feel like.
Of course, there is a lot of creative freedom in shooting stock photography. A client is not standing over you and telling you what to do.
But the reality is that stock agencies have a business to run. They are looking for images that sell and have commercial appeal.
This means you need to study the market and find out what kinds of images are in demand.
Spend some time looking at the work of other photographers who license through your agencies. This will help you to get an idea of what kind of images are being accepted.
Can you see any common threads? Is there a certain style or approach they all use? Is a lot of the imagery conceptual or is it more earthy and organic?
As a food photographer, I work with several stock agencies. What I noticed over time is that simple items like close-up shots of produce sell much more than shots of highly stylized “recipes”.
Images with a human or lifestyle element are very popular as well, as are images with a holiday theme.
Keep up on the trends and make sure that they are reflected in what you submit to the agencies you work with.

8. Submit Every Viable Photo From a Shoot

I just stated that you should not submit whatever you feel like to your stock agency. But you should submit whatever you can.
This means sending all viable photographs from a shoot. Let the photo editor choose what will be accepted. Don’t fail to submit something because you don’t think they will accept it.
I cannot count how many times I submitted a photo, thinking that it sucks, only for it to be accepted. And sometimes my favourites were rejected.
Photo editors are on the lookout for images that they think will sell. Or images that offer something unique to their buyers. This doesn’t always translate to the most fabulous and artistic images that you are most proud of.

7. Study Rejected Images for Any Common Issues

Some of your stock images will get rejected. If you are with a premium agency, many might get rejected.
Agencies don’t always tell you why they didn’t accept an image. It can be a technical or aesthetic issue or they think the image won’t sell.
Make sure the images you submit are clean, properly exposed and edited well. Be intimately familiar with their submission guidelines. This way, you won’t waste their time and yours by submitting images that go against what they accept.
Study what didn’t sell and see if you can find any common themes or issues. Also check the agency site for similar images.
If they have too many on a common theme, they may reject yours.

6. Use Keywords to Increase the Visibility of Your Images

One of the reasons some photographers resist stock is because of keywords.
You need to put 20 to 25 keywords into the metadata of each image, as well as a title and your copyright. They keywords need to be relevant to your image.
This can take a lot of time, but it’s crucial to help buyers find your image in a huge database of photographs.
Describe your subject in basic terms, such as mountain, bicycle, cupcake, and so on. Include some attributes that are relevant to the image. Stick to what you see and the most relevant details.
If your images are landscapes or street photography, include geographical location.
Keep in mind that more than 25 keywords can dilute a search and cause your image to be otherwise missed.
Check for spelling errors as a last step in keywording.

5. Be Consistent With Submissions to Increase Your Success Rate

Consistency is the key to success in maintaining a viable stock photography business. Weekly submissions will keep your images high in the key word search. And it’ll increase the likelihood of sales.
Regardless of the agency you are with, the more images you have in the bank, the more you sell. It’s very much a numbers game.
This means you may need upwards of 1000 or 2000+ images to make an appreciable income from licensing your images. Even via premium channels.
To create the required consistency, you need to carve out regular time in your schedule to shoot for stock only. Only you can decide when that might be. You will have to work around other work, family and social commitments as well as the demands of daily living.
This might mean getting up early on the weekends. Or putting aside a whole day every week to shoot and edit the images you want to upload that week.

How to Make Time for Shooting Stock Photos

You should definitely set aside time to shoot consistently. But you should also look for pockets of time when you can bang off a few photos for your stock portfolio.
This can mean taking your camera with you when you go on your weekend hike or take a family vacation.
For me, it means having a table set up near a window in my home. That’s where I can take a few food or still life images without having to do too much set up or tear down.
I leave the editing for the time I have made in my schedule to devote to stock work.
Shooting as much as possible will build your image stock quickly. And it’ll give you the practice you need to improve your technical skills as a photographer.

4. Use Your Photography Style to Stand Out From the Crowd

When you first start out in photography, you will likely experiment with different photography styles before you develop your own. You may even try to emulate the photographer you admire, which can be a great way to learn.
But even in the beginning, the essence of your style will be present in your imagery. You are a unique individual with a unique perspective. Style is what you will develop as you develop your technical skill.
If you look at the various stock agencies, you can see that each has an aesthetic that is right for them. Where do your images fit?
What’s more, can you add something fresh to their offerings? Images that are authentic and a bit different will stand out from the crowd and attract the attention photo buyers. This means more sales for you.

3. Sell Through Your Own Website to Maximise Exposure

If you’re with a non-exclusive agency, consider licensing the same images through your own website.
Or you can forego working with stock agencies altogether and take on the task of selling your images by yourself.
There are a lot of benefits to selling on your own website. You can keep 100% of the profits and set the price at whatever you choose.
If you are already working with a stock agency, your contract will usually prohibit you from charging less per image than they do.
You can also set your own terms and conditions and decide how you want your work to be displayed. You have complete control, which is very appealing.
The downside of selling on your own is having to do all the marketing, but at least you get to keep all the profit.
There are a lot of platforms to choose from. These include Photoshelter, Envira, Zenfolio and SmugMug.
Check out our full Smugmug review here or comparison of SmugMug vs. Zenfolio.

2. Don’t Forget Model Releases and Other Submission Requirements

If you are submitting images containing recognisably people, you will need to get a model release. The agency will want to keep this on file.
The model release assures the buyer that you have permission to use the model’s likeness in a commercial way.
Some agencies may even expect a model release for a shot including someone’s hand or a visible tattoo.
They also will have guidelines about property releases and famous or recognizable landmarks within images. Some of these can be quite strict.
The best thing to do is to acquire all necessarily releases in advance of shooting. Chasing down models or returning to a certain landmark after the fact may be difficult.
You can carry a few printouts of a model release in your photography bag for your subjects to sign before you start to shoot. Or you can use an app like Easy Release or Snap Wire.

1. Treat Stock Like a Business

If you want to succeed and make money, you have to treat your work as a stock photography business.
Whether you are a working photographer or shooting on the side, it’s easy to set aside creating and marketing your stock images for other matters that seem more pressing.
This goes back to consistency and having a regular schedule. Treat this time as non-negotiable and give it the same respect as you would for a paying client.
Just because you can’t see a pay-off immediately, it doesn’t mean that there won’t be one.
Like other types of passive income, making money through stock is a process that takes time to build and is a big picture endeavour.

Looking for more tips? Check out our new post about beer photography next!

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