ALT-3 Best Sites for Making Money on the Internet
Stock photography is an example of a business that has been revolutionised by the internet, opening opportunities for many more people to make money in it. Stock photos are existing images made available for use, usually through agencies, or photo libraries. A photographer grants an agency the right to market their image(s) and if one is used receives a royalty payment. With the web and digital photography this is now largely an internet based business.
A new breed of agencies have sprung up with aggressive/disruptive pricing models licensing images for as little as a few dollars. This has opened up opportunities for competent 'amateurs' to make their photos available and earn an income from them! Known as Micro fee, or Micro stock, these outlets can generate significant income for those with the skill, determination and time to build up a strong portfolio of photos. They work on the pile them high and sell them cheap type of business philosphy! There are some individuals who have become successful enough to be earning a full time living now working at micro stock!
Some of the agencies worth looking at are listed below. As images are marketed on a "royalty free" basis it is possible to have the same portfolio of images marketed across numerous sites to maximise exposure.
http://www.shutterstock.com/rid=2334
http://www.dreamstime.com/resp2009
http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php?refnum=alexh
http://www.bigstockphoto.com/?refid=FL4j2pNFUh
http://www.canstockphoto.com?r=1385
http://www.fotolia.com/partner/3940
http://www.featurepics.com/Login/Registration.aspx?refid=263
Obviously this particular way of earning an online income requires that you have a good level of skill as a photographer and wish to persue it a little more seriously and learn what kind of images make good stock images and therefore sell! I think it illustrates though how many industries are changing and opening up to involvement as a result of the internet. If you have a particular skill or interest it may be worth investigating how you might be able work with it now via the net!
