DELETING DOLLARS? Selling images online?

CRAZY “ARTIST”: SCREAM + DELETE?

It’s October 2017, and I’m sitting in front of my Lightroom for the last 5 minutes. I wanted to scream like a crazy “artist” and just press DELETE.

But I didn’t. Instead, I took a long breath and made a cup of tea. I just didn’t like the images I took that day. There are endless details I hated about that particular image.

Delete? WAIT! There might be another solution. Selling images online?!

Vison doesn’t come in life: Calm person? 😅

Usually, I’m a calm person. Really! You have to do something extraordinary to step on my nerves. However, the one thing that upsets me is sometimes photography. My problem is that I had a certain photography scene in my mind but the end result was something different. 

One of the images I actually didn’t like. Still I managed to sell it online.

Photography is Subjective 😊

I’m stubborn, and I always want to get things my way. Still, I realized that I have to be rational and let it go. I just can’t let my emotions stay on the way. Instead, I’m repeating myself that photography is subjective. Some might like it. If I’m going to be too picky with my images, then I would never post.

For that reason, I still posted that image on Instagram and even to different stock websites such as Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Depositphotos & Stock Food.

I got sales right away. Great! Lesson learned? Don’t get your emotions on your way and think rationally? Selling images might be easier than you think. However, it’s still a lot of work. No questions asked.

One of my most popular stock image.
Terabytes: Should I really keep all the files?!

It’s July 2018 and I’m surfing online to find another huge hard drive for my photography work. I don’t even have any idea how many TB of photography I have on my hard drives. I honestly felt like there’s no point to keep most of the work.

My Instagram stories @healthylauracom

Not to mention, that I started to do some videos. Those files are even bigger than photography ones and I didn’t really want to spend money on ANOTHER hard drive. Again. Above all, I still order another terabytes. Who know why should I keep the files?! 

Reward: I didn’t expect that one!?🙄

It’s January 2019. I look at some of the stock photos that I have taken and uploaded. I realize that the same image I uploaded in October 2017 has made me a few hundred dollars in total. Yes, the one that I hated and I almost deleted. In my opinion, that chocolate smoothie bowl was just overexposed.

No, It’s Not the End of Story

I got an email. Someone found my photography on Pinterest. They would like to buy another image with a recipe that I took in 2018. I wasn’t happy with that image as well. However, I still posted it since I needed to get a blog post out. Great! Someone honestly likes it! 😎

There’s more … You Never Know!

I got an email. Someone found my photography on one of the stock photography website. They loved my work and found my Instagram, portfolio & blog. After that they contacted me and told me that they would like to buy some of my work. Yes, litererally the work that I took in 2017 and 2018 (I don’t sell all my work in stock websites. I save one of my favorite images for other projects).

No regrets. At least I tried?

Yes, out of the blue there’s 400 EUR on my account from the work that I took a long time ago. I didn’t expect that one. THANK god I ordered a new hard drive and didn’t delete those files! Who would have thought?!

Yes, that doesn’t happen every day. Still, you never know. If something doesn’t happen, then at least I know that I tried. I honestly don’t like to live with REGRETS because I didn’t try.

Self-Esteem: Don’t get Negative Feedback Cripple You

Yes, I absolutely know the feeling when you feel like your photography is not what you expected. Therefore, don’t let anyone opinion get on your way. Yes, of course, there are endless people who think that my photography is not good. Who cares?! Still, there are some people who like it. Therefore, just keep posting and don’t let negative feedback cripple you.

You Only Need One YES for selling images online!

Seriously! I might have 10 people thinking that this photo is not good. The light is awful, and the styling is too much. For example, they don’t like that berry on top?! Plaplaplaaa ….

Learn more about #foodphotography with my 21-day challenge

After a year there’s one person who buys the same photo/ video because they like some kind of color combination or some little details that work exactly for their brand. That’s right! In the end, I only need one person. 

Best Work Doesn’t See Daylight?! Courage?

For that reason, you literally might have money on your hard drive without you knowing it. Yes, that like a classic story when an artist or writer never publish their work. Later when they are long dead someone discovers it and the same work is worth more than expected. 

Learn #foodphotography with my 21-day challenge
Learn #foodphotography with my 21-day challenge

Right now, all we need to do is work on our self-esteem and take that courage to keep posting our work! We have the magical Internet that makes it so much easier to find the people who love it. Selling images online is now easier than ever. Yes, I know it’s a lot of work, but it’s possible! Still, I know how hard it is to post consistently. I struggle with that one as well. Sometimes just life happens ...

Recap: What do I repeat myself? Selling images online?
  • Don’t delete your dollars and order more hard drives! Selling images online is possible.
  • Don’t get negative feedback cripple you!
  • Keep posting! Above all, you only need one YES!
  • Regrets: You never know what might happen and when you get your reward. If something doesn’t happen, then at least I know that I tried. I honestly don’t like to live with regrets because I didn’t try something.
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