Unlock
Your Photo Potential
I suspect
most of us have got several photo albums at home, containing a wide
range of photographs taken over a number of years - black and white
and colour prints, taken on holidays and in the home. You may also
have an old shoebox or two of forgotten photos that you haven't
got round to framing or mounting yet.
If
this sounds like you, now is the time to search for your shoebox!
Why? Well you could be in a position to earn a lot of money from
all those old photos stored away in a forgotten corner, by selling
them to the markets that are crying out for suitable photos. The
key to success is knowing where to send them.
You
may think the only way to sell photos is by writing an article for
a magazine, and then illustrating it with appropriate shots, but
this isn't so. It's true that most magazines are in desperate need
of photographic material, but it doesn't necessarily have to be
accompanied by an article.
In
fact, I have recently written to a couple of photographic magazines,
offering photo based features on improving your holiday snaps. Both
replied to the effect that they would be happy to see the photos,
but they did not accept freelance articles! So you don't have to
be a writer to sell to magazines in this country, or abroad. It's
simply a question of unearthing all the markets which need the kind
of photos you can supply.
So…
how do you find out what markets exist?
Well,
there are several ways of doing this. The best place to start is
by examining magazines you read regularly. Many magazines pay fees
for single photographs published on a letters page or readers' page.
Others may require a short descriptive paragraph or caption to accompany
the shot, but as long as you keep it short and simple, this should
present no problems.
Going
a little further afield, publications such as the Writers' and Artists'
Yearbook and the Writers' Market will give you information on a
whole selection of magazines and newspapers. You can then single
out those which appeal to you, and which are likely to take photographs,
and approach the editor for more information.
For
the more experienced photographer who can provide slides, photo
libraries and greetings cards manufacturers are also worth looking
into. A preliminary query to discover their exact requirements would
be the first step - but be warned. These particular outlets will
accept only the most perfect and professional of shots. That said,
if you can provide what they want, you could be receiving some big
payments.
But
for the amateur photographer who is keen to make some money out
of the kinds of photos we all have in the album (or shoebox!), the
best markets to try exist abroad - whichever country you may be
living in.
Consider
this. I live in the U.K., where my collection of photos is pretty
average - snapshots of castles, days out at the seaside, pubs, trips
to Oxford, the Lake District, and so on. And as far as the U.K.
goes, my collection is pretty average. Many British editors can
obtain their photos easily, without needing to 'buy in' from a freelance
photographer.
Of
course, if you happen to be 'on the spot' in a unique situation
which the average photographer would probably miss, then your shots
would be in demand. But you don't stumble onto such opportunities
every day.
But
if I was to offer my photos to America, for example, this situation
wouldn't arise. American editors find it much harder to obtain photos
of British subjects and places (the kind of photos I have in my
possession now), because of the distance between countries. Sending
a staff photographer out to get the required shots is not as easy
when they need to go abroad to do it.
And
this is where you come in - whatever country you live in. By obtaining
details of magazines in a different country to the one you live
in (the internet can be a good way to do this), you can determine
the kind of markets which are likely to take your photos. Always
query initially before sending valuable snapshots abroad though
- it's cheaper. And make sure you always have copies.
Another
advantage of selling your photos abroad is that you will be paid
far more than you would be selling photos in your home country.
You will be making editors' jobs much easier by supplying them with
the photos they need, and they will pay you well accordingly.
So
clear out your cupboards, dust off your albums and dig out your
shoeboxes. You could be sitting on a goldmine which could earn you
a tidy sum!
