In India, there are lots of photographers available who know how to capture good photos like you.
but do you really know how to sell your photos online in India? and earn genuine money using your photography profession?
as you know there are so many different ways to use and apply photography to earn money.
but as everybody says it takes time to get enough earnings using your photography skills.
so the direct answer is some questions like can photographers earn enough money to run their house?
yes, believe me, you can earn a good amount of money online if you have excellent ( or good ) photography skills.
if you have only this one thing then get ready to inquire about some good ways to earn money online using photography, especially in India.
so today in this article, I’m going to share some most popular and trusted stock photography sites.
which you can use & learn to sell photos online in India, most of these stock photography sites and used by many pro photographers…
when I was sixteen, I just loved to capture photos using my smartphone and after that day I kept falling in love with my photography work.
Photography is one of my beloved (or maybe only :D) hobbies.
I never know which photos I captured using my smartphone are capable of earning good money online, and apart from this, I can sell my photos online.
Know which one is better? smartphone camera or DSLR camera.
yes, you can even earn money online if you don’t have an expensive DSLR camera or other important equipment.
Check out this 2-in-1 mobile add-on lens to perform better at mobile photography.
you just need simplicity + good ideas + smart work, that’s it, sharing all these tips later in this article.
listed below all websites are very easy to use and verified websites, so in the end, you get your money if everything works fine that’s for sure.
To my readers: I did lots of research before choosing these websites, so you can trust these sites to earn some good money as a photographer…
10 Trusted & High Paying Sites to sell photos online
- Shutterstock
- istock
- Etsy
- smug mug pro
- 500 Pixel
- Vecteezy
- ALAMY
- Adobe Stock
- Getty Images
- Envato Elements
these websites are also called as BEST stock photography websites to sell photos online.
I’ve refactored this article (in April 2024), and added 4 more trending sites which are part of The best stock photography sites with benefits.
If you own only a Smartphone then still you’re in the race, to learn how to do better smartphone photography.
Check out my recent mobile camera 2 in 1 lens (macro + wide) which I bought just to capture better images using a smartphone.
if you don’t know anything about how stock photography websites work then please read this article.
all these websites are very useful if you want to earn some extra money online using your awesome photography skills (don’t get excited 😀 ).
but before you start earning first of all you need to create an account on a platform.
so after approval, you can share some good-quality photos that must be captured by you on that particular platform.
once your account gets verified then create a good portfolio and attract more users, if any user downloads your images then you get money per image (as simple as that 😀 ).
you can even use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to boost your efforts, follow me on Instagram to find more new ideas 🙂
also, you can invest some time and money to create a promotion so you can easily reach more people.
here’s an in-detail description regarding each stock photography site, which I just mentioned earlier…
Shutterstock
Shutterstock is the king of the stock photography market.
this website contains more than 18 million photos (150K Images Added Daily).
drawings and videos also can be downloaded.
you can easily submit your application here.
istock
this is another good stock photography site that Getty Images officially manage.
istock is best known for its Three-day rule.
that means it will take at least three days from the time you sell the stock until the money is available, sweet and simple :).
to get verified with istock you need to submit 15 images / 3 videos / 15 illustrations after seeing your content they’ll inform you later.
smug mug pro
this website is not for every single photographer.
if you have enough quality then you can create your account on this website.
because this website is best for ONLY a pro photographer.
so if you think you got everything then you can join them.
join them after reading this.
500 Pixel & Etsy
these two are last but not the least types of stock photography websites, which help you to earn good money online using your photos.
Etsy also helps you to show your images for India only.
on the other side, 500px is also encouraging you to get famous with Google and some other popular websites.
because, 500px supplies their best photos on Google wallpapers, so you also get a chance to feature your stunning photographs on Google ( that must be an awesome feeling, I know !! )
find some best resources to get started with these two best stock photography websites.
if you want to know more about how to sell photos online then read this article.
If you’re pretty interested in shooting Indoor then a product shoot is a good option.
here is a quick way to do better Product Photography at home, without any expensive equipment.
