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I know several entrepreneurs who took the leap and decided to go into business full-time as professional photographers or videographers. There are a few whom I also know considering making the jump, but had concerns about still being able to make money when things slow down. With the state of things across the world currently in the midst of a pandemic; small businesses are going to feel it or probably have begun to feel the blow from the economy beginning to tighten up.

Here are five ways to generate supplemental income if you are a photographer or videographer with more time on your hands.

Create Presets and Luts

We live in a time where people expect quick results sometimes. I know that being able to save time in areas can be a big win because I’ll be able to focus on another area longer if need be. There are countless photographers out there that probably would prefer to perform a few clicks and be able to complete an edit. Creating a preset for Lightroom would not only speed up your editing process, but also give other creatives the opportunity to do so. For my readers who aren’t photographers a preset would be just like a filter on instagram basically. Warm tones, cool tones, extra sharpening etc. The same goes for videographers. You could create a Lut (Lookup Table) for footage and sell LUT Packs on your website if you have one or an online store like sellfy.

Retouch Images

Do you know your way around Adobe or Capture one? Photo retouchers can make some nice coin editing images for photographers who would rather outsource and free up time to handle other aspects of their business. I have talked to some freelancers in the past with prices that range anywhere from $10 per image to $35 per image. It really just depends the kind of work being performed. There are so many different niches that you could work on as well. Beauty retouching, editing full weddings, food portraits and so on. You really have a wide range to choose from.

Edit Videos

Just like with image editing; video editing can be lucrative. Some videographers may not have the patience to learn how to color a video, add elements, sound design, put a story together that is cohesive and keeps the viewer interested. That is where you come in. You’re a good colorist? Ok, Offer your services to bring that footage to life with vibrant hues and warm tones. Are you good at putting clips together to where it will draw in a viewer? Definitely offer your skill set to someone in need of it. Connect with content creators out here that may not be that technical. That could relieve the pressure of having to create X amount of videos then turn around and edit them as well. If you have a good turn around time, great product to deliver and you mesh well with your client; you could very well turn 1 editing job into 2, then 3…10!!!

Stock Photography

What do you do with old images? If you don’t dump them in the trash bin on your desktop; why not sell them? Stock photography could definitely be a source for passive income. Businesses big and small are always looking for images to use for marketing purposes. Bloggers may also be looking for images to use for posts they are putting together. There are several stock photography sites that you can contribute to. Don’t know what to submit? Shutterstock sends out a monthly shot list for contributors and helpful tips on what type of images that members will be looking for. All sites vary as far as how much you can make, but it is definitely worth looking into. Pull out those old hard drives and upload some images. You never know if you have something lying there that could pull in some nice monthly income.

Teach

Offer your expertise on a specific niche. There is always someone or some people who are looking to learn a new skill. Offer one-on-one sessions or put on a workshop for small groups. You could offer this locally as well as in a setting where you traveled to teach. Technology makes everything so accessible now; so you could also offer webinars online via Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Google Hangouts just to name a few.

What are some other ways that could possibly generate income for someone involved with photography? Have you tried any of the choices listed above? If so please comment below and let me know what has worked the best for you.

When Chayla contacted me about a family portrait session I got super excited. A few years back I did Chayla and Vic’s engagement portraits. Fast forward to present date then add a baby in the mix and we have a party!

We planned to do our session at the Dallas Arboretum for the ending of their Autumn at the Arboretum exhibit. Imagine hundreds, maybe even thousands of pumpkins, gourds and squash being on display for locals and visitors alike to come take selfies, family portraits or just stroll through to see what’s going on. Our first stop had to be in the Pumpkin Village before we went anywhere else on the grounds.

I didn’t want to pose them too much during our time out because I really love seeing everyone in their element. Also, have you ever tried to keep a baby’s attention with a slew of noises and people walking by? It is almost impossible, lol! I expected a lot of foot traffic with it being Thanksgiving the next day, but it really wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. I was able to get off all of the shots I wanted with little to no problems. I even had help from a random onlooker with holding Auria’s attention. I had it for 2 seconds, LOL!

Before we wrapped up the family portraits we made a stop over at Northpark Center. I have the best clients I swear. They keep me on my toes with some of their requests. I hadn’t ever done a portrait session at the mall before and I didn’t know what we were going to be walking into with people doing some of their early Christmas shopping. I was really satisfied with the images we got while we were there. We actually found this cool spot outside of the Nike store that added some texture and contrast to the images. I could go on all day about these guys, but I won’t though. Take a look at some of our images from the day and leave a comment.