How to Make Money Selling Photos of Yourself

Co-authored by Ben Whitehair and Madeleine Flamiano

Last Updated: July 7, 2022 References

Are you a fan of taking selfies and making money? Luckily, you have lots of opportunities to do both! Nowadays there are so many places online where you can sell photos of yourself. If you'd like to earn money by taking photos of yourself, check out our comprehensive guide on getting started below. Whether you've got a digital camera or a smartphone, you'll start up a fun side hustle in no time.

Section 1 of 2:

Best Places to Sell Photos Of Yourself

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Shuttershock. Shutterstock makes it super easy to upload and sell photos of yourself. You just upload your photos and earn a commission whenever someone buys one of them. The amount of commission you earn depends on how many photos you sell (the more you sell, the higher your commission percentage).^{[1]
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iStock. iStock is an online stock photo marketplace where you can sell pictures of yourself. You’ll need to apply first, which includes submitting a few sample photos. Once you’re accepted, you’ll earn a commission off of any photos you sell.^{[2]
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500px. When you join 500px and make an account, the website’s “Pulse algorithm” will make sure the first images you upload get exposure right away. List your photos on their global marketplace to build an international customer base. 500px splits royalties three ways between you, a distributor, and 500px. You’ll earn 60% in royalties for exclusive photos and 30% for non-exclusive photos.^{[3]
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Foap. Join and upload photos to your online Foap profile, where companies and customers can purchase your content. Foap lets you sell photos for 10USD each and take a 50% commission, win a contest and earn $50, or work with a brand and collect $30 for each image sold.^{[4]
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123RF. Sign up as a 123RF Contributor and create a portfolio of licensable images that’s public to over 5 million potential buyers. 123RF gives you a 30% commission if you’re a Level 1 Contributor. You earn a 60% commission if you’re a Level 8 contributor with 1 million credits.^{[5]
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Adobe Stock. Join Adobe and license your images to millions of possible customers—they can find you right within any Adobe app. Adobe Stock lets you make up to 33% in royalties, so you can earn between 0.33USD to 26.40USD depending on the package of photos a customer buys.^{[6]
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Alamy. Create an account and check out Alamy’s analytics so you can see what their customers want. Shoot and upload content based on market demand—buyers around the world may pay to feature your images on billboards, shows, or websites. Alamy pays out a 20% cut if you have a silver membership. A gold membership gives you a 40% cut and a platinum membership gives you a 50% cut.^{[7]
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Stocksy. Apply as a contributor and license your art to some of the most popular brands around the world. Stocksy lets you earn a 50% royalty if your images are covered by a Standard License and a 75% royalty if your photos come with an Extended License.^{[8]
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Fiverr. Join Fiverr’s freelance community and charge between 5USD to 10,000USD to take photos of yourself as a “Gig.” Fiverr takes a 20% cut from any gig under 40USD and a 25% cut for any Gig over 40USD.^{[9]
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Etsy. Make an account and set up an Etsy store, where millions of shoppers can browse your images and buy digital files or prints. Etsy requires you to pay .20USD per listing and takes 5% of the profits for each sale.^{[10]
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Society6. Join Society6 and upload your photos to your “artist shop.” Create your own product line and build your brand by designing art and decor that feature images of you. Society6 will print and ship your works. Society6 pays out 10% of a sale’s profits but lets you set your own markup prices.^{[11]
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FineArtAmerica. FineArtAmerica’s process is simple—just make an account and upload your images. Then, design products like wall art, home decor, or phone cases that you can sell to customers all over the world. FineArtAmerica lets you choose a markup price for a photo and gives you a 30% commission.^{[12]
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Blurb. Join Blurb and get 35% off the first photo book you design. Use Blurb’s “creation tools” to make your own coffee table books or ebooks, then sell them on Amazon and over 39,000 stores. Blurb charges you to print your photos but you keep 100% of your commissions.^{[13]
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ModelCentro. Provide your email address to set up a fan site for free. Review ModelCentro’s training tutorials at no cost to learn how to build a brand and monetize your photos. ModelCentro lets you sell any modeling pictures of yourself, including fine art nudes or erotica. After processing payments, ModelCentro takes a 25% cut.^{[14]
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Patreon. Patreon is a subscription-based website where your fans can pay for your art. Create a Patreon account and earn a recurring income through monthly payments from patrons who want access to your photos. The platform allows nudity as well as adult content and takes 5% of your earnings.^{[15]
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OnlyFans. Create a free account to share your images. Set a subscription price based on your projected follower count and the money you want to earn every month. OnlyFans allows you to keep 80% of your earnings. You’re allowed to post explicit content, including pictures of your body. ^{[16]
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Your own website. Wordpress, Wix, and Squarespace are all popular website builders where you can post your portfolio and sell your photos or prints. Since you’ll get 100% from each sale, even photos set at a low price point can help you earn a lot of money over time.
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Social media. Join a platform, like Instagram or TikTok, where companies can easily see how many followers you have. Once you've established a following, you can charge advertisers to post sponsored pictures of yourself.^{[17]
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- You can increase your chances of selling your photos by choosing three brand points to describe your content. For instance, you might have "travel" as one of your brand points if you post photos of you traveling or touring your city.

