How to Make Money Selling Photos of Yourself [2024 Ultimate Guide]

Are you searching for how to make money selling photos of yourself?

All you need is a smartphone or a good camera. Unlike in the past, photography nowadays is not reserved for professionals, thanks to technological advancement.

You can take photos of yourself from anywhere. If you like taking photos, this article is for you.

You can exchange these pictures for money and you can even make it a winning side hustle. But where do you get paid for selfies? This article gives you a complete guide on how to get paid for pictures of yourself and exchange pictures for money!

I will also cover some of the best platforms where you can sell pics for cash and tips on how to maximize your earnings.

Read on for where to sell pics of different body parts including earning from feet pics.

How to Make Money Selling Photos Of Yourself Online?

Whether you areselling jewelry, academic notes, old textbooks, or breast pumps, the business of selling stuff online comes with many moving parts.

One minute, are you looking for the best platforms to list your wares on, and wondering whether you will get paid after delivery or shipping in the next minute? So, how do you ensure that selling photos of yourself online goes smoothly? 

Here are some pointers:

Step 1: Get the Right Equipment: A Good Selfie Stick/Tripod & Camera

A good camera goes hand in hand with taking a perfect picture and bringing your content to the next level allowing you to leverage lighting, angles, and remote-control shots.

So, while taking shots of yourself, you, therefore, need to have an:

• iPhone (or smartphone) paired with a selfie stick
• Or an HD camera paired with a ring light and camera holder to capture flattering selfies.

Check out this compact-size lightweight selfie stick – an extendable selfie stick tripod with a detachable wireless remote and tripod stand selfie stick compatible with all smartphones.

Step 2: Check for Lighting

Always check for lighting. 

If you are taking them indoors, remember to enable your camera to flash due to counter-low lighting.

Alternatively, when using apps such as photo apps go for intelligent camera settings.

For this, be sure to check out this awesome ring light with a camera holder perfect for capturing self-portraits.

The best part is this ring light with a tripod can be used to provide stability and prevent camera movement while capturing photos of your body.

Moreover, it makes your images sharp and lets you photograph even in low light!

EXPERT TIP: Natural lighting is the best! And, the best time to take selfies is during sunrise or sunset when the sun isn’t too bright.

Step 3: Capture Those Perfect Photos

Take your pics in an intriguing background to add a visual allure to interested clients. This will help you notice out-of-place objects or unflattering angles.

• Try different poses and angles and practice recreating the ones that appeal to you. Find a new angle if you’re not comfortable with the poses you’ve tried and want to try something new.
• Get creative and add props to enhance the look of your photos and make them interesting!

Let your pics tell a compelling story. And always remember to give your photo one last glance before submitting it.

The good thing with today’s tech is that you can crop out the unwanted parts and retouch your pics. So, keep that in mind before uploading them for sale.

Step 4: Be Consistent With Your Efforts

To prosper in this photo-selling business, you’ll have to be consistent. Take pictures on a daily basis and upload them on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

Choose the best frequency that generates traffic and keeps paying customers returning for more.

As a tip, take as many selfies as you can. Use different angles, tilts, and different backgrounds. This will help you choose the best quality pics from your stock photos.

Step 5: Sign Up for Stock Photo Sites & Market Your Pics

Remember, what works on one app might not work on a different platform. In fact, you can get paid to sell selfies, pictures of your body (like hands and feet), or even sell nudes online.

As such, sign up on different photo-selling apps and websites listed here to lure potential clients and boost your success rate.

Most importantly, build a strong social media presence and market yourself on all sales channels by setting up skillful profiles and joining photo-selling groups. Follow the same on visual platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

15 Apps To Get Paid for Pictures Of Yourself [Sites to Sell Selfies]

Here are some leading platforms that buy or list your photos for brands to purchase. 

As a caution, before you sign up on any of these apps, read their term of service keenly. Specifically, understand their copyright rules regarding ownership and usage of each photo.

Ready to sell pictures of yourself online for money? Let’s get started!

1. Pay Your Selfie 

This is one of the top submit pics for the cash app. To earn, you are required to take pictures of yourself while doing a specific activity that Pays Your Selfie assigns you.

Such activities include dancing, revealing your tattoo, drinking your favorite drink, and more. Alternatively, you can upload relevant pictures from your gallery for brands to buy.

Each selfie is worth about 20 cents to $1, which you can cash out once you hit $20 in total sales. Your pictures in return benefit this platform by providing images to advertisers and marketers.

