How to have your cake and eat in when it comes to Stock photography

When it comes to making money from your photography there are several ways to do so.

1. Shoot weddings
2. Have a studio and shoot portraits, family groups and pets
3. Have a studio and do product shots, food photography and the like
4. Become an events photographer
5. Specialise in doing headshots for celebs, company execs or models
6. Become a fine art photographer and make galleries you main market
7. Do environmental photography e.g. shooting industrial subjects
8. Do advertising campaigns for companies, the media (editorials) and brands etc
9. Landscapes and travel photography, for magazines, travel agencies, tourist boards etc
10. Stock photography, specialising in a particular image style or subject

I have probably missed out some area but these are the most popular choices for the photographer and others such as forensic photographer or medical photographer ae very specialised and opportunities will be few and far between. I haven't mentioned teaching which is generally a paid role and you are using your experience to earn money rather than selling your images etc.

So, as you can see, there are plenty of opportunities to make money from your photography. All of them require commitment from you in terms of time, energy and resources. It is highly unlikely you will become rich and famous overnight, if ever, when you start out in your chosen field.

Yes, some photographers seem to cover more than one area but for most of us it will by specialising in one area that we will have some measure of success and hopefully, make a living from it. Those who succeed in more than one area are rare individuals and there is an element of luck in their success. So often, when you look into how a great photographer found success you will find that they were in the right place at the right time, or they met a key individual or landed a key commission which eventually led on to greater success. Such individuals may, for example, start off as photojournalist and find later on in life that they are in demand for editorial images for a top newspaper or magazine. Or they may find themselves being offered an opportunity to shoot for a big brand as a result of them becoming known for a certain style.

So, what was I saying, oh yes, how to have your cake and eat in when it comes to stock photography. Now, this phrase is actually not as straightforward as it might seem. Over almost 500 years there has been quote a bit of debate on the actual meaning of the phrase and even on the correct way to say it. Is it 'have' before the 'eat it' or the other way around? Up until about 1935 it was 'cake' before 'have' but now it's generally said with the 'have your cake' coming first.

As well as how it is spoken and written, there has been lots of debate over the actual meaning, especially as, in English, to 'have' can also mean 'eat'! An example would be "I am going to have my cake now rather than later." All very confusing but then English has lots of things to confuse anyone learning it.

So, what do I mean by it? Well, I mean this by it: you can be a photographer who shoots lots of images that fall into many of the areas I listed above and at the same time make money by licensing your images through a stock library - sort of having your cake and eating it!

Also, if you want a bigger slice of the cake (see where I am going with this.. clever eh?) by using a stock agency (library) that pays you more of the royalties earned by your images than other agencies. Not only that, if you also bring in referrals, you will earn extra cash. I am taking here about Picfair who are a relatively newcomer to the world of stock photography. On average most stock agencies (libraries) will only pass onto you @ 25% -30% of the royalties. Picfair work differently in that they add 20% to the fee you set for your images so that you get more from the royalties. The image below shows an example of how this works.

So, if you want a bigger slice of the cake, or indeed, have your cake and eat it then head on over to Picfair's site and sign up.