How Street Photographers Make Money

You might think that street photographers sell the photos they take to make their money. You're probably wrong.

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[huntercreatesthings]

BTW The first 500 people to use my link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare!

[DominikMarczuk]

Doing the same thing at and after work inevitably leads to burnout. Hobbies turned professions stop being hobbies. Making money doing what you love is the best way to stop loving it.
That's why I don't try to make money from photography. The fact that my photos suck has nothing to do with it, I swear.

[deeply.shallow]

Street photography is a good way to socialize without having to open your mouth

[stayuntilforever]

I've sold a 1000usd limited edition streetphotography print shot on a 16mp Fujifilm XE1 on a KonicaHexanon40mmF1.8. I don't have a youtube channel, no instagram, no Facebook. I spend my time taking images instead of in front of a screen. Print large in good quality, find galleries in your area and if your work is good enough you'll sell. Less screen, more photography ❤

[erin.v.z]

I’m definitely not making money at it, even with a gallery exhibit, BUT it legit might be saving my health. I’ve got a condition that is caused by stress and since i can’t change my stressors, the best way to manage it is thru doing things that lower my stress. I’ve been monitoring and finding going on photowalks lowers my stress level in real time. Kind of amazing. Bonus, i get to document the beautiful parts of life from my own perspective.

[GiulioSciorio]

Appreciate the video, Hunter. I’ve been a professional photographer for about 30 years now. I started as a street photographer out of love and compulsion to connect with others though photography. However, I made my money as an editorial and commercial photographer BUT the vision I sold to land jobs was always my street photography. The best clients buy vision, not technique. When I got clear on my vision, I got booked heavily. It’s important to know that if you have a clear vision it makes it easier for the clients to hire you because they know what they are and are not getting. Also, being clear on your vision, you will know that you have no competition because your vision is unique to you. As I aged, my vision changed and thus my photography and commissions have changed. Anyone can get good at technique and that makes for a good technician, not a good artist. Everything revolves around YOUR vision not imitating the vision of others or following rules of thirds, S curves and other nonsense. If you create from your heart and your vision is clear, everything falls into place. ❤

[PrototypeSourri]

For me, street is just a way to be creative and relax after my job as a nurse. I think it also influences what I shoot. I tend to shoot tender moments, elderly people and interactions between parents and their children, yet I hardly publish any of those. It's just for me for now and who knows, maybe in 13 years I'll have a respectable portfolio as well.

[ChrisBrogan]

I >never< considered your "solution" about using street as creativity juice. That makes a lot of sense. I'm one of those business men who doesn't make money from the camera. In fact, the camera is my "meditation." I use it to keep my phone in my pocket and look at what's right in front of me. Creatively.

So I use street and other things ONLY as a way to stay creative. Really grateful for this video.

[maxadams]

I always tell my customers that I shoot digital for work and film For fun. Having the separation makes shooting film a treat and never feel like work

[aeyb]

Starting a YouTube channel on street photography.

[aerialfilm]

One should never conflate their passion with their work. I’m too behind a camera for a living. Every week 25-30 million people enjoy my work. The hours are long, the equipment is heavy, and there is no assistant. My spine is ruined from accidents and overloaded Pelicans. Dinner is often from a vending machine at the hotel because I’m too tired to find a restaurant open late, and I have a stupid early flight in the morning. I miss birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and sometimes funerals. Everyone says they want my job until they actually see it. On the surface the work appears sexy, the lifestyle certainly is not. Cityscape photography is my recreation. Getting paid for it would ruin the only thing keeping me sane. I don’t expect anyone to understand. Twenty five years ago I didn’t either.

[DistantLightProd]

Agree 100%. I started as a hobby and loved it into an occupation and the the initial romance is not as romantic anymore. Now its a job. My gear really only comes out when I have a job now.

[stephengreico]

I remember when I first started and yes there was some level of desire for notoriety and to a lesser extent money.
But I so genuinely enjoyed it. I loved the cameras, the nervousness walking around feeling like everyone noticed you with a camera in your hand, the idea of even seeming like a real artist…it was a really sweet time…then I moved and work became the priority
I hope one day I can get back to it

[EdwinDearborn]

Use street photography to connect with business people and entrepreneurs. From these connections, find the value that you can bring, which, 99% of the time, will have nothing to do with photography. The bottom line is to do street photography for art's sake, not profit.

[icedcocoa]

inspirational video, especially as I still (slightly) dream of earning enough to live with 'just' by doing art.

Your later parts of the video hit me hard, as I remember giving up on drawing-designings because of my dream of car designer becoming a pressure of 'must be a car designer' during high school, and since my purchase of sony a7r3 (depleting most of my saved up money, along with earning some distrust from my parents) I once desperately tried to figure out ways to earn money with photos like in stock photography sites. In the end, I feel that I get to relieve and enjoy the entire process of photography in every place and every moment, along with my rehabilitation with drawing, because they're not something as I must make earnings from them.

I think one way photography can be somewhat of money-making is with taking pictures of second-hand/pre-owned things to post them on sale. It kind of feels nice to put everything I got of my photography life with those used items as 'models'.

[MrBananovitch]

that Weyland Yutani logo made me chuckle

[street-documentaryphotography]

You make money by making YouTube video (maybe) and by selling courses or selling a book (after you created a following on youtube) that is all, but you have to keep your hated regular job. The other good question is "will women be attracted to a street photographer even if he spent all his money on a camera and does not have any money even for a movie ticket"

[LLlblKAPHO]

We have a lot of street photographers in Novosibirsk who are trying to sell you a picture they just took. Unfortunately, many of them take mediocre photos and have no interest in their eyes.

[Влад-ъдд]

I love your videos and art man, since I started photography and till now you're my fav photographer with youtube chan. But I probably need someone like you who can clarify things in portrait photography or architecture photography the way you do😅

[edrikpedraja]

Great point at the end on the if there was a massive demand for street photography, the street photography world would be a mess! Awesome video