Intro 101: Make Money Taking Great Photographs

You love taking photographs and people keep telling you that you have a great eye. How difficult is it really to make money from your photographs?
There's a lot to taking good photo's and there's no way that one article could cover all the aspects of a good photo. This is an overview on how to get started taking making money with your hobby.
Before you start you will need:
- a decent camera doesn't have to cost the earth but it can be all the difference when it comes to making beautiful photo's
- to understand the different features on your camera learning to use the special features on your camera can make all the difference.
- to keep your eyes peeled for good photo opportunities at all times.
When judging photos generally the three main elements are judged. The crispness/ sharpness of the image, the composition and the subject.
The sharpness of your images can be improved by focusing properly. Zoom all the way in to the intended subject and focus. Then zoom out to the desired distance. The focus should be sharper.
The composition: whole books have been written about composition and there is a broad and fascinating science behind it. In general the law of thirds should serve you well when trying to make a well composed shot. Divide the frame into 3x3 lined sections. All the action should center along the lines. This means the subject should never be entirely in the center of the frame. When trying to compose your shot always try to balance the elements within the frame. You will get a feel for this with practice.
The subject - when taking commercial photo's this is obviously very important. You will want to photograph a wide variety of subjects.
Anyone can make a good living from selling stock photos. Look online or even set up your own.
You must remember that selling anything takes work. You will need to spend a great deal of time marketing yourself and your work.
If you are serious about making money from your photo's then you need to start putting together a portfolio containing your best work. Having a portfolio on hand can be very useful when wanting to impress prospective buyers. Consider putting together an online portfolio to reach an international market faster. You could even set up an online sales system selling your photos.
If you really know a lot about photography consider sending some of your best work in to one of the photographic magazines with a step by step account of your procedure and equipment used. It's worth the effort because you gain valuable exposure as an expert in your field.
You could use some more unconventional methods to generate cash with your camera. What about making screensavers from beautiful photos? If you don't have the technical know how you can ask someone to show you quite easily. Many people make good money this way.
There are all kinds of other markets you can consider selling your photo's to. Online magazines, print magazines, newspapers, travel brochures and books all need photos. Keep your eye's open for any publications that appeal to your niche.
All that’s left to do it grab your camera and start shooting!