Jackpot shots
Smartphones featuring an array of hi-tech camera options allow us to take great photos on our holidays. But did you know you can also focus on making money from your snaps?
Some firms that run online photo libraries let you upload your travel pictures for free then they sell them to clients, such as websites and media and publishing companies. If your picture is bought, then you get a cut. Free money!
How much can you make? One German blogger says he raked in more than £800 in four months.
We asked Jen Rankine, Global Senior Community Manager at Skyscanner, for her tips on how to turn holiday memories into cash.
WHAT SELLS?
The best-selling pictures have a distinct subject with little in the background.
Opt for a wild animal in its native habitat or a beautiful object rather than a partner posing.
Shots taken at sunrise, sunset, and in mist, rain or snow are quite popular.
If you’re taking landscape photos, make sure something in the image provides a sense of scale – a dog, a tree or a boat, for example.
Pictures with bright colours sell better than those with dull tones.
If you’re at a famous monument, take it from an unusual angle.
Good photos of people sell well, but only if you have their consent.
Google “model-release form” to get friends and family to sign this retrospectively, but this obviously won’t work with strangers.
Holiday snaps can sell, but so can ones from home. Is where you live a desirable destination for others? If so, share photos of your area.
BLURRED LINES
“No one is going to buy a totally blurry image, even if you think it’s arty,’’ said Jen. ‘’And try to avoid logos on shops, buildings or cars as these can cause legal issues. Anything with nudity is likely to be stopped by filters, no matter how tasteful or innocent.
‘’A beautiful subject with a distracting object right next to it will rarely sell.”
Problems such as distracting objects or logos can be sorted with a clean-up using photo-editing software, such as Paint.net (getpaint.net). The premium choice is Adobe Photoshop, while a more budget option is free photo-editing software Gimp.org.
WORD WISE
When uploading images to stock photo libraries, it’s vital to do proper tagging if you want your picture to be found – and sold.
Tags are a list of simple words or two-word phrases, aka keywords, to help potential buyers find your images. Always include: Subject matter
Location – the town or city, plus the country
Setting– such as beach, farm, meadow Time of day Orientation – landscape or portrait
skyscanner.net
SAVVY SETTINGS
You’ll need to submit high-resolution images – larger than four megapixels. Don’t confuse megapixels with megabytes (the size of the file). Megapixels are to do with spots of colour in the image. Most phones take shots at this quality, but to check, right-click on an image, go to properties (Get Info for a Mac), and under image details it will tell you width and height in pixels. To find out how many megapixels, enter these at toolstud.io/photo/megapixel.php.
RECOMMENDED SITES
For professional photography it’s Getty Images and Shutterstock, but if your skills aren’t up to those standards, cash in on EyeEm and Picfair. Share photos for free at Unsplash, Pixabay and Pexels.
MORE INFO