So why are we here? To get you started selling your photography and help with the question “how photographers make money?”
When starting my photography business journey, one thing was clear, there is a mess of information out there about selling your photography and how photographers make money.
After spending hours and days sifting through the internet, I decided that I needed to share the avenues I researched with you.
Hopefully when you find this blog it will save you some time.
Best sites for selling your photos at a glance:
- Zenfolio – Best overall site for selling your photography
- SmugMug – Best range of plans for selling your images
- Picfair – Best free plan for starting to sell your photos
- ETSY – Best for no upfront costs for selling your photography
- Your own website – WordPress.com VS Squarespace – Best for keeping 100% of your profits
The key ingredient to selling your photography is taking the photos themselves.
To me, that is the most fun part. I don’t want to sit around for hours wondering which platform I should be using.
You’ve got your photos, you’ve edited them nicely, now what?
Here are my top picks to help you make your decision on the best place to sell your photography!
Zenfolio – Best overall site for selling your photography
Prints? CHECK. Downloads? CHECK. Packages? CHECK. Gifts? CHECK.
Offering a huge range of photography products, Zenfolio has long been a leader in the photography ecommerce field.
Zenfolio are also always improving and simplifying the important aspects of running your photography business and selling your images, allowing you to focus on the fun part – taking the photos!
If “how photographers make money” is the question you have, using a site like Zenfolio is a good place to start!
Zenfolio, like Smugmug, uses on a monthly subscription service, which can look a tad on the pricey side.
If Zenfolio appeals to you I would recommend waiting until they have an offer on their subscription plans.
Here’s a deal your very own photography e-commerce store!
SmugMug – Best range of plans for selling your images
Smugmug works on a subscription-based service, priding itself in being able to get you started with a photography store in as little as 15 minutes!
Granted, I’d recommend spending more time than 15 minutes on this, but you get the picture – it’s quick and easy.
You take the photos, upload them, and Smugmug will handle the rest – from payments and orders to fulfillment and shipping.
Smugmug currently offer a free 14-day trial, however moving on after that you will need to pay a monthly fee for one of their 4 plans that range from “Basic” to “Pro”.
Picfair – Best free plan for starting to sell your photos
Picfair has stormed onto the photography e-commerce scene in the last couple of years, to help you sell your photography.
Their main selling point is that you decide how much to sell your images for. Although so do the other sites listed in this article.
The thing that appeals to me most about Picfair is that they have a free plan! That’s right, you can have your own photography store for FREE!
If you are looking to test the water, and see if photography e-commerce is for you, then this is the best place to start. Here is Picfair’s handy guide to getting you started!
You can upload up to 50 images on the free plan and set your own price. Picfair will add a percentage on top of your price to the buyer, in order to provide the services at no cost to you.
Should you choose to jump in with both feet it’s easy to sign up to their premium service “Picfair Plus.”
ETSY – Best for no upfront costs for selling your photography
Looking for another place that provides no upfront costs for selling your photography? Look no further than ETSY.
With ETSY they will take a small percentage from each sale, allowing ETSY to be able to provide you the ability to run your own store at no upfront cost to you.
This marketplace boasts over 4 million active sellers, and over 80 million active buyers.
Therefore, you instantly have access to a HUGE market and endless possibilities.
Although ETSY photography stores are arguably an over-saturated market, you’ve got to be in it to win it, so don’t be shy!
VS
YOUR OWN WEBSITE
Sure, having most of the photography site design already done is nice, but you know what’s nicer? Keeping 100% of the profits.
Looking to move into the world of creating your very own photography website?
Look no further than WordPress.com and Squarespace.
Both of these website builders have varying plans at varying prices, however one thing they have in common is that’s it’s flipping easy to make your own website!
Are you sitting there saying “I can’t do that”? Throw some cold water on your face and wake up, BECAUSE YOU CAN!
WordPress offers a free plan, and also has plans at a lower price point than Squarespace. This website was built using WordPress.com. For some free credits to get you started with WordPress.com click the button!
WordPress powers over 40% of the internet so you know you’re in good hands, and has far more ability to help you grow. However, for a basic website that’s ready out of the box, then Squarespace is definitely easier to set up.
Also, if you have the budget, but are sat there saying “ew nope, that’s not for me” but still feel your own website is important (trust me it is!), then head to Fiverr to check out expert freelancers on hand to help you get started selling your photography!
For more details on building your own photography website check out this article.
Final thoughts
Wondering “thanks for information, but what are your top picks?”
- Zenfolio for your photography e-commerce solution
- WordPress.com to run your website.
The reason being:
- Don’t have the time right now to handle shipping, printing, customer service etc? Zenfolio allows you to run a store without all that malarky.
- WordPress.com has incredibly powerful features that allows my website and business to grow quickly!
Have any thoughts on these ecommerce solutions? Would you recommend a different platform?
Feel free to share this article if you think it will help someone who is wondering where to sell their images or how photographers make money!
DISCLOSURE: I may earn a small commission from some of the links above. For the benefit of the doubt, please assume all links might be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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