Section 2 of 2:

Getting Started Selling Photos of Yourself

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Use a camera or smartphone with a high-quality lens. High-quality lenses—like prime lenses—are not only lightweight and user-friendly, but also great for shooting sharp, high resolution pictures of yourself.^{[18]
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Research source} Try a DSLR—digital single-lens reflex camera—that’s popular for portrait photography.^{[19]
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Research source}If you want to use a smartphone, go for one that has autofocus as well as software to enhance lighting.^{[20]
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- Most DSLR cameras already have “Portrait Mode” as a preset option.
- If you’re still learning, try an entry-level camera with a user-friendly control layout and Guide Mode, like the Nikon D3500.^{[21]
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- The iPhone 13 Pro Max or the Pixel 6 Pro are great options because they have four cameras that are ideal for selfies.^{[22]
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Enhance your photos with software. Add effects, filters, or “presets”—lighting adjustments that just need one click—to your images.^{[23]
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Research source} Adjust the coolness or the warmth to complement your complexion. Crop your photo and use airbrushing tools to achieve a professional look. When you edit your images so they're high-quality, you'll increase the demand for your content.
- If you’d like to save time, buy low-cost presets from a marketplace like Etsy. Many of these filters are made by professional photographers.
- Presets can make your portraits pop. Most presets work on smartphones, too.
- Add logos or watermarks to your photos to build your brand.
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Build your social media presence. Take a lot of photos and share them often to attract followers and draw in customers. When you get positive feedback, thank people. Pay attention to the images that get the most exposure or customers, then produce content that’s similar to those and that’s easy to monetize. ^{[24]
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- Consider collaborating with other creators with a lot of followers.
- One helpful tip for becoming popular on social media is to have a regular posting schedule. Posting consistently will keep people engaged.
- Ask your audience what photos they’d like to see— they’ll appreciate that.
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Continue improving your photography skills. Develop your photography skills by experimenting with new angles, forms of lighting, and types of composition. Try posting your content online to receive critiques, then incorporate the feedback. Study photos you admire and join workshops.^{[25]
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- Be patient and enjoy the process—your customers will notice all the effort you put into your images.
- If you become very proficient, you can give your followers behind-the-scenes content so they can take photos like you do.

Expert Q&A

Question

Should I delete photos I don't like anymore?

Ben Whitehair
Social Media Expert
Ben Whitehair is a Social Media Expert and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of TSMA Consulting. With over a decade of experience in the social media space, he specializes in leveraging social media for business and building relationships. He also focuses on social media’s impact on the entertainment industry. Ben graduated summa cum laude from The University of Colorado at Boulder with BAs in Theatre and Political Science as well as a Leadership Certificate. In addition to his work as CIO, Ben is a certified business and mindset coach and National Board Member of SAG-AFTRA. He is also a successful entrepreneur as the Co-Founder of Working.Actor, the premier business academy and coaching community for actors.

Ben Whitehair

Social Media Expert

Expert Answer

You don't necessarily have to delete low-quality photos, but it's a good idea to archive them. If you're building up your social media presence, people might get confused if they see low-quality pics or photos that don't match your page themes. You'll get more attention if you only post your best content.