So Jax over at Raviolis and Waterworks got the bright idea to share what we've been doing. Like the cat wants to share. Really? That means more people will cash in on the millions doing it. Oh, wait. What's one more to a few million. I think we're good. So let's share. We've been taking photos of EVERYTHING and actually selling some. Who knew crap could sell. I'm talking literal crap. We'll get to that. But if you are ready to put your photos to work for you then get to it. Upload them, write a description, enter the category, place in some keywords, and then hit submit. Easy as that.
Start Your ShutterStock Journey Now!!!
What? You're still here? You didn't click the above link yet? You need a cat to explain more? Okay. I guess I could.
I'm looking at that link. Can't you see? Click and start when done. Good hobby and you could make some dough. Now on with it we go.
What Sells? What works? How do I get started?
First you see you take the picture. It all starts with that and...yeah, let's skip to the more usual stuff. If you can't take a picture then you may want to just avoid this all together. So after you take the picture and sign up for an account you upload and do as described above. Need it again?
Description! Category! Keywords!
Submit!
Then you hurry up and wait. They approve or deny and you once again hurry up and wait for a sale. Much like books or anything else it can take days or months to get a sale. So how do you up your odds? You submit stuff that sells. What sells? I'll help you with that.
BUNNIES! Bunnies sell. At least that I have found. Although you want clear shots. You see this one? It will get denied for things like film grain and focus. Get a good in-focus bunny shot and I find they sell.
FENCES AND SIGNS! Yeah. I cheated and doubled up. But I've had signs and fences sell. Not sure why people want a fence, but I suppose it is cheaper than putting up an actual fence. Those things are super expensive.
DUCKS! Ducks seem to sell. Not this one as they denied it approval due to focus, yeah they are strict at times, but I've had duck ones sell. A good tip for focus is if you zoom in a bit and it starts to get grainy, then you will probably get denied.
SCENERY! Now this one could take a long while. I've had scenery pics up for months with nothing and then suddenly a few sell here and there. So why not? It helps fill your portfolio and they aren't so hard to get, unless you live in a smoggy city or something.
RANDOM! That is right. If you want to sell on Shutterstock find the most random stuff and slap it up there. You never know what people want. Lots of times they won't buy the pretty pictures. They'll buy a glove on a pipe or...
POOP! Yep. You may look like a crazy person taking shots of dog crap as you walk, but guess what? They sell. I've actually sold literal crap. How many people can say that? I guess farmers and such. Don't burst my bubble.
LOO! Are you sensing a pattern here? Yeah. Humans seemed to be obsessed with potty stuff. I've sold pics of bathrooms too. Not this one as it got denied. Want to guess why? Because you can vaguely see a logo on one. Anything with logos you either have to submit as editorial or they get denied. Good FYI tip there.
FIRE! If things are burning then take pictures. Not if your house is burning down though. Get everyone out first and then take pictures. Hey. You may need them for insurance purposes too. Double win. But yeah, people sure like fire.
TICKS! It is a good idea to take pics of things that cause stuff. Like ticks that cause lyme disease and co-infections. Why? Because people are looking for pictures to use when they write articles about them. Stuff like needles, ticks, fleas, etc. are universal. The more avenues they have to write about them, the more you may sell a picture of such things on Shutterstock or elsewhere.
There is no one stop shop. If there were then everyone would be doing it. It takes lots of time and dedication. If you want to make a huge income, which is possible but not highly probable, then you have to work at it like any other job. But if you are just looking for a hobby on the side that isn't super complicated and may help pay your monthly fee for Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, or whatever other streaming service you use, then stock photography may be for you.
And Shutterstock is a great place to start.
What are you waiting for? Maybe pay that streaming service bill, put good use to your pics, create a hobby, and maybe even make a good chunk of change one day if you keep at it.
I'm still looking in the direction where you should click. Follow those eyes and give it a shot. Good luck on your Shutterstock journey. Not that the cat believes in luck, but I'll still say it to be nice. It takes work, trial and error, and lots of clicking. No free ride, but no reward ever comes that way. And you may sell things that I never have or I may sell things that you never will. Depends on who views it and timing. Snap anything and everything. Don't hold back.
So sign up, upload, write a description, add a category, put in keywords, and then hit submit. It's that straightforward.