How to Upload Images to Stock Photo Websites
Uploading and selling your digital photos and images on stock photography websites can be a good way to earn a little extra money while gaining exposure as a photographer. Most stock photography sites allow you to register to sell your photos on the site for free, and pay you a percentage of all sales your photos generate. You must own the photos you want to sell on the site. You cannot sell someone else's photos unless you have the copyrights to the photos.
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Instructions
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Choose the stock photography site where you want to upload. Popular sites include istockphoto.com, shutterpoint.com and dreamstime.com.
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Go to the site and create an account to sell photos. Some sites have different accounts for buying stock photos as opposed to selling them, so be sure to click the "register" or "sign up" button that corresponds to creating an account for selling your photos. Most sites are free to sign up for selling photos. Other sites require you to purchase storage space to store your photos online, though these sites usually pay a higher commission percentage for photos you sell.
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Complete all additional required information (the required information varies by site). Once you create your account, some sites will ask you to take a quiz to make sure you are a legitimate person wanting to sell photos. Other sites will require you to fill out copyright forms to ensure you have the copyrights to your photos. The steps vary between sites, but the required information is generally not difficult to complete.
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Upload your photos. Most sites will have an "upload" button within your account once your account is up and running. Click the "upload" button and use the site's upload tool to upload your photos. Some upload tools allow you to upload multiple photos simultaneously, but require you to install the upload software. If this is the case, install the upload software and then proceed with uploading your photos.
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Add keywords and set prices (if the site allows you to) for your photos. Some sites will set the price for you. Others will allow you to name your own price. If your photo does not sell after several weeks, consider revising your keywords so people can find it easier, or lowering your price to make it more attractive to buyers.
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Tips & Warnings
Some stock photography sites allow you to see which photos are selling best during a given time period. Research to see what kinds of photos people are buying as well as what keyword terms they are using to search for photos.
Read all terms and conditions of your stock photography account and rules for selling and being paid for your work. If the percentage is lower than you would like, or if the payments are not processed frequently enough, try another site.
