Monetizing your photography portfolio: 3 easy options
Good photographers are worth their weight in gold (so start getting your cut).
Per usual, Triumph received no financial compensation from the companies for writing this article. Straight from the heart, baby.
In the digital age, good photographers are worth their weight in gold. If you fancy yourself one of those gifted camera junkies, and you’d like to turn your hobby into a bonafide income stream, we have just the tools for you (also congrats on the whole being worth so much in gold thing. That’s big).
Just because photography has become an increasingly popular side (and full) hustle in recent years doesn’t mean that there’s any less demand for photographers. Trust us, the picture taking business is one market that’s far from saturated. So, if you’ve got the skills to get in on that saturation, consider arming yourself with the tools below.
Format
If you want all the perks of a photography shop (you know, like money) with none of blasé grunt work, consider dabbling with Format. By allowing users to create and market online portfolios, Format can get photos out to the masses through print-on-demand and digital download options. Does seamlessly uploading and selling your photos sound of interest to you? If so, proceed. If not, are you feeling okay?
Format allows photographers to focus on their skilled pointing and shooting while the site handles the rest. Once added to a Format gallery, users from around the world will be able to purchase physical and digital copies of your handiwork. For the former, Format handles secure access and download links, and for the latter, Format can print and ship direct to just about anywhere. Clean, simple, and oh so aesthetically pleasing.
Working on specific client projects? Congrats on the growth, and keep on growing with Format Client Galleries. By allowing photographers to craft private collections of photos for customers, Format streamlines the creative process and can help you turn-around the perfect shots even faster.
Once curated, Client Galleries allow customers to preview and download their favorite images instantly. Whether you’re shooting a Great Gatspy-esque wedding or the local youth soccer team, your clients are sure to appreciate the ease-of-access. If nothing else, it’ll help keep angry soccer moms off your back (and that alone is priceless).
When it comes to fees, you can rest easy. Format is not going to nickel and dime you out of your hard earned coin. Users pay no setup fees, no hidden transaction fees (with a paid subscription plan), and retain all rights to their original images. Oh, and—if you need it—Format also has 24/7 customer support.
While Format offers an extensive list of pricing packages, we usually recommend two in particular within the Triumph Family. If you do opt to start selling your photos with Format, consider the Free or Professional Bundle plans.
The Free plan—in addition to ringing in at our favorite price—allows users to get their photographic feet wet before committing to Format. For $0 down, you’ll still enjoy access to all the fun features outlined above, just with very limited storage. As long as you remain on the Free plan, you’ll be limited to a total of 10 Client Galleries and 2 GB of storage. Any professional photographer—or any other type of full-time creative—will be the first to mention that 2 GB in their world is next to nothing. At Triumph, we’ve advised clients who take more than two gigs of photos of their food in a given week, so, as soon as you are able, we recommend upgrading to the Professional Bundle plan.
Should you choose to join the elite and purchase that Professional Bundle plan, you’ll have access to all the Free plan features as well as your own website and mobile app. And, when it comes to storage, Professional Bundle opens the digital floodgates. Users can enjoy unlimited photo uploads, 120 minutes of HD video storage, 250 Client Galleries, unlimited custom webpages, and 2 TB of total storage. That’s well over (like well, well over) a 1000% bump in storage. We’re going to go out on a limb and assume most photographers would be a fan of that.
All the fun of the Professional Bundle can be yours for $20 a month (billed annually). Per month, that comes out to about the price of nose-bleed NBA tickets or a DC small pizza, and we promise it’s a better investment in your business (well, depending on how good that pizza is).
Whenever you’re ready, you can start Format-ing your photos right here.
Pixieset
In addition to having a quality (albeit somewhat abstract) name, Pixieset is a juggernaut in the free lance photography space and offers quite the enticing menu of features. Marketed specifically as a tech-savvy photography hub, Pixieset’s affordable service specializes in seamlessly delivering digital content for photographers of all stripes.
When it comes to that menu from before, online galleries are Pixieset’s bread and butter (do places put that on menus?). Similar to Format’s model, Pixieset allows users to create separate galleries for individual clients. Once your work is uploaded into one of these galleries, your customers will be able to instantly like, favorite, and download the shots. With Pixieset, you’ll also be able to control download dimensions, helping you deliver a final product properly formatted for your clients needs.
