Photography is a high-paying venture. Unfortunately, landing a photography gig and working with clients for months is a long and aggravating process that can be too time-consuming. As much as you may enjoy taking portraits or covering events like weddings, you shouldn’t limit your skills to these occasions. As a photographer, you can earn passive income in many ways, which saves you from actively tracking down gigs. While initially, you may find it hard to get used to passively generating your money, once you figure out which option works best for your skills, you’ll have fun making a living through this method. Therefore, to help you sort through the numerous jobs you can take on as a photographer, here’s what you need to know:
1. Turn To Blogging
The internet is a land of opportunities. You can create, buy and sell anything online. So why not use this space to create a blog of your own? Your blogs can be about your experiences as a photographer. This may include your personal account from how you started, tutorials on taking pictures, and step-by-step guides on editing and fixing images. In order to create your blog, you can take inspiration from or even utilize stock photos to add more personality and depth to the project you are developing.
Once your blog is up and running, you can gradually monetize it and charge users a fixed amount for accessing your material and using it as a photography resource. For an extra cost, you can give your users a peak into future blog posts or a glimpse of the pictures you worked on.
2. Take Pictures of Hotels and Resorts
Hotels and lodgings are always on the look for professional photographers who can provide pictures for their websites and social media. These venues use captivating images as marketing tactics, so they constantly need an expert to capture and display their accommodations. Shooting lodgings is a lot different than taking pictures of people. All you have to do is follow the manager’s guidelines and create an album of their rooms and common guest hang-out spots.
If you’re interested in working with hotels and reserve your expertise for them alone, you can easily do that. Contact hotels, vacation spots, and restaurants anywhere within the country and find out if they will hire your services. Try taking a few venue pictures to understand what looks aesthetically pleasing and how to manipulate light to make your photographs stand out more.
3. Become A Freelancer
If you don’t want to be tied down to a company and select your working hours, you should look into freelancing. Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Guru, and PeoplePerHour are the ideal freelancing hub allowing you to connect with clients worldwide who may be interested in your photography. Before you can take and sell pictures online, you’ll need to set up a profile and provide samples of your work.
Once you leave a mark in the freelancing world, you’ll quickly get an influx of work. Freelancing is incredibly liberating and stress-free than traditional jobs. They also prove to be a great source of income, allowing you to make twice the amount compared to a regular photographer.
4. Look Into Affiliate Commission
Affiliate marketing is a form of advertising in which you will promote products and items from other companies to consumers in exchange for a set commission. If you wish to create an affiliate link, you need to know how to make a sales pitch that allows you to connect with the customer, and the best way to do this is through pictures.
Your photography skills can come in handy as you try promoting other brands and their products. It is also much easier to manage a catalog, monitor your website and discuss products with a potential customer if you have an image of it. Professional pictures also reduce the need for extra editing and airbrushing to showcase the exact item to your consumers. Hence, try to add descriptions of what the product is, how you took the image, and what are the product’s actual dimensions. If you edited a picture, make sure you mention that in the description, which prevents you from misleading the customer.
5. Rent Out Your Equipment
If you want to retire from photography completely, you should start renting out your equipment. However, this can be risky since camera equipment is extraordinarily fragile and expensive. At the same time, there’s also a chance that someone may try to steal your equipment and try to con you. For this reason, before you can loan your equipment, you need to take care of several things. These include getting insurance for your camera and its gears so that you can replace your equipment in case of loss or damage. Additionally, consider including a camera lens cleaning kit with your equipment to ensure that each piece is in top condition for the next photographer who rents it.
When renting your camera, ensure you have an ironclad contract detailing penalties and charges for messing with your camera. It would help to ask your client to meet you in person to sign the document and get your gear. If you’re willing to go the extra mile, you should teach your consumers how to use the camera and make them try it in front of you, which lets you know if they got the hang of it.
You should also set a fixed rate for your equipment and specify the hourly, weekly, and monthly charges for renting your gadgets. Ask a lawyer to review your drafted contract and determine what laws you can turn to if your client mishandles your equipment.
Final Thoughts
Photography is a creative and innovative field. If you’re a student or an individual looking for the best way to make a passive income, you should get into photography. Even if you’re not actively pursuing clients, they will always need photographers to capture and display their brands and products. Consequently, photography is a great way to make some extra income. You can use your photography in many ways, including writing blogs and teaching your methods to eager learners and new camera users.
But if you still want to take pictures, then you should contact hotels and restaurants, as they have lodgings and accommodations which need to look good online. However, it would be best to freelance if you prefer working on smaller gigs and being free from corporate regulations. Finally, you can try affiliate marketing and promoting products, or you can choose to rent out your equipment with a contract that keeps everything safe from harm and theft.