Vecteezy
Vecteezy is a stock marketplace that offers millions of photos, videos, and vector graphics.
the most unique detail about Vecteezy is that as a contributor, you have the option to submit your photos under a free license.
and Vecteezy will pay you for each download.
you can earn more by submitting resources under their Pro license.
but hobbyists and enthusiasts may like the idea of getting paid for free downloads.
to submit your contributor application at Vecteezy. you’ll need to upload 10 images or videos to be reviewed as part of the application.
ALAMY
Alamy is one of the more reputable platforms in the market which has a wide variety of stock photos, videos, and illustrations for personal or commercial use.
Almost all the images here are the work of artists from all around the world. It has a library of over 2600 million images which covers almost every theme or subject.
You can find almost anything whether it is natural photographs, travel photos etc.
One of the things that this platform is known for is the quality of the images. The artists have to upload the following strict standards.
These standards are the ones that ensure professional-level images.
It also has various flexible licensing options which can suit the needs and budgets of almost everyone.
There are royalty-free also rights managed licenses and even other options which depend on how you want to use the image.
Alamy has a range of advanced search filters which can help you to more efficiently find the pictures you are looking for.
This platform is a great choice for the photographer as well. It gives them an opportunity to monetize their work.
This allows the contributors to earn a royalty every time their images are licensed for use.
Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock is another one of the major players in the market for stock photos and videos.
It is a major part of the Adobe Creative Cloud and is seamlessly integrated with other Adobe software such as Photoshop, Illustrator and others.
One of the features that highlight this in the market is the integration with the other Adobe Creative software.
This integration allows the users to search and even license various pictures directly in other Adobe applications which makes the workflow better for the users.
Adobe Stock has a vicious standard as well as the process for the pictures they include. This process ensures the best quality of images.
Like all other software, it has a variety of licenses ranging from the standard one for commercial use and even the expanded one for others.
Adobe also has various templates for flyers, brochures etc which can be customized to the needs of the user.
There are subscription plans for frequent users and if you don’t want to purchase a subscription you can download on a pay-per-download basis.
Getty Images
Getty Images is another one of the platforms that is popular in the stock and photo market globally.
This has an exclusive gallery curated by the best of the best artist in their fields which has creative visuals, editorial content, etc.
With the creative content, it also has editorial content as well which can include current affairs, news, also documentary style images.
It is popular as it provides both creative as well as editorial content as mentioned above.
This even allows for the search functionality which offers keyword suggestions, and advanced filters in order to get the required result more efficiently.
It even has the facility for custom services such as commissioned photography, video production and even content creation which can be tailored to the needs and wants of the clients.
Another unique feature of Getty Images is that it has various integration options as well as API which is an application programming interface.
The API allows for seamless integration with various third-party platforms, websites as well as applications which can increase the workflow.
Getty Images like all the others mentioned above has strict guidelines and regulations in order to upload images or your work.
It even offers legal protection for copyright or licensing issues just to be safe.
Envato Elements
Envato Elements is a platform that has a vast collection and is subscription-based as well.
It has a monthly fee which allows the user to get unlimited downloads and is value for money as well.
This platform has a library that can cater to your needs whether you need something for web development, video production and even audio editing.
This has simple and straightforward licensing terms which are easy for the user to understand.
Along with the subscription you get a broad license which eliminates the complex licensing and all the hassle.
Envato has a user-friendly and interactive interface which makes for a great experience.
One of the qualities that make Envato Elements stand out is that it can seamlessly integrate with various creative software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, and many more.
There are also regular updates that keep the platform relevant for the users.
FAQ(S) about stock photography
Some of the most frequently asked questions about stock photography and the use of the platforms mentioned in the above article are answered below.
What is stock photography?
Stock photography includes photographs, illustrations, videos, etc which are licensed for various specific uses such as advertisements, websites, publications, and various other places.
You generally have to buy or license such images from various stock photography platforms some examples of which are mentioned in the above article.
Can stock images be used for social media posts?
Yes, you certainly can use stock images for social media posts. But before doing so you should review the various licensing terms for different images and different platforms as well.
There can be many restrictions and requirements for various platforms and also for social media use.
Can stock images be modified for the project’s needs?
In most cases yes you surely can modify the stock images for your project needs.