To be eligible to use this app, you must be 18 years or older. Get paid for your selfies by downloading their app on Google Play or App Store.

2. SmugMug – Get paid to send pictures of yourself

Smugmug is a renowned photo marketplace where you can sell pictures of your body for money. The setup of the platform makes it easy to navigate and find your way to the process of making extra cash from selling your pictures. 

This platform has a lot of features that makes the process smooth for you and any other people who want to go down this route of making money.

Notably, the platform is open to both freelancers and professional photographers, which means you don’t need to have a trained experience in photography to be able to make money from it. 

The best part of selling your pictures on Smugmug is that you don’t have to worry about placing orders, delivering the pictures, plus payments.

With this app, you get to keep 85% of your earned cash, while the remaining 15 % is charged as commission. You get to set your own picture price, something you won’t get with most other platforms.

The copyright of your pictures also stays with you, and you can choose to make them private or public. With the public option, you can add watermarks as a security measure.

It handles all of these functions while still providing you with an enabling platform to sell your pictures at your own price. 

You can start using Smugmug today, as it offers a 14-day trial for membership before charges start to apply. If you’re more of an app person, then you can download their app for more convenience.

It is available on Android and IOS, and equally has one under Lightroom for users of the photo editing platform.

3. Stylinity

If you are a fashion lover, Stylinity is your kind of platform. It’s a shopping website where you can sell pics for cash.

As a Stylinity seller, you are required to take pictures of yourself while wearing outfits from one of their stores.

As such, you get paid when someone clicks on your pictures and makes a purchase of the outfits. You should therefore tag the different brands in your pics for easy sales.

Payment is in terms of StylePerks, points that are redeemable for cash or merchandise. For a more detailed description, watch this video tutorial on how the Stylinity app works.

4. 500px

Looking to add a new side hustle that pays weekly to your portfolio?

Then, you must definitely try 500px!

It’s a website where you exchange pictures for money. The platform has both a free and a paid version.

If you are a newbie in this business, start with the free version. Apart from the website, you can access 500px on Google Play and App Store.

With this platform, you get to earn 60% for exclusive pics and 30% for non-exclusive photos. As a tip, add keyword tags in your photos to attract more buyers.

With over 16 million users, this is among the most popular places to sell photos online. Some users earn up to $150 per picture.

Payment is done through PayPal. Even better, 500px holds contests worth cash rewards of between $150 and $500+.

5. Scoopshot

Wondering, how to make money with a nice body?

Scoopshot will pay you for taking beautiful selfies. However, unlike other picture apps, Scoopshot doesn’t pay you directly.

It’s the clients who buy your photos that send cash to your payment account. This simply means that pay is not guaranteed or protected by the platform. 

On the flip side, they hold daily contests where you’re required to post your pics or videos. The winner walks away with $5 cash for a single submission.

Ready to get paid for your selfies?

Download ScoopShot on Play Store or App Store today.

6. Clashot

The chashot app pays you for your selfie and pictures in general. You receive a commission of 44% of every sale from your pics. This can be anywhere between 50 cents and $80.

How much you can earn depends on the number of pictures that find interested buyers.

This app is operated by the owners of DepositPhotos, a US-based stock photography website. This means your uploads are synced together by both platforms, handing you more exposure.

Exclusive Tip: To increase your earnings, claim “offer” photos on Clashot- you can earn 50 times more.

7. Etsy

You probably know Etsy as a platform for buying and selling crafts, decor, and more.

Well… you can also sell your pics for cash on this online marketplace.

The good thing about selling your pictures here is that the platform receives over 40 million buyers annually. Buyers flood here looking for different items including self-taken photos, prints, and drawings.

You get to keep about 20% of each sale plus 3.5% of the sales price, a bare minimum when compared to other platforms. Etsy takes a commission of 5% from your pay as the transaction fee.

To maximize your earnings here, you have to invest most of your time in marketing your pics. When you set up an Etsy store, you get to set your own prices making your earnings limitless.

8. Instaprints

Instaprints has been in business for over a decade (since 2006), making it a legit platform to get paid for taking pictures.

It works by syncing with your Instagram account. You upload your pictures on your Instagram, then link your profile to your Instaprints account.

In addition to selling your pics, you can sell them as prints on phone cases, curtains, pillows, and greeting cards.

Sellers set their own prices, then Instaprints takes care of the rest including shipping and printing your photos for customers.

For the service, the platform charges a base fee depending on the final size of your photo. You can earn about $5-$50 per photo on this platform.