Pixiest’s intuitive online galleries are especially useful for dynamic events like weddings or live sports where it might be more difficult to anticipate which shots the client will like best. Instead of wasting hours (and risking the wrath of an angry bridal party) by editing photos in mass, let Pixieset remove the guess work. Upload your entire shoot to an online gallery, let the clients mark their favorites, and target those specific pictures in photoshop. Once the editing process is complete, simply re-upload, and clients will be free to download directly from the original Pixieset album. Everybody wins (but especially you).
If you’re looking to expand beyond online galleries, Pixiest also offers options for growth. By paying a bit more per month (more on that in a minute) Pixieset also grants users their own print-and-sell store through a partner photo lab. You’ll be able to set your own prices (always a win) and—on the paid subscription plans—you won’t have to worry your photogenic little head with commission fees (as they sit at exactly $0.00).
If you find yourself interested in any, a bit, or all of these features, we’re confident Pixieset has a plan to fit your needs. The company offers five subscription options: one free, four paid. With the exception of the Free plan, every plan enjoys the same features, the different prices are simply a reflection of increased storage capacity (which, we’ve been told, is everything in the photography game).
The free plan (creatively named the Free Plan), gives users a whopping 3 GB of storage to work with and requires a 15% commish fee on all sell-and-print items. Free users will enjoy access to unlimited photo galleries, but, with a total of 3 GB in storage, how many galleries can you really make? That said, Pixieset’s features more than justify shelling out for a paid plan. So, once you’ve confirmed this whole photography thing is right for you, we recommend investing a few bucks in one of the following options.
Pixieset bestows these same rights and privileges on all paid-plan users: unlimited galleries, custom domains, customs logos, custom branding, 0% commission fees, automatic fulfillment on physical print orders, and unlimited custom mobile apps for clients. The key question then becomes one of storage, considering these features are only as helpful as the amount of photos they can hold.
The sizes and prices of the plans in order are Basic (10 GB, could do better with the name), Plus (100 GB, minus 10 points for lack of creativity), Pro (1,000 GB, serviceable name), and Ultimate (unlimited GB, add back those 10 name points). Every photography adventure is different, so be sure to consider which package best fits your unique goals. And don’t let the vanilla names fool you, all four subscriptions pack a creative punch.
When you’re ready to dabble with the Pixieset, you can find them right here.
CLOUDSPOT
Rounding out our list at number 3 is another heavy weight in the photography niche: Cloudspot. Offering many of the same great features outlined above at an equally competitive price, Cloudspot should garner interest from any budding photography business.
Cloudspot doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, and that’s exactly what makes them great. As a wise man once said, “if it ain’t broke, subscribe to one of its paid plans.” We believe this proverb includes Cloudspot.
Looking for client gallery options? Check. Trying to print and ship physical copies commission free? Roger that. Looking for instant download capability and custom client mobile apps? Oh yeah, it’s all coming together.
Much in the same vein as our previous two companies, Cloudspot offers a fair amount of customization options and bases its subscription plans largely on storage. Speaking of subscription plans, Cloudspot has a core of four: Free, Lite, Pro, and Unlimited.
Despite having names that sound like kinds of beer, all four of these plans bring the juice. For $0 a month (fancy that), the Free plan lands users 10 GB and a 15% commission fee on physical prints. From there, storage takes off and fees are grounded. The Lite plan ($12 a moth) will get you 100 GB, the Pro plan ($24 a month) brings 350 GB, and the appropriately named Unlimited Plan ($34 a month) does not have a storage cap. Some may even call that storage unlimited. While all four service options offer compelling deals, we consider the Lite version an intriguing middle-tier option for new and growing photography adventures.
Feel like you're on cloud nine (we’re not sure what happened to the other eight)? Then you can check out Cloudspot right here.
Picture-perfect Potential
Time to turn your hobby into a hustle (or at least a solid income stream). Demand for quality photography is not going to dip anytime soon, and the world needs your aesthstetic gift. Don’t let the mundane pieces of the photography business dampen your dreams. Let these quality companies handle the nitty gritty, and you get back to doing what you do best—capturing the beautiful world around us.
As always, feel free to Ask Triumph with any additional questions and consider Supporting the Team.
All views expressed in the article are opinions of the author and should not be misconstrued as professional consulting or legal advice. Users are responsible for verifying all information before taking action, and Triumph Group LLC is not responsible for any outcomes. Pursue subjects at your own risk. Seriously, man. It’s your life.
