Turning a flash into cash

[elliotspirrett]

<p>Hi all,<br />Sorry for the pun in the subject, but I'm mainly wondering (not for myself, just out of curiosity - I'm not a good photographer), how it's possible to turn photos into cash? I know friends whose photos could have come straight off of posters/out of books etc. etc. and wondering if these people would be able to get these photos onto products etc. and make money. <br />Also, photos of famous landmarks obviously make good postcards, and I wondered if there has ever been a market in these kinds of photos.<br>

Cheers<br />Elliot.</p>

[mikael_karlsson]

<p>Elliot:<br>

Do a Google-search for "stock photography" and start reading. There are some really good agencies out there that make great sales for their photographers and there are photographers who markets their own work to a targeted clientele. It's all in how you market it and what you shoot - in that order. I've seen very talented photographers fail miserably because a lack of business-knowledge.</p>

<p>Oh, and as far as the famous landmark stuff. Do yourself a favor. Think of a landmark you can easily photograph. Then search the agencies (Corbis, Getty, Alamy, iStock, et al) for photos of that same landmark. Can you come up with something better/different/significantly more up to date than what you find? If the answer is "yes" shoot it, if not, well... start searching for something different.</p>

<p>The people I know personally that have been successful in their photography business have one thing in common. They all specialize in something unique. They bring something to the table that nobody else have/offers/have thought about. They all also understand that if you want to be a full-time photographer you have to treat it like any serious business.</p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

<p>Ps. The other obvious answer to your pun is: Sell the flash on e-B*y...</p>

[felix_mizioznikov]

<p>heres a link to one of the sites where I sell my work on. It's called shutterstock.com</p>

<p><strong>http://submit.shutterstock.com/?ref=68697 </strong></p>

<p><strong>There are many out there and many photographers are making over 6 figures.<br /> </strong></p>

[bethe_fisher]

<p>Also find the book "The Photographer's Market" (maybe in your library). It lists many places to sell your photos (though you may need to do the legwork).</p>