Stock photography is a lucrative passive income source for photographers. However, of late, stock photography has become very competitive as the number of stock photographers and videographers has increased manifold. Almost anyone with a camera can potentially sell their photos online, which is the primary reason many photographers come into stock photography in the first place.
However, the business has become saturated with many new entrants into stock photography. Does that mean that entering into stock photography will be difficult in 2023? Yes, it’s difficult, but not impossible. With careful research and a change in the approach, you can still make a decent passive income with your stock photography.
Focus on videography
One of the areas that you can focus on in 2023 is the stock video. Over 80% of the time, videos make more money as stock content than images. Most players who upload both images and videos suggest that stock videos convert better than stock images, even though stock videos occupy a smaller proportion of their uploaded content.
Creating video content does not take a lot of your time. If you’re already there at a location and your primary objective is to shoot still shots, you may as well spend some time shooting a few video clips and make the most of the opportunity. That way, you’ve both types of content at your disposal and don’t have to invest extra time and energy.
Find locations that are not often visited
One way to make compelling images is to scout for locations that people do not often visit. This is hard but not impossible. One of your favorite places will be to photograph Central Park if you live in New York City. But that happens to be one of the most photographed places in the world. Find a location that people rarely visit, such as a large building or a run-down alley that photographers rarely visit. Make the most of that by shooting images of urban decay.
Stay ahead of the trend
The world is driven by new information about what’s happening in different corners of the world. If your city is experiencing protests, agitation, or any public gathering that has international ramifications, then publishers will look for images and video clips of those incidents online. As a photographer, you can make a decent amount of money if you shoot images and video clips of those events and upload them on stock photography websites. But you’ve to be ready to look for those images ahead of time. You’ve to follow the latest news and updates to understand what will happen in the future. There may be other photographers also looking to follow those events. So, you’ve to be one step ahead of the competition.