Most travellers enjoy the process of documenting their adventures. When you’re in a new city, you have the fresh perspective of the outsider. Your images are unique; they’re pure and candid. Each one deserves its place in the spotlight.

What many travelers don’t know is that they can monetise their photography and do so while improving and becoming a better photographer in the process. Microstock websites are always in need of travel photography. If you have something unique to say (or show), don’t waste your precious shots and give them a chance to succeed as stock photographs.

Get ready, because you’re about to do some (or all) of the following:

    • Discover new earning opportunities
    • Get paid and profit from your creative travel photos
  • Fuel creativity and enrich your travels

Selling photography to microstocks

Microstocks are marketplaces where you sell your photographs on a non exclusive basis. This means that your photographs can be bought multiple times which means you get a percentage every time your photograph is bought Photographers of different areas of expertise become contributors and showcase their portfolios online. The databases work like any other search engine where users type in keywords to find images they need.

Microstocks allow professionals and immatures to make money from their photographs. Travel photography is in great demand, and this is one way to make some money from your travel photographs.

Step 1: Organise your photos

You’re going to be putting together a portfolio of your work. The first thing you should do is get organized. Separate your photos by locations, themes and subjects. Think ahead to how you’re going to present your work.

Step 2: Learn the basics of stock photography

There are a few things you should know about becoming a contributor to microstocks. You will have to pass a brief test which usually asks you to upload a few of your best pictures. You need to get approval before you start uploading.

A major component of stock photography is knowing how to properly tag your photos so they are discoverable. This means coming up with descriptive titles and tags. A little research into any database will show you how to do it based on how other photographers handle this.

Step 3: Upload to Depositphotos

Create a Depositphotos account. You can find out more about becoming a contributor to this microstock agency by following this link. You will find detailed instructions on how to proceed and how to get started.

You’ve already organized your photographs, if you go through with the stages of creating an account, you can start uploading your images. Be sure to read the specifications. If your images have people in them, you do need to have model release forms which you can find here.

Step 4: Try Clashot for mobile photography

Another way to make a profit from travel photography is to sell your mobile images. You don’t always have your DSLR at hand and mobile photography can be equally impressive. The gems you have on your phone deserve a chance at a second life.

The Clashot app is easy to use, it’s convenient and something you can use on the go. It’s an app to sell stock photography from your mobile phone.

Step 5: Wait for sales and get into self promotion

After you become a contributor and organize your portfolio, all there is to do is sit back and wait. An important aspect of getting discovered is knowing how to properly describe your photographs and tag them. You will learn the tricks of the trade as you go along. It also helps to share your work on social media to let others know what you’re up to and have clients find you that way as well.

Step 6: Follow trends and keep your portfolio up to date

The stock photography market is in the state of constant change. Trends come and go which is why we’ve put together a visual trends report that will help you in your search. If you follow our blog, you can keep up to date with images that are in demand and trending. All these resources will help you make sure your photographs stand out.

Keep your portfolio updated. The more images you upload (given they are great), the more chances you have at making profits from travel photography. Your income will be proportional to your efforts and how much time you devote to the technicalities.

Few last tips:

Becoming a contributor for microstocks has a learning curb. You train your eye to be on the lookout for trending images on social media and other websites. With time, you will see your personal style emerging. Try to be consistent with the images you upload. It is through maintaining consistency that you will find success in the stock photography business

Concentrate on building a diverse portfolio. Take photographs from unconventional angles and focus on documenting your travels from your unique perspective. No one else sees the things you see; you have a unique vision to share with the world. Use your vision to create an outstanding portfolio.

Join the conversation

3 Comments

  1. Good information, I have uploaded a few shots to a couple of Microstock sites and have had a little success. The biggest problem is getting shots without a ton of people and as far as model releases try to get one from someone in the outskirts of Nepal or Mongolia. We have a database of about 12,000 photos and have been thinking about going exclusively with Microstock. Thanks for the read.

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