Abstract

Wikipedia says that Abstract images are; Non-objective, experimental, or Conceptual Photography.

I’m not sure what the market is like for selling abstract images but I do like them. I think they would look great as wall art in offices and homes.

 

“This is colored water on cling film, on top of a light tile, photographed from above”.
Image by Annie Spratt – website

Adult Sports

Adults like photos of themselves too. Show Jumping, Soccer, Rugby, Hockey, Car Racing, you name it and someone will buy your photos. Take photos of local teams and sell them to local websites and newspapers.

Adventure

Think of extreme sports like whitewater kayaking, skiing, snowboarding, skydiving, surfing, and mountain climbing. It’s easy to get into this market if you already do an extreme sport.

By Ben Selway

Advertising

You need to either work for an agency or be a freelancer.

Architecture

Take images of buildings that are architecturally significant. As a freelancer, you could be hired by managers or owners to provide images for their website, advertising, or social media.

Astrophotography

Photographing the night sky.  Photos of the moon, the milky way, and constellations using long lenses or telescopes with a camera attached. Not sure what the market is like for these images, but some of them are incredible.

Photo by Supri Yanto

Babies, New Born, and Toddlers

A very lucrative market. Easy to set up a small home studio or go mobile. Get outside to shoot the toddlers.
Remember there are also markets for maternity and birth photography. Before, during, and after!

Boudoir

There is a growing market for boudoir photography. Don’t confuse it with glamour, boudoir is suggestive and sensual. Traditionally it was a woman’s domain, but today it’s for everyone. If you feel comfortable shooting boudoir and clients are comfortable with you, then go for it.

Documentary

You can document absolutely anything, from a property being built to recording what your hometown looks like. Selling the images through Stock websites or directly to local businesses could be possible.

Dog Sports

Dog agility is one of my favorite things to shoot. Agility is a team event between the handler and the dog. All handlers want an action photo of their dog competing. I use a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens but you could use the f/4 version and get great shots. A great way to earn money and get a tan.

By Andy Jones

Drone

Aerial images and videos are needed in every line of business. Real estate, golf courses, tourism, factory inspections, to name just a few. Make sure you find out if you need a license to shoot commercially.

By Fahrul Azmi

Events

So many different types of events to make money at. Family fun run, classic car shows, Harley Owners Group meetings, trade shows, the possibilities are endless.

 

Family Portraits

This is the natural starting point for most photographers. Offer your services free of charge to family and friends when you’re starting. Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, anniversaries, birthdays, and fall/autumn are all popular times during the year for family portraits. You will notice that family groups are way more relaxed than individuals. Family portrait shoots can be a lot of fun.

By Patrick Jansen – website

Fashion

Fashion shoots can be done in the studio or outdoors. Lights are needed in most cases. Visit Model Mayhem and find a model in your area. New and up and coming models will let you shoot them for free in exchange for a copy of the images to add to their portfolio.

Fine Art

Wikipedia;  The goal of fine art photography is to express an idea, a message, or an emotion.
I particularly like landscapes or seascapes that look like paintings. Fine art images can be sold online or through a gallery setting.

By Johannes Plenio – website

Flowers

There is a market for images of flowers.

Food and Beverage

Images of food and drink for restaurants, bars, breweries, vineyards, book & magazine publishers, and grocery stores. Check out the weekly flyers you get and see how many pics of food and drink you see.

By Emmanuel Zua – website

Fundraising

Calendars and books.
A few years ago I was shooting a lot of kids figure skating and the big problem all the clubs had was fundraising. So I offered to make calendars for them. I did a photoshoot for all the kids doing spins and jumps, the kids not me. The clubs sold advertising space on the calendar to local businesses to make extra money. I had them printed and the club sold the calendars to the parents and grandparents. It was a lot of work doing the shoots and compiling the calendars in photoshop but the financial benefits were awesome. Just think about all the sports clubs in your area that could use your services to help raise some funds.

Greetings Cards

A good way to make a little extra cash. Take photos of a funny pet, farm animal, town, village, or tourist attraction and print greetings and postcards to sell in local stores. Maybe you could approach card manufacturers with your images.

Headshot

So who needs a headshot? Just about anyone that needs a head and shoulders portrait for professional profile images on social media, the ‘about us page’ or a corporate website, promotional pictures of actors, models, and authors.

By Joseph Gonzalez – website

Industrial & Commercial

Images of the workplace, machinery, and people working to put on their website, promotional literature, and advertising.

Insurance

Working for an Insurance company or as a freelancer.

Kids Sports

Think about all the sports kids take part in, the possibilities are endless. Whether it’s a team or individual portrait or being on the sidelines capturing action shots. Parents and grandparents want to buy photos of their children from you. I used to do on-site printing, offering custom prints and collages with the child’s name, team logo, etc. I also made my 8×10 magazine covers for each event that I could customize for each child. I now specialize in making sports posters. There is lots of money to be made in kids sports.

