To make money with stock photos, the image has to have an appeal to someone that needs an illustration.  It also needs an idea conceptualized in a picture or it gets an idea across to the intended audience. If the photographer takes photos with this in mind, or even sets up his subject matter for the shots in a conceptual way, their photos will sell better. For example, photos of nature will have a more limited customer base. But they will sell to nature magazines.

The stock photography companies will represent your work and you can upload a portfolio at their site. They sell the right of use to advertising agencies and newspapers. These days they also sell to people wanting photos for their websites. Magazine editors, web designers, and graphic artists all buy stock photos. Some of these companies sell royalty free stock images. The newest ones are called micro stock agencies. They sell the use of photos for a minimal amount of money, usually one dollar.

Most of these companies are subscription based for the buyer. Some of them also have editorial photos and video libraries. To prepare your photo for uploading at one of this stock photography company sites, do the following:

• Put in jpeg format, use minimum compression
• Don’t resize
• Look at your photo at 100% magnification looking for noise or granularity
• Remove noise or granularity at Neat Image
• Remove any copyright symbols or trademarks
• Submit model release form when necessary, i.e.; the model can be identified from photo
• Use good keywords, competition is fierce

Some stock photography companies increase your pay when you have made a certain amount of money or a certain amount of photos have been bought. Some companies also pay you for referring other stock photographers and stock buyers.