9. SquarePeep

Do you want to sell explicit content? Unlike other picture-selling platforms, SquarePeep has few restrictions on what passes for good pics and videos.

As the name suggests, this platform works by pixelating your explicit pictures with squares. Members are therefore charged to view your picture, one square at a time.

Sign-up is free. You register by linking your account to your Twitter account or your email address.

Price is set per square and you earn every time a square is revealed. You can withdraw your money anytime, provided you hit a minimum target of $100.

10. Foap

This is a mobile-based marketplace where you get paid to send pictures of yourself. Each pic goes for about $10 but you get to keep 50% of the sale, Foap charges cover the rest! 

There are also cash prizes to be won from ‘Missions’ worth around $50+ for the winning photo. 

Check out this quick guide on how to sell pictures of your feet on Foap

11. Create Your own Website

Start your own website or blog to enhance your online presence and sell your pictures.

There are many website builders out there, including free builders, to help you create a solid platform. 

Some photo buyers search for such websites/blogs so, invest in both onsite and offsite SEO to rank. Also, link your social media to your site for increased traffic.

Finally, include a “Contact Us” page where clients can get in touch with you. For more on this, click here to read a guide on how to start blogging for money.

12. Start a YouTube Channel

With a YouTube channel, you can market your business and at the same time earn from sponsored ads and content.

Create interesting videos that capture info about your photos. Include captions to inform your viewer what your video is all about. You should also make videos like a pro for better aesthetics. 

Create Stock Photo Libraries

Stock photography websites are platforms where you can buy and sell licensed pictures. On these websites, you can create your own stock library and start uploading pictures of yourself.

What I like about stock photography websites is that they already have a ready market for you.

Above all, the fact that you just upload hundreds of photos and wait for buyers makes this a good passive income idea. You don’t even have to market or go out of your way to sell.

Just go to your phone/computer gallery and upload your photos with identifying keywords and watch your account grow. 

Below are some of the best stock websites for you.

13. Shutterstock

Shutterstock is one of the best stock libraries where you can get paid for your photos.

It’s free to join but you have to upload some photos before being approved by their team. Once you become a Shutterstock contributor, you can earn up to 38 cents per download.

Your earnings are in terms of commissions that range from 15% to 40% for each download of a licensed media file, paid via PayPal. More to this, referring your friend earns you 4 cents.

If they end up buying from this platform, you earn an additional 20% of their purchase.

14. iStockphoto

Owned by GettyImages, iStockphoto is another popular stock site to get paid for pictures of yourself. It’s free to join a recruitment process similar to Shutterstock.

Nonexclusive photos of you make you 15% of the licensing fee. Making them exclusive rewards you a whopping 45%.

Before you can start earning though, you have to undertake a quiz and submit 3 sample files for evaluation.

This platform is also available for mobile devices on Google Play and the App Store.

15. BigStock

You can sign up for free and become a contributor to BigStock.

After completing their tutorial, you can start uploading your pictures for money immediately. You can cash out once you make $30 in commissions through PayPal or Skrill.

Most importantly, with BigStock, you always keep copyrights to your photos.

Where Can I Sell Pictures Of My Body for Money?

The internet is a vast setup where you can make money from doing a lot of things.

Even something as mundane as selling the pictures of your body can fetch you extra cash for the month, only if you know the right place for exchanging pictures for money.

Below are a few places and basically websites where you can sell pics for money. 

• Smugmug
• 123RF
• Dreamstime
• Big Stock Photo
• Photo Shelter

1. 123RF

Another platform you can count on if you want to make money selling pictures of your body is 123RF. This platform advocate for original pictures, with stock quality which makes selling pictures of your body very easy and sustainable.

123RF presents a couple of nice offers concerning your quest to sell pictures for money.

One of these many offers includes a commission earning a percentage in the range of 30%-60%. This means you’ll be paid between 30% to 60% of the funds made from selling each license of your pics.

The lucrative part of earning from 123RF is that there are over 5 million buyers available to patronize your craft, whether you’re selling your own pics, vectors, sound, and even video creations.

You can easily start off on 123RF for free by becoming a contributor. Also, the payment gateways available on 123RF include Paypal, Payoneer, and Skrill, making it easy for you to collect payment.

2. Dreamstime

Dreamstime is a stock purchase platform just like iStock and Pexel. You can get any form of downloadable media on this website, including images, audio, and video content.

Aside from the fact that Dreamstime is a source platform for media, it can also pay you to upload your pictures to its website.

There are certain criteria you should adhere to before you start your career at Dreamstime.

