making money from photography?

hi all you pentax freaks
does anybody have any ideas how to make a bit of extra cash with photography, im not really into weddings etc..
many thanks]
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bal

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Pentax K3 Pentax SMC-FA 50mm 1.4
Pentax Kr Pentax SMC D FA 100mm F2.8 Macro
SMC DAL 18-55mm Pentax SMC DA 18-270mm F3.5-6.3
SMC DAL 55-300mm Pentax DA 15mm HD F4ED AL
SMC Pentax-M 1:2.8 28mm

I know how to LOSE a lot of cash with photography - I have LBA.

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Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

My page on Photocrowd - link

No different to aviation: If you want to make a small fortune from photography, then start with a large one...

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http://www.pbase.com/iberg

Weddings find my music and festival projects. I make very little money from agencies with images being sold for pennies it’s a race to the bottom.

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PPG Wedding photography Flickr
Concert photography

Currently on a Pentax hiatus until an FF Pentax is released

Sell prints. Talk to your local library, souvenir shop etc and see if anyone will take them in. For that however, you generally first need to invest in a print portfolio - at least a few, high quality ones; a good photobook etc.
Sell stock photos. Don't go for the trendy markets like Getty or Shutterstock, aim at Envato or the less known ones. Less money but also less competition and more attractive prices for buying folks.
If you have say, thematic photo series, offer them to website template developers on for example themeforest.net - they get them for free, you get exposure with their audience and ask if they can mention where the photos can be licensed for their clients own projects. Use your own website, to cut out the middle man, for that. Don't put them behind a massive paywall as you will be dealing with small businesses or individuals on a budget that can't afford Getty images. You will get sales if you offer quality, high res images without ridiculous licensing restrictions (only used on 1 website, don't show it to your grandmother etc...)

Offer a single image in a series as a freebie (under the creative commons license) to spread the word. This can be used for social media marketing to a massive advantage if done regularly.

These are just a few ideas, that said, timewise, it's like a full time job haha.

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'Photography...it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten....' (Aaron Siskind)

Photography is only a small part in the money making exercise. Transferrable skills like marketing, self confidence and other general business skills are more important.

I know some professionals who are crap but have the balls. And plenty amateurs who are so much better.

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Alan


PPG
Flickr

Do selling picture prints really helps to make money?

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Take a unique series with a clear style

Find a local stylish cafe or similar and ask them to put them on the wall framed as marked for sale.

Plenty of hipster places near me do this. They get something on the wall, you might find somebody who likes your style.

No website or sales pitch really needed

A friend of mine has a boat which he defines as a hole in the water into which you throw money. I feel the same way about photography! But as long as I am having fun, and the bank balance can cover it, I'm not that bothered. I don't buy things I cannot afford... hence the lack of a 645Z and a set of lenses.

K.

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Kris Lockyear
It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lots of film bodies, a couple of digital ones, too many lenses (mainly older glass) and a Horseman LE 5x4.
My website

Make money? Perhaps.
Make a profit? Less likely.
Make a living? If you're one of the lucky few in the world.

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http://www.pbase.com/iberg

Even if you aren’t turning pro take a look at some of the events at The Photography Show for those wishing to turn pro as that would give some ideas for your enterprise no matter how modest. Keep receipts and records of all purchases and expenses including travel to events as these could be tax deductible to offset anything you make. Many pros are turning to training courses but it helps to make a name first, also blogs on utube if this is your thing. For mainstream work find a genre you are happy to specialise in, like pet portraits for example. Maybe consider getting an RPS after your name, it all helps credibility.

For me, making money from photography is more trouble than it's worth. I'm fortunate to have a reasonable job which is more stable and more lucrative than any attempt at photography I feel I could make. I don't need the aggro of professional insurance (gear or liability), additional tax responsibilities or the need to pander to anybody else for my photography.

There are innumerate companies out there preying on wannabe photographers, selling all kind of services, 'qualifications', franchises and equipment. Just giving them your email address guarantees huge volumes of spam for years and years. As has been mentioned in this thread, much of the skill will be the business/marketing side as well as the photo side.

I don't want to put anybody off (all circumstances are different), but have a plan before you start, don't rush out and spend a whole load of money without thinking about it and only show really top-notch photos in your portfolio.

I found a very inspirational book on the subject: 'My Mamiya made me a Million' by Kieth Cogman - obviously relates to the medium format film era, but most of book is about the business side of things.

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PPG Flickr

I have 2 friends who were pro photographers before the dawn of digital, or at least, high quality, printable digital. The operative word there being were. Great cameras and lenses are more readily available, and you don't have to be particularly skilled to take a decent photo now, and so the ability to shine enough to make money has gone.

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K3, K3 II, 100MM 2.8 Macro, Sigma 10-20 3.5, Sigma 17-50 2.8, Nikon D7500, Tamron 150 600 G2

Sorry to disagree, but look at any outstanding photo including those that win national or international competitions and the equipment is almost irrelevant; the effort involved in research, patience and determination are what count. Blowing several grand on equipment won’t guarantee anything. If photography isn’t your main source of income then you have the opportunity to develop, but those that have succeeded and made some money as a result have done so because of their interest or even obsession in a particular field or subject, not because they expected to cash in at the outset. Same applies to painting or any other creative field.

There was a significant shift when digital arrived, combined with easier ways to publish promotional material (i.e. PDF's and websites). Previously you not only needed good photography, but a good printer/publisher to layout and print the leaflets/flyers. Many companies felt they no longer needed photographers for product shots when you could snap one digitally and whack it on a website.

Estate agent photos of houses were part of the bread and butter of many pros, they were the only ones with super-wide lenses and the contacts to print the right sized wet prints to stick on the particulars. Digital changed that as there was no need for a photographer (the photos were rubbish by comparison but much cheaper).

Now every man and his dog has a DSLR, many companies get by by using an employee with a camera, quality of the shots is not important as most end up on social media, hardly worthy of excellent photography, These days it's not even a camera but a smart phone.

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PPG Flickr