Cash From Your Camera - Finding Your Place and Making Money From Stock Photography

Digital photography has made stock photography simpler and easier. Making cash from your camera has become a possibility to thousands of amateur photographers. But, the question remains how do I do it and where is my place in this lucrative market? This article will help you find your place in the market.

There several things you need to know about yourself before you can seriously enter the very competitive field of stock. If you don't you'll find yourself competing in areas that are dominated by top photographers resulting in little to no income for yourself. Here's what you need to know in order to gain a foothold.

1. Get to know yourself

This may sound very cliched but it is very true and fundamental to you getting anywhere in making money from your photography. Who you are as a person will determine what you like and what you passions are. If you aren't passionate about the images you love it won't come out in your photography. You won't spend the necessary time in creating them and focus on your strengths and expertise.

2. Get to know your strengths

By knowing your photographic strengths and weaknesses, you can zero in on your strengths and discard your weaknesses. Although, it may be necessary to find ways to strengthen your areas of weakness. It is pointless thinking that you are a great landscape photographer when you don't compare with the others in the business.

3. Get to know your weaknesses

These are the areas that will let you down in any business venture and even more so in your photography. If you haven't any idea that you can't really shoot a particular genre of photography you'll continue to deliver sub-standard images.

Now this is all well and good but unless you know how to discover who you are and what drives you in your photography, you won't get anywhere. Here's a vital exercise for you to work on to help discover your photographic heartbeat.

4. Get to know your photographic heartbeart

Cut up some pieces of paper and starting writing answers to these questions. Label two containers ONE and TWO. Now start answering the following questions. One answer to each slip of paper.

a. What is your career? What is your dream career? What career are you working towards.

b. What hobbies or interests do you have? Stamp collecting, trainspotting or dog training.

c. Write the subjects of the magazines you subscribe to on a regular basis.

d. When you go out on a photo shoot where do go and what types of photos do like taking. People, cars, sunsets etc.

e. Look through your photo albums and look for a common theme that runs through your images and write it down.

f. What subjects do like watching on TV? Jets, boats, animals, birds etc.

g. Who do you know that has a unique or specialised career or hobby? A dancer, radio presenter, paramedic etc.

h. Write down all the major geographical features (mountains, hot springs or lake) and any man-made structures (bridges and buildings) close to you.

i. What city or area do you live in.

Write all of these subjects, hobbies, careers etc. down each on its own slip of paper and place them in container ONE. Now check and see if any of the following subjects are in your container ONE.

Landscapes, sunsets, cuddly pets or animals, birds, flowers, insects, tourist sites, historic landmarks, silhouettes, sports, abstracts, arty images, seascapes, hands, feet, eyes, fashion, computers,

If they are then remove them and place them into container TWO. Container TWO now has the areas of maximum competition. These are the areas where you will find an oversupply of images and unless you are top in your field you'll make the least sales. So what do you do now with the papers that remain in container ONE? You have discovered your photographic identity. Give yourself a pat on the back.

Now that you know who you are you need to do some more sifting. Now you need to be rational. Which of the remaining items are not really a possibility? Your neighbour is a scuba diver or police officer and both are impractical for you shoot due to equipment or legal restrictions. Remove them from container ONE.

Next on your removal list are those areas that are niche type markets or areas that would have limited interest. Eliminate those as well. You should be down to far fewer subjects in your container ONE. Now on to the final elimination round.

Which of the subjects or areas that are in your container ONE are of no interest to you? Which ones don't you have easy access to and are not within your immediate budget? Which ones have a lot of competition? Is your knowledge limited in any of the subjects? Place all of these in container TWO.

Now it's down to the wire. Take the remaining subjects in container ONE and prioritise them in order of interest, sales potential and your knowledge. Now take the top three or four and put them to one side and put the rest in container TWO. You now have your top possibilities for a stock photography business. These are the areas of your interest and best potential.

All your available time and resources should go towards developing your skills and ability in these areas. Concentrate on shooting photos within these spheres and you will be soon be making money from your camera.