One of them includes that you have to personalize your work and also make sure they’re free from copyright infringements before you upload. It should also be free from offensive content or inscriptions.

Becoming a contributor at Dreamstime is quite easy as it is free and doesn’t require any sophisticated documents to set up an account as a contributor.

Once your work is sold on Dreamstime, you’ll be credited and can only withdraw when your balance is up to $100. 

3. Big Stock

Selling your pics on Big Stock is another great way of making extra money.

Big Stock is a place where you can source your media resources like videos, pics, and even audio. Besides that, Big Stock is also a good place where you can put up your pictures and get paid for them.

The method of becoming a contributor on this platform involves the first-time sign up which you will do with your rightful details like government name and residential address. This is followed by the uploading stage, where you are given two options for how to upload.

There is the browser mode for uploading images and then the FTP method of uploading the pictures. Next on the line is growing your portfolio, because the more prolific your portfolio is, the more money you stand to make.

You can request payment once your commission reaches $30. The payout is also easily done with platforms like Skrill and Paypal.

4. PhotoShelter

They say the best of things usually come last. Although Photoshelter is not the best of the platforms here, it is easily one of the best platforms you can rely on. This platform is a tech company that specializes in visual media, which consists of both pictures and videos.

Photoshelter offers you the chance to set your price, choose your preferred payment processor, and equally apply the pricing to your pictures.

The beauty of this platform is that it features AI tagging and has a powerful integration that thrives in the sale of pictures. Using the eCommerce tools available on this platform, you can sell your pictures with ease.

You can join Photoshelter by clicking on this link.

Get Paid for Pictures Of Your Body: FAQS

1. Can I Sell Pictures of Myself for Money?

There exist more than enough platforms where you can sell your photos for cash, which include mobile apps that pay you for uploading your feet pics and also stock photography websites that pay you when clients download or purchase your photos.

What’s more, you can start your own websites and join social media platforms to sell your pictures.

2. Is It Legal to Sell Videos of Yourself?

Selling non-explicit videos is totally legal provided you are not exhibiting nudity.

Most of these platforms allow you to keep the copyright of your videos and photos. However, not all platforms let you sell videos of yourself.

Such sites will, however, accept photos of nature and infrastructure. Selling photos of yourself can also be subject to age and religious restrictions imposed by your country of residence.

3. How Much Money Can You Make Selling Pictures?

The amount you make selling pictures highly depends on the number of pictures you sell.

As a beginner, your sales can be limited, but you can join more platforms to boost your sales.

Generally, one pic can sell for about $5-$10 on direct sales platforms.

On the other hand, stock photography platforms pay you up to around 50 cents to 80 cents per download. Either way, the more photos you upload, the more money you can make.

4. How Much Money Can I Make On Instafeet?

Instafeet is a platform for selling your feet pictures only. How much you earn on this platform depends on the number of subscribers you get. Feet pics cost anywhere between $5 and $100.

The platform takes only 10% of your earnings as listing and payment processing fees charges.

Expert sellers on Instafeet can earn up to $500 per day. Other sites similar to Instafeet include Zazzle app, Tinder, and Discord.

5. How To Make Money Showing Your Body Online?

You can make money showing your body online, by using some of the platforms featured in this post.

While some require charges to be a member, you can go for the free ones like Big Stock and PhotoShelter.

6. Where Can I Sell Pictures of My Body for Money?

There are many platforms and apps available online that can serve as where you can sell pictures of your body and get paid.

You can put up pictures of your body on sale in places like Smugmug, 500px, and also Pay Your Selfie.

7. How To Sell Pictures for Money?

You don’t need any special skills to be able to sell pictures for money.

All you have to do is to sign up or register on the platform, pass all their criteria and start uploading pictures to get paid.

Most sites pay on commission and you can have the choice of setting up prices yourself. 

8. What Is the Best App To Submit Pics for Cash?

The best app to submit pics for cash is 500px. This selection is based on the features of this platform like its dual free and paid version, which makes it possible for newbies to join.

It also boasts a 60% commission on exclusive pics and 30% on non-exclusive deals. Even better, 500px holds contests worth cash rewards of between $150 and $500+

Ready to Get paid for Your Selfies?!

There you have it. These are some of the ways how to make money selling photos of yourself.

What I like about selling your pics is that you can make them one of your sources of passive income. Sign up today on one of these platforms and get paid to send pictures of yourself.

However, if selling pictures is not your thing, check out these genius ways of making $500 fast. 

Which platform do you sell your pics on? Share your recommendations and insights in the comment section below.