How to Make Money Online with Your Digital Photos

These are trying times.  People are looking for various and in some cases unusual ways to make money.  In this economy the opportunities are few and far between.  One way that may seem too simple but is real and possible for many.  The method I’m referring to is to sell digital photos online.

The bottom line for any individual or business to make money is to keep costs (expenses) down and to make revenue (money coming in).  That’s what makes this method of making money such a great idea.  The items needed to get this type of business going are pretty simple and relatively low cost compared the money that is out there to be made.

First you will obviously need a camera.  There is a wide range of digital cameras available.  They are broken into 3 main categories: 1) Compact or “Point and Shoot” 2) a mid-category that has some of the looks and additional features of the high-end Digital SLRs and offer higher resolution and image quality then the Compact Digitals and 3) the Digital SLRs (DSLR) are the top of the line just like the film SLR was the top of the line film camera.  SLR refers to Single Lens Reflex, or a camera that has one single lens to both view a scene and capture an image. What this means, to the casual photographer, is the picture you take will be the same as the image you view through the lens. It also means you can change the lens to take telephoto or wide angle photos. The most appealing aspect of an SLR camera is the ability to adjust the camera's settings manually, so that a seasoned photographer generally knows what the finished picture will look like before it is ever viewed.

You will also need software to enhance and edit your photos.  With Digital Photo Enhancement Software you can adjust many aspects of each photo.  From things as simple as brightness and contrast to somewhat more fun with changing the color image to Sepia tones or to a possibly more dramatic effect by making it a Black and White photo. Most Photo Enhancement Software is very simple to use. 

Another great aspect of editing your photos is the ability to crop and enlarge your photos.  Cropping is like digital scissors to cut out just the part of the photo you like.  It is even possible to crop one photo in many.  How often have you taken a group shot and not everyone was ready or had their eyes open.  If you happen to catch a couple good faces you can turn each of those into portraits!  It is that easy to make a bad picture into a great picture.

So with that in mind to allow for upside on your skill level and ability to appeal to a broader audience (potential customers), you should opt for a Digital SLR. The cost of these can range from a few hundred dollars to many thousands of dollars.  The high end DSLRs are mainly for top level professional photographers.  They have features that are just not necessary for the photo enthusiast and professional just starting out. 

Once you’ve chosen a camera (if you already have one you are well on your way!), then with a basic computer with internet connection you can be contacting the multitude of organizations ready to pay you for your photos. 

So assuming you don’t have a camera or a computer and have to purchase both, you still can get into this business for around $1500.  The return on this investment is only up to you and your pursuit of taking great photos and then selling them.  It can really be this simple.