But various platforms can have licensing issues hence it is advised to review the licensing terms for various platforms and images with respect to any restriction for modification or any derivative work that is to be done.
You just need to take a good look at the license to avoid issues in the future.
What types of digital assets are available on these platforms?
Ans. There can be a wide variety of digital assets on the platforms mentioned in the above article including photos, Videos, illustrations, templates, audio tracks, fonts and many more.
You can use any of these assets for various purposes such as publishing, advertising, social media and various other places.
Is there a difference between royalty-free and rights-managed licenses?
Ans. Yes, there is certainly a difference between the royalty-free and rights-managed licenses. A royalty-free license allows the user to pay only a one-time fee which allows them to use an image for various purposes without ongoing royalty payments.
Whereas, the rights-managed licenses offer a lot more control over the usage rights but this may also include additional fees based on various factors such as usage, duration, audience size and many more.
Final Words
Now you know some great sites to share your images.
but if you don’t submit quality work then you’ll not get the result that you’re looking for.
that means make sure, if you own a good camera then you know how to use it to get better pictures.
Some Important ways to improve your photography performance
So, before you publish make sure you do enough research for that particular niche or topic.
as you know there are more than enough types of photography available, so choose any one type which you like and also there is low competition available in the market.
Know 65+ common but unknown photography terms
so use some cool tools like Google Trends so you can track records for trading things happening around the world.
you can even pick a specific country and get the niche.
Tips To Remember
Before you submit your images to any stock photography site, make sure you retouch them properly.
if you see any under or over-exposed part in your image then make sure you fix it, and take care of the grains and details which is available in the image.
so make sure you know how to edit your images before you submit them.
If you’re a Lightroom lover but don’t want to spend your money to edit RAW files then you can read this article, where I’m sharing a free alternative of Lightroom to edit RAW images.
if you know any other cool tools then please comment below and let me know 🙂
Some more articles which might help you to earn as a photographer…
- 7 Proven & Unique Ways to Earn As Photographer In India
- What Is NFT For Photographers? Know Everything About NFT
- 17+ Powerful tips to sell photos online and earn money
That’s all from my side, hope you guys learn something new and know some best stock websites to sell photos online, especially in India.
Let me know which website you’re using to earn some money in the comment section, have a good day.
best of luck 🙂
FREE Guide Revealed!
Don't Miss Out The Opportunity To Earn as Photographer in this year :)
Hi, great post also check out https://photostockeditor.com a webiste with free images.
Thanks.
Thank you 🙂
Hey, can you suggest me that which website is better for beginner in India . Actually, what i think Shutterstock is popular website and everyday million of photos uploaded there basically there is so much crowded on this website So, is it right for beginner to upload their photos and achieve good response, if not then then please suggest me the better website for beginners and also payment process .
Thank you, Shefali for reaching out.
There are many websites available which are better are better to sell photos but not every site is genuine and ready to give you the amount which you’re going to earn with your images.
so My personal suggestion in a matter of trust and better commission, you can try Shutterstock for some time, the key to success is the quality and images which you’re going to pick and share with others, thank you.
Thank you.the information is given by you is very helpful and have good
knowledge.
1. Is there any terms and conditions for uploading files,like frequency, quality and quantity of pictures?
2. Type of photos which we can upload?like handmade or simple drawing ,pictures captured by smartfones are allowed or not?
3.can we see our uploaded pictures if we search on Google.?
4.and for what things happened(like download and views)so they will pay to us?
Glad you like the content Jyoti, really appreciated 🙂
let me share a quick answer to your questions…
1. yes there’re a couple of terms and conditions like making sure there are no more grains in your images ( picture quality is good enough )
Like if you’re sharing pictures of any person then make sure it’s properly visible and in focus. and I don’t think there is any limit to upload images ( quantity ) just make sure all the images are captured by you.
2. almost anything ( make sure it’s trading, so you can earn more by getting more downloads, use google trend to find some trading things happening around the globe ( like covid 😀 ) )
3. yes you can see your images.
4. for shutter stock and similar sites, downloads are important if any client downloads the image (which means he is buying your image ) so you’ll get some commission.
hope I just cleared all of your doubts.
Thank you, stay safe 🙂