Sell your pictures online as royalty-free, non-exclusive stock photography

1. Register for free to one or more sites

The big ones, start here:
- Shutterstock (best seller)
- Dreamstime
- Fotolia Europe or UK or USA

Minor agencies worth considering:
- 123RF
- BigStockPhoto
- CanStockPhoto

More agencies:
- Crestock
- YayMicro

2. Tips on passing test (Shutterstock)

Shutterstock requires an initial test: 7 out of 10 photos must be accepted or you'll have to wait one more month before retrying. But it's well worth it since this site is the best seller for most users.

Choose only your best pictures for the test, vary subjects, and check each picture at 100% for noise, blurriness, purple fringe; you may also reduce your test pictures to 4 MP (e.g. about 2400x1800, 2500x1700) to limit noise.

3. Keywording and upload

All pictures should be at least 4 Megapixels on most sites.

A good picture without the proper keywords will not be found by potential buyers, so keywords are really important.
Although some sites allow for local languages, use keywords in English for best results.

You may add keywords to pictures after uploading, but it's easier and less time consuming to tag pictures before uploading, especially if you upload to multiple sites. Use an IPTC compatible editor.

Upload your pictures either directly from your browser, or consider using an FTP programme if you are uploading many pictures.

4. Getting paid

Choose a payment method: PayPal or MoneyBookers, or even cheques on selected sites.

Although individual prices are low, each picture sells hundreds of times and the total revenue can be pretty good.