How to Make Money From Wildlife Photography: Yes, it is Possible.

Wildlife photography is the art of capturing the natural environment in photographs; for many photographers, it is more than a hobby.

It’s a profession for some, while other photographers consider it a passion.

One of the most critical photography goals is to elicit emotions and reactions in those who view your images.

Appealing to the viewer’s feelings applies to any photography, whether family portraits or landscape images — they tell stories when taken from different perspectives.

Get your wildlife photos published in print or online
Get your wildlife photos published in print or online. Photo by Elle Hughes on Pexels.com

Many photographers have sold their wildlife photographs to magazines, newspapers, and travel websites.

Wildlife photographers have also organised shows to present their art and profited handsomely.

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How do Wildlife Photographers Earn Money?

You can earn money from wildlife photography in a variety of ways.

Most photographers will begin by selling their stock photos to agencies and websites like Getty Images and Shutterstock.

Getting your images accepted won’t be simple, but once you do, you may have a passive cash stream for years to come.

A Hyena sniffs the early morning aroma of flowers in the Greater Kruger National park, South Africa. Photo by Crowpix Media.
Sell your images online. Get a unique view of nature. A Hyena sniffs the early morning aroma of flowers in the Greater Kruger National park, South Africa. Photo by Crowpix Media.

Most people believe they may stop trying at this point because they have realized their dream of having their pictures recognized.

The truth is that over 100 million photos are now available on the internet, so the bar has been set extremely high.

It’s not enough to sell photographs on a website or agency.

If you want to excel in this field these days, you must think outside the box.

You Can Sell Your Images as Stock Photography

You can profit as a wildlife photographer by selling stock photographs to agencies and online libraries.

Websites and other business reasons, such as advertising, use stock pictures regularly for design, editorial, or news purposes.

A photographer will need many images online to make decent money, but stock images can provide a passive income for years.

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Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

There are also microstock sites, such as Adobe Stock or Shutterstock, where you may sell your photographs for a smaller price but get a more considerable percentage of the transaction.

They’re more common among site designers who need a lot of photos.

You should avoid selling your photographs on eBay or Amazon since they charge such a high fee that it’s nearly difficult to make a profit.

https://www.istockphoto.com/

You can sell your photographs on websites like iStock Photo and Dreamstime.

The licensing costs vary depending on the size of the image and range from 10% to 50% of the stock agency’s price.

You get a royalty fee if a customer uses your photo on their website or in a magazine article.

Doing Photography Workshops to Earn Money

Consider organizing workshops and tours where people can go into the field with specialists and learn directly from them to share your knowledge and enthusiasm for wildlife photography with others (primarily if you reside in a prime area).

It’s a fantastic opportunity to share your knowledge while also earning money!

Note: If you plan on running seminars or tours in North America’s national parks, you should be aware that there may be limits on how much money people can gain from them; check with park staff before offering these services.

Arrange photography workshops and tours for the local community. Photo by The Lazy Artist Gallery on Pexels.com

Taking photography seminars is a terrific way to make money while photographing wildlife. Workshops for beginners and those with some photographic experience who want to enhance their skills can be held locally or internationally.

These sessions can be in groups or one-on-one. People of various ages and levels of expertise can benefit from your services.

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Various individual influencer photographers and photographic tour companies offer a wide range of photographic workshops, particularly for wildlife photography.

Look for operators and photographers in your area that offer photographic tours and workshops, and get involved with such companies.

If you are entrepreneurial, building a following and offering your own wildlife photography workshops is possible.

You can achieve your photography dreams and goals with hard work, perseverance, and dedication.

You Can Write Articles And Get Paid

If you have good writing skills, you can make money with wildlife photography by contacting magazines and creating articles using your images.

Writing essays is a great way to promote oneself as a photographer, and if you’re skilled at photography and writing, you might be able to make enough money to support yourself.

A couple of endangered Southern Ground Hornbills traverse the bushveld in search of food.  Kruger National Park, South Africa. Photo by Crowpix Media.
Find unique nature topics to write exciting stories about and submit to eager editors. An example could be a story about several endangered Southern Ground Hornbills traversing the bushveld in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Photo by Crowpix Media.

There is an endless need for new content to fill the internet pages. Editors for online publications, blogs, newsletters, magazines, news media, and many online businesses require quality writing and photography as editorial content for their readers to enjoy.

Get involved by creating unique ideas to make excellent written and visual content for editors to publish.

There is an abundance of wildlife photo story opportunities out there waiting for you. 

While rates may be low to start with, with experience, the financial rewards will come.

You Can Get Commissioned to Take Wildlife Photographs

You can also directly offer your photography talents to magazines, newspapers, and websites for unique jobs.

Some newspapers have on-call freelance photographers, while others prefer to hire one when a specific shot is required.

Doing commissioned work can pay you more than selling stock photos!

A lone Hyena makes its way into the thick of the bush in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Photo by Crowpix Media.
On assignment. A lone Hyena enters the thick bush in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Photo by Crowpix Media.

National Geographic photographers, for example, earn $600 per day while on assignment (plus travel expenses).

The disadvantage is that you will face stiff competition for grants unless you are well-known in the sector (and could wait long before getting any).

Advertising yourself and establishing contacts with editors who might offer you work is critical.

In Conclusion

To sum it up, there are a variety of ways to make money through wildlife photography, such as:

  • Stock Photography
  • Commissioned Work
  • Workshops & Tours

All that is required is originality, creativity, and the will to pursue your conservation photography dream.

To receive regular updates on nature photography, please subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here.

This post was initially posted on https://wp.me/pd7rsc-iD

All Copyrights Reserved @ Crowpix Media 2023.

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