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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

Food Styling, Photography & Business Retreat

How to build an email list as a creative or a food photographer

I had an open discussion about the future of social media with a colleague last week. It got us thinking about all the different platforms out there and how much energy it takes to constantly create new content without ever being sure that the right people will see it.

And we both agreed that there is one platform (not usually called social, but in a way, it is just that!), and that’s our emails.

You should start and build your email list no matter what you do. If you are a content creator or food photographer then this is for you.

Building an email list allows you to reach people genuinely interested in what you have to say and offer. If you post on Instagram (or any other platform), only a tiny percentage of your followers will see your post. But when you have an email list, in theory, all of your email community members should get your email. I’m saying this because deliverability is usually not 100%, but still, a number close to that.

You can see the big difference between an Instagram post and an email reach.

The people who get on your email list are there because they took the time to type in their name and email address, which takes much more time and effort than most people will give you on Instagram, TikTok, or any other social media platform. Which is why you will know that these are your people. And it is much easier and often more rewarding to speak to them than to write a post on Instagram. It feels more personal and will also be for our subscribers.

And that’s what we want to build our engaged communities.

Does this mean you don’t need social media and should only focus on email?

Definitely not. Social media gives you exposure to new people who would otherwise have a harder time finding you AND GETTING ON YOUR EMAIL LIST. Both of these together can be magical. So let’s see how you can leverage your current audience to build an email list.

How can you start an email list?

Simply put, an email list is only a list of email addresses you own (unlike your social media followers). 

Everything you need to gather emails is a landing page or a form on your website, which is why email newsletter providers are super handy, and they let you send emails to all your subscribers at once.

Besides, you need to incentivize people to subscribe to your email. A promise of what they get – an opt-in. This could be a PDF, an ebook, exclusive content, free courses and webinars, checklists, guides, and whatnot. Get creative with what you have to offer.

I’ve been using ConvertKit for three years now, and I love how simple it is to use and how time-saving all the automation features are. I can’t recommend it enough.

You should start and build your email list no matter what you do. If you are a content creator or food photographer then this is for you.

How can you grow your email list?

I’ve been building my email list since I started my blog in 2015, and it took a lot of work before I realized how to do it properly.

Unfortunately, once you’ve created an email list, you can leave it there. Instead, you need to find ways for people to see it.

Here are a few ways you can market your opt-in:

  • Adding forms to relevant posts and other places on your blog 
  • Sharing the landing page link to Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube… or any other platform you are using and do so regularly, not just once
  • Add the link in your bio on Instagram and your description on Pinterest.
  • Share it on Facebook groups when relevant.
  • Ask people you speak online and feel would benefit from your opt-in if you can send them the link (You won’t believe how effective that is!)
  • Be creative and constantly search for new places to share your opt-in!
You should start and build your email list no matter what you do. If you are a content creator or food photographer then this is for you.

What to include in your newsletters?

People sign up for your newsletter to not miss anything new you create. So share your latest blog posts, Youtube videos, podcasts, or any content you create. Let them know you have something new.

The good thing is that you can include whatever you are already sharing on social media. Not everyone sees those posts (as we already discussed!), and they definitely want to make sure to see them, so repurpose your Instagram content, especially when it resonates with your IG audience. That’s content your email community will want to see.

An email is also a place where you can be more personal, share stories you don’t share with others, and let your community be a little closer to you.

You can also tell them about your new books, courses, workshops, or whatever you offer that your community will find helpful.

ConvertKit also offers a paid newsletter, which is super helpful when you want to add even more content to your fans and have it delivered straight into their inboxes.

It’s easy for bloggers and educators to share an opt-in. But what if you’re a food photographer?

You can still have an email list even if your audience is food brands, restaurants, and other food-related businesses.

You will also need a very useful opt-in that will help their business and is somewhat related to food photography.

Those are businesses, so make sure to respect their time. It’s enough to send a newsletter to brands only a few times a year. Just enough to keep your name on top of mind in case they need a photographer and not think of you as spammy.

If this is you, I’m giving you a task today.

Think of three topics you can write to your food brand email list. What would they benefit from? What do you have to offer? Do you provide a new service, and how does it help brands? Can you share a photoshoot story to build authority or a behind-the-scenes that they’d enjoy? Or anything else they’d benefit from!

I hope this was helpful!

I’d love to hear your thoughts or worries about building an email list. Let me know in the comments!

And if you’re searching for a great newsletter provider, I can’t recommend ConvertKit enough. I moved from Mailchimp to ConvertKit three years ago, and it was such an easy move and an enjoyable experience to use the app. That said, choosing which provider is not as important as starting your email list today!

FOODSTYLING, PHOTOGRAPHY & BUSINESS RETREAT 2023

This article includes affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you purchase through the links provided on this page. Note that I only recommend products I love and enjoy, regardless of whether I get a commission!