By Andy Jones

Landscapes

If you love the great outdoors, landscape photography could be for you. I find some landscape photos totally mesmerizing, they just draw me into the scene. There are a few ways you can make money shooting landscapes, but you need to be shooting top-quality images. If you can become well known using a blog, Instagram, or youtube, you could start selling your prints. A lot of well-known photographers run workshops, this can be very lucrative. For up-and-coming landscapers try getting your work displayed in cafes, restaurants, or office buildings.

By Michael J Owen

Legal

Working for lawyers taking photos of personal injuries and property damage.

Macro

Shoot extreme close-up images of insects and plants.

By Andy Jones

Magazines / Newspapers

If you’re on the spot at a news event, disaster, etc. you can contact magazines and newspapers to see if they are interested in your images. Once you are known to them they might start giving you work. Just understand that print media is on a steep decline and most are switching to online output only if they haven’t gone out of business already.

Music

Shoot album covers for up-and-coming bands. Take photos of the band on stage and sell them to the venue for their website. Contact all your local venues and offer to photograph all their shows. Don’t forget to post some of your work on Stock websites or even better post a few examples on your website. If any of the bands you have covered make it big you can offer your images at premium prices.

Nature & Wildlife

An outdoor pursuit that will require you to have long lenses.

By Ray Hennessy – website

Personal Branding

Not to be confused with headshot photography, although headshots are used in branding. Branding needs to convey the business person in everyday situations looking confident and successful. Photos are staged in situations like going for a run, cycling, having a glass of wine in a restaurant, in the office working on a laptop, and talking to a client on the phone.
Images will be used on their website, social media, and advertising.

Image by Airam – Instagram – Instagram

Pet Portraits

If you want to have some fun, start shooting pet portraits. The majority of your clients will want photos of their dogs, but there are plenty of cats, ducks, chickens, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, horses, donkeys, pigs, cows, alpacas, and llamas that need portraits too.

By Andy Jones

 

Product Photography

This can include shooting for a large catalog or just a few products for someone’s website. Build a portfolio by shooting products you use at home. Get creative, learn how to light products correctly, and copy advertisements you see daily. Start offering your services to small business owners locally and gradually build your reputation.

Real Estate

Real Estate photography is a great business to be in right now. Don’t limit yourself to just shooting interior stills, seriously think about videos. Use a gimbal to record super smooth professional videos and add the realtor’s brand information. The thing I’m seeing used for the higher-end listings is aerial drone video footage and stills. Offer interior photos, walkthrough video, and drone footage and create a lucrative business for yourself.

By Francesca Tosolini

 

Scientific

Images of scientific procedures and products.

School & Grad

School and graduate photography are very lucrative. The problem is that large companies that specialize in this market have contracts with the schools. Getting the contract is the hard part. I really believe that this would be a very monotonous way to make a living, three or four poses and…. next.

Stock Photography

Stock photography agencies sell digital images, that are supplied by photographers, to magazines, website developers, and advertising agencies. If you want to make a living from this you need to have thousands of images available for sale. Some stock sites only offer you a small commission on each sale, I’ve had anything from 25 cents to $8 per sale. The good thing is that the images are always for sale, so each one can be sold an unlimited number of times.

By Andy Jones

 

Storm

Storm chasers make big bucks risking their lives for the perfect shot.

By Max LaRochelle

Street Photography

Get out on the streets and start taking photos. I think this is more of a hobby, not sure if you could monetize it.

Time Lapse

Take thousands of images, one every minute, from the same spot using a tripod. After you have finished, compile them to create a video.

Travel & Tourism

Make money while you travel the world. This would be a dream come true for many photographers. If you sell your images through stock websites you can take photos of just about every part of your travels. From tourist hot spots to architecture, churches, absolutely anything, including the inside of your hotel room.

By Luca Bravo

Underwater Photography

Diving and taking photos of wrecks and coral reefs. Sell your images on Stock websites.

By Daniel Pelaez Duque

Vehicles

Take photos of classic and vintage cars and motorcycles. Sell wall art to the owners.

Water Drop

In the studio capturing water drops splashing. Fast shutter speeds and synced flashlights are needed. Looks fascinating, not sure whether you could monetize it.

By Linus Mimietz

Weddings

This is the big one, the one that new photographers want to shoot. Weddings are a lot of pressure, but if your quality is high you can make a living. Find a photographer online that shoots a style you like, then try to replicate their images. If you can shoot a similar style and quality, go for it! If your quality isn’t good enough you won’t get a booking, and you don’t want to ruin someone’s big day.

By Andy Jones