Photo Profitz Blog

In the world of stock photography, pictures of people are very sellable. Pictures of “abs” and such will sell even more. There are many different types of pictures of people that buyers are looking for. Weight loss buyers would look for pictures of the extremely obese and those in shape. Some people may want pictures of successful looking people and others may want people in action answering calls, picking up trash, etc. The possibilities are nearly endless.

The problem that comes with shooting people is the need of a model release. If you have a person in your photo and he or she is distinguishable then you will need a model release. The model release is basically a form that is signed and the model gives consent of you being able to do what you will with the photo.

It is an ABSOLUTE requirement from most stock photo agencies that you have a model release. This protects them and you from any issues that may arise. When you upload your model release online don’t just throw it away. Save it and hold onto it in case something happens.

You also will need releases for animals and such showing that you are the owner of it. This is true also for properties. If you take a picture of someone else’s house then you need a property release even if it’s your own house.

ASMP.org has model release forms you can use for photography. If you are not selling your photo or putting it into public domain you don’t need a model release form. There are also other occasions when you don’t need it but it can get somewhat complicated. Bottom line - If you’re selling your photos have the paperwork.

Learn How to Sell Pictures Online 

When you submit a photo to a stock photo website you will usually have the option to check the box and have your photo become “exclusive” to a certain website. What this does is make your photo only available to that website. Some companies even have their own model releases that are needed for exclusive photos.

The benefits of having an exclusive photo are that it will make more money per download. Having an exclusive photo, however, does not mean it’ll make more money. If your photo sucks you won’t sell it no matter what!

Deciding to have an exclusive photo is not a small choice. If you choose to do so you will not be able to upload it anywhere else. Don’t take it lightly when you check that button and go and submit it to other websites.

There are various stock photo websites around nowadays. These stock photos are free to get into and you can sell as many photos as you want. What does this mean?

It means if you want to sell a hundred thousand photos nobody’s stopping you! These stock photo websites are sort of like ebay except without the bidding. You load your pictures into them and anybody can see them and download them resulting in you getting paid. Your purchaser could be a photography collector, a 3d animator in need of photo textures, a guy wanting a really cool desktop, a filmmaker that needs some photos for his video, a shirt designer that needs some pictures…you get the idea!

When you sell your photo you get around .25 cents. This can go up if you have the photo “exclusively” for that stock photo website. The way people profit from stock photo websites is by submitting sellable photos in a large quantity. Submitting ten or even twenty photos will not make you rich. Submitting 1,000 photos, on the other hand, could reap some nice pay.