How To Make Money With Your Camera

Several millions homes nowadays have some kind of photographyequipment. Some operators are strictly amateurs but others do aprofessional job shooting for fun, even with very inexpensiveequipment.
If you own a camera and can take some reasonably good pictures,you definitely can make money with your hobby by sellingpictures.
The market for pictures is tremendous. It has been estimated thatmagazines and newspapers buy over 60 millions photos a year,although most of the pictures are taken by professionalphotographers, there is a good deal of non professional hobbyistsmaking a good extra income selling their pictures to specializedmarkets, little known by the majority of people.
This information is intended to help you find a market for yourpictures, assuming you already take pictures good enough to besold. If you feel that your work could be improved, there are anumber of courses available, and you can also developprofessional touch and technical know-how by simply subscribingto specialized magazines.
There is an incredible amount of markets for selling yourpictures, and the number is growing every day.
The beginners should avoid markets already overcrowded byprofessional competitors, like very well known magazines, whichobviously deal only with professionals.
The best markets for a non professionals are
* Trade journals,* Special interest magazines,* Real Estate,* Small local papers.
By consuming a great amount of pictures, maintaining a constantdemand for new ones, and paying less than well known magazines,they avoid the competition of professional and industrialphotographers, and buy mostly from non professionals likeyourself.
Special interest magazines attract very special groups ofreaders. For example, magazines on hobbies, sports, gardening,etc...They are bought by subscriptions or on newstands.
Trade journals are directed at very special professional andTrades. They generally sold only by subscription.
To begin with, it would be advisable for you to get a book onprofessional photography from your local library. This step willenable you to get acquainted with copyright laws and special tipsfor selling your pictures.
The starting photographer should concentrate on subject he isfamiliar with, for example a special hobby and what he enjoysshooting the most, whether it is sceneries, children, animals,etc...
By finding out what is your speciality, you will be able toselect your market and determine what magazines could beinterested in your work.
The following guide is just a sample of companies in the marketfor photos. It is difficult to keep such a directory current ascompanies constantly change their policies, addresses, editorsand so forth. It is up to you to develop your own markets bysubmitting photos you believe to be appropriate to editor'sneeds. After the addresses are listed the rates paid more forextraordinary subjects depending of the news value and thequality for the accepted photo.
GENERAL NEWS AND FEATURE INTEREST PICTURES SYNDICATES:
* Service, Box 2801, Washington, DC 20013$10 to $40.
* Newsweek International Service, 444 Madison Ave., NY 10022$20 and up.* Transworld News
* Stock Photos Unlimited, 29 W 38th St NY, NY 10018$10 to $40.
MAGAZINES INTERESTED IN FEATURE PICTURES:
* New Times Magazine, 1 Park Ave NY, NY. 10016$50 and up
* Popular Photography, 1 Park Ave, NY, NY. 10016$30 and up.
* National Enquirer, Lantana, FL 33464$35 to $150.
SPORTS MAGAZINES
* Fishing World, 51 Atlantic Ave., Floral Pk, NY 11001$30 and up
* Tennis Illustrated, 4222 Campus Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660.
* Golf Digest, 495 Westport Ave., Norwalk CT 06856$15 and up.
TRADE MAGAZINES:
* Amtrak, 400 Capital St., N.W Washington, DC 20001$35 and up.
* Track Talk, 2205 W Fairview Ave., Montgomery,AL 36092
FAMILY LIFE AND NATURE MAGAZINES:
* National Wild Life, 225 E Michigan, Milwaukee, WI 53201$50 and up.
* Cats Magazine, Box 557 Washington, PA 15301$10 to $30.
* Good Housekeeping, 959 8Th Ave., NY, NY. 10019
FARM LIFE MAGAZINES:
* Mother Earth News, Box 70 Hendersonville, NC. 28739$50 and up.
* Vegetarian Times, Box 3104, Chicago, IL 60690$20 and up.
HOBBIES AND CRAFTS MAGAZINES:
* Science Digest, 224 W 57th St New York, NY 10019$25 to $60.
* Popular Electronics, 1 Park Ave, NY, NY. 10016.
GREETINGS CARDS SYNDICATES:
* American Greetings, 10500 American Rd., Cleveland, OH 44144.$30 and up.
* Graphic Adventures, 9801 Harwin, Bldg O, Houston, TX. 77036. &60 and up.
A simple equipment should produce pictures good enough to sell,but of course, if you own special accessories, use them!
After you have selected the field you want to specialize in andfound several magazines related to your speciality, study whatkind of pictures the editors are buying. A general description ofpicture requirements is often listed in the magazines. You canalso find out by looking at the pictures used in previous issues.Submit only the pictures you consider as good or better than theones being used.
Send your pictures to the Picture Editor of the magazine byfinding the address in the publication itself or in the Directoryof Trade Journals at your local library, if the publication isnot sold on newstands.
If you are a beginner, start offering standard black and whiteprints, which are easier to sell because they actually are theones having the greatest market.
Here is how your prints should be prepared in order to sell them:
* Glossy paper is preferred. Single weight paper via cheaper andrequire less postage when mailed. Pictures must be flat.
* Most publication (But not all of them) Prefer 8"x10". Check thespecific requirements of the publication before you prepare yourphotos for sell.
* Number each negative, so each print you make will have anumber.
* Order a rubber stamp with your name, address, telephone numberand an extra line for the number of the picture and stamp theseinformations on the back of the print you want to offer.
* Always use stiff cardboard between the prints you are mailingto protect them, and make a neat package.
* Use kraft envelopes and always write "please don't bend" with ared felt on the envelope to avoid any improper handling of yourpictures.
* As you cannot expect to sell all the pictures you submit,include a self-addressed return envelope with enough postage, sothe ones rejected can be mailed back to you.
* It is not necessary to send a letter with the pictures as itwill not help to sell the pictures.
* Make sure to obtain written consent from anyone whose pictureyou have taken and intend to sell. You can obtain the standardforms called "Model Release" in many photo shops, and when yousend your picture to the editor, enclose a copy of the releasewith them.
Do not offer the same picture to more than one publication at thesame time, but if your pictures are rejected by one magazine sendthem to other publications.
Many amateurs are making money in this little known field. Youwill be able to do the same by following the simple advicesoutlined in this report.