Everywhere we look today we see great photographs being used to sell products - all of these images are well-exposed colourful shots that were taken by photographers from all corners of the globe. It does not matter where you live; if your images are good enough they will sell.
The market out there for freelance photographers is massive. Every day publishers and photo editors are on the lookout for new talent. Photography publishing companies will not care if you are a professional or amateur. If your photography is good enough they will pay you the going rate.
To sell your images to the magazine market or any other type of market, the first thing you must understand is the standard required. You must compare your images to the images that are published by that company. If your pictures are up to the standard you have a chance of being published. If they are not you must be your own hardest critic and try to improve.
The best way to understand what a publisher is looking for is to buy copies of their product. Once you have a copy, you must study all the images they use. Once you have compared your images to the shots that they have used, put together a portfolio of your best work and send this to the publishing company. Include a stamped addressed envelope so that the images can be returned to you.
Most publishers will have a set of guidelines for photographers on their website - I would strongly advise you to read these carefully before you send them your work.
When submitting photographs, make sure you give a detailed caption for each image, and if the photograph has people in it, make sure you have a photo release signed. Publishers will not use images of people without a proper photo release signed. If your image has private property the publisher may also request a signed release form.
The image caption does not need to be several pages, but you should at least have the location of the image, the date the picture was taken and any other information that you think may be useful.
Do not be afraid to submit your images if you think they are good enough - every photographer has to make a start and every photographer will get rejected now and again. No one will like receiving a rejection slip through the door, but this may happen from time to time.
Thousands of images are used online and the market is growing larger each year. If you are serious about selling your photography try to put an online portfolio together where people can see greater samples of your work.
If you are successful at selling your images to magazines and to all types of publishing companies, the chances are that with time you will accumulate thousands of great images. You will then need someone to handle and run this part of your business and to sell your pictures for you and you will need to find a stock photography agency that can handle all your sales and give you the time to take more images.
