7 ways to make money as a food photographer
Today I’m sharing 7 ways you can make money as a food photographer. So without further ado, here are the things you can do to make your money this year!
Photography Gigs
As a food photographer, one of the main ways to earn money is through brand photoshoots. This includes taking photos of products for packaging, web usage, social media, and different types of prints. Brands in the food industry often need visually appealing images of their products to use in marketing.
Diversifying your skills in this area is super important. You could, for example, learn how to shoot for restaurants and bars in addition to food brands and have that extra skill up your sleeve.
This allows you to have more options and be prepared for any opportunities that may arise. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant photography industry took a hit, so having the ability to diversify your skills can help to keep your business afloat.
Styling Gigs
Chances are that since you photograph food, you either do your own food styling or did at some point. Which means you could have the skills to take on styling gigs.
Food styling is used in many projects, from food advertising campaigns and cookbooks to TV shows and social media content.
Food styling often requires some tricks to make food look like the client wants it, so I recommend learning a bit about the tricks of the trade before delving into serious high-volume styling jobs.
Content Creation
In addition to brand photoshoots, another way to earn money as a food photographer is through content creation. This includes creating visually appealing content for food brands to use on social media, websites, and other platforms. Video content is becoming increasingly popular, so having the skills to create food-related videos can open up new opportunities and streams of income.
Licencing & Stock Photos
Selling your food photography as stock images is another way to earn money. While the stock photo market can be competitive, it can be a nice source of extra income. You can upload your existing images to stock photography websites and earn money from people using them. However, it’s important to research which types of photos are in high demand and to carefully read the terms and conditions of each website before uploading your images.
Note: If you want to earn real money with stock photography, you will most likely need to solely dedicate all your time to this type of work.
Selling your photos on stock websites is one form of licensing. However, you may already get inquiries from brands to use your images. In that case, you can license them directly and get paid better than through stock agencies.
Prints
Another option is selling prints of your photos. While this does require additional work and cost for printing and shipping, platforms like Pixieset can help make this process easier. Many people have shown interest in buying prints of my photographs, so this can be a viable way to earn extra income.
Affiliates and Ads
Another way to earn passive income is through affiliates and ads. This can include placing targeted ads on your website or blog or joining affiliate programs with brands you love and would be proud to recommend to your audience. Honesty is key here!
You can see how I use affiliate links in this article here.
Sponsored Posts
Another way to make money as a food photographer is to work on sponsored posts with brands your online audience would be interested in. This can include reaching out to brands and working on sponsored posts on your channels, such as your blog, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, email, and TikTok.
Education Lastly, another way to earn money is through education. Suppose you have a talent or knowledge that you can share with others. In that case, the online education industry can be a great opportunity. This can include creating courses, workshops, mentoring, ebooks, and memberships.
HOW TO KNOW WHAT TO DO
When figuring out how you will earn money this year, I recommend focusing on your main type of work. For me, currently, that’s brands, and these are my primary focus. Everything else is extra, and I don’t want it to take too much time. So if the time required doesn’t justify the income, it’s not worth it.
Once you have identified your main type of work, you can go backward. Think of brands you want to work with and then reverse-engineer your way to your daily schedule. What tasks do you need to do quarterly, monthly, and daily to get to the type of job you want to work on?
Remember, the key is to diversify and always be open to new possibilities. In this way, you will be prepared to face any challenge that comes your way!
