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If you’re like most people, you’re interested in ways to make extra money outside of a job. What better way to do that than to turn one of your hobbies into a business?
Do you enjoy taking photos or videos? Whether you’re shooting with a high-end camera or just getting great results with your smartphone, there are more opportunities than ever to monetize your visual storytelling abilities. You could earn a little extra spending money, or this could be something that eventually grows to a full-time income.
The best part about photography and videography side hustles is their flexibility. You can start small, work around your schedule, and scale up as you gain experience and confidence. Here are ten proven ways to make money with photography and videography.
1. Stock Photos and Video Footage
Stock photography and videography offer one of the most passive income streams for visual creators. Businesses, bloggers, designers, and marketers always need quality images and clips they can use in their work, and they typically turn to stock marketplaces.
By contributing your work to stock photo and video websites, you can earn money every time your work is licensed. And as you build a larger portfolio, you can increase your income.
It’s important to have realistic expectations when it comes to stock photos and videos. This is an excellent option for earning supplementary passive income, but earning a full-time income from stock is unlikely. View it as a flexible way to earn money with your hobby, and an income stream that can grow with time as you upload more photos and videos.
Over the past 5-10 years, free photo websites have become increasingly popular. But, there’s also a way to make money by offering your work for free instead of sticking exclusively to traditional stock photo/video licensing. Vecteezy is a stock marketplace with both free and paid content, and it’s one of the only platforms that pays contributors for free downloads. As a contributor, you can earn $5 for every 1,000 downloads of your free content. That means you can build a side hustle income without even needing to sell your work.
2. Portrait Photography
Portrait photography remains one of the most reliable photography side hustles, and there are plenty of ways to go about it. Families always need updated photos, new parents want to capture their newborn’s first weeks, and high school seniors need graduation portraits.
Mini-sessions work particularly well for side hustlers because they’re time-efficient and lower-pressure for both you and your clients. Offer 20-30 minute sessions at popular outdoor locations, price them competitively, and you can often book multiple sessions in a single afternoon or evening. This approach helps you build a portfolio while generating immediate income.
3. Sports Photography
Local sports create consistent opportunities for photographers willing to work weekends and evenings. Youth sports organizations, high schools, and community leagues often need team photos, action shots, and event coverage.
Team photography can be especially profitable because you’re selling to multiple families from a single shoot. Many sports photographers offer package deals that include both team and individual player photos. The key is developing relationships with coaches, athletic directors, and league organizers who can provide you with repeat business season after season.
4. Real Estate Photography
Most home buyers start their search online. Real estate agents need high-quality photos and videos that make properties look their best, and many are willing to pay well for professional results.
The barrier to entry is relatively low if you already have a decent camera, but investing in a wide-angle lens and basic lighting equipment will significantly improve your results. This is an excellent option if you’re looking for a business with potential to generate a full-time income. Since your services help clients generate income, they’re willing to pay more for quality work. If you develop relationships with several agents and brokers in your area, you can get a steady flow of repeat business.
Drone photography adds another revenue stream, though it requires additional certification and equipment investment. Aerial shots can showcase a property’s location, lot size, and surroundings in ways that ground-level photography cannot.
5. Create and Sell Digital Products
Digital products offer excellent profit margins because you create them once and sell them repeatedly. Fine art prints, Lightroom presets, photography textures, and educational content all have active markets among both amateur and professional photographers.
Lightroom presets are popular because they allow other photographers to achieve specific looks with a single click. If you’ve developed a distinctive editing style, you can package those settings and sell them on platforms like Etsy, your own website, or specialized marketplaces like Creative Market and FilterGrade.
Photography education is another lucrative digital product category. Online courses, eBooks, and tutorial videos that teach specific techniques or workflows can generate significant income. The key is identifying knowledge gaps in the photography community and creating content that solves real problems for other photographers.
6. Print-on-Demand Services
Print-on-demand platforms like Society6, Redbubble, and Fine Art America allow you to sell your photography and artwork on various products without handling inventory or shipping. Your images can appear on everything from canvas prints and phone cases to clothing and home decor items.
This approach works best with images that have broad appeal or tap into specific niches and interests. Landscape photography, abstract designs, inspirational quotes overlaid on images, and pop culture references often perform well. The key is building a substantial portfolio across multiple platforms to maximize your visibility and sales potential.
While individual product margins are typically low, successful print-on-demand artists often generate passive income by uploading hundreds or thousands of designs. The time investment upfront can pay dividends for years as your catalog continues selling without ongoing effort.
7. Create a YouTube Channel or TikTok Account
Video content creation offers multiple monetization opportunities beyond traditional advertising revenue. Photography and videography tutorials, behind-the-scenes content, gear reviews, and creative challenges all have dedicated audiences on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
Beyond platform-specific earnings, successful channels often lead to sponsorship opportunities, affiliate marketing income, and paid collaborations with brands.You can also combine a YouTube channel or TikTok account with your own digital or print-on-demand products, providing more exposure for your products.
The key to success is consistency and finding your unique voice within the photography community. Whether you focus on beginner tutorials, advanced techniques, or entertaining photography challenges, regular posting schedules help build engaged audiences that can support various revenue streams.
8. Social Media Content Creation for Clients
Businesses of all sizes need consistent, high-quality content for their social media channels, but many lack the time or skills to create it themselves. This creates opportunities for photographers and videographers to offer content creation services as ongoing monthly retainers or project-based work.
Small businesses, restaurants, fitness studios, and service providers often need professional photos and videos of their products, services, and facilities. Many are willing to pay $500-2,000 per month for regular content creation that includes shooting, editing, and sometimes even posting to their social channels.
This type of work often evolves into long-term relationships where you become familiar with a client’s brand and aesthetic preferences. The predictable monthly income makes this an attractive option for building a sustainable side hustle that could eventually become a full-time business.
9. Amazon Influencer Program
The Amazon Influencer Program allows content creators to earn commissions by creating video reviews and recommendations for products sold on Amazon. High-quality video content tends to perform better, giving skilled videographers an advantage in this space.
Product demonstration videos, unboxing content, and detailed reviews all generate income when viewers make purchases through your links.
Success in the Amazon Influencer Program requires building trust with your audience through honest, helpful reviews. Focus on products you genuinely use and can speak about authentically. The program works well as a supplementary income stream, but does offer potential for a full-time income.
10. Video Editing Services
Many content creators can shoot decent footage but struggle with the time-consuming editing process. This creates opportunities for skilled video editors to offer their services to YouTubers, social media influencers, and small businesses.
Video editing services can range from basic cuts and color correction to complex motion graphics and animation work. Rates typically vary from $25-100 per hour depending on your skill level and the project complexity. Many editors also offer flat-rate packages for specific types of content, like YouTube videos or social media posts.
Building a client base often starts with competitive pricing to develop a portfolio and testimonials. As you demonstrate reliability and quality results, you can gradually increase your rates and become more selective about projects. Many video editors eventually develop ongoing relationships with content creators who need regular editing support.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways to make extra money with photography and videography, whether you’re looking for occasional project-based work or building toward a full-time creative business. The key to success lies in starting with one or two approaches that match your current skill level and available time, then expanding as you gain experience and confidence.
Don’t be afraid to start small. Even weekend portrait sessions or occasional real estate shoots can grow into substantial income streams with dedication and strategic growth.
Your camera is already in your hands. The question isn’t whether you have the tools to start earning money with photography or videography, it’s which opportunity you’ll pursue first.