A little while back my friend, a professional photographer (income is earned via through private commissions), was complaining that she could not make money from her existing library of images. She had not realised, until we discussed it, that submitting images to stock libraries could provide additional income from photographs that she had already taken.

Many of us own a digital camera nowadays, and many of us take them wherever we go. As the quality of the digital cameras has improved it has become easier to take good quality photographs. As digital pictures don't require developing, which saves both money and time, we take a lot more pictures than we used to. Those pictures filling your SD camera's memory card or stored in a folder on your computer could make be worth money to you...

Let me explain.

We are surrounded by images. Photos are all around us, in magazines, on billboards, in pamphlets and on websites. The internet consumes a vast amount of imagery, and according to estimations web traffic in the USA alone doubles every ten months. More and more websites are created every day, with a corresponding demand for images.

A large percentage of these pictures are held by companies known a stock photo libraries. Between them they hold millions of copyright -free images and there is always a demand for more. This is where the skilled amateur photographer comes in. The designers who use stock libraries are always in need of new, fresh and creative ideas and content.

The stock libraries work by selling copyright-free photographs (and other content) to designers. This means that you will not retain the copyright on any of your images, and they may be used in a variety of different projects. By releasing the copyright on photographs that you had no intention of selling yourself, you can let your photographs earn an income for you by allowing others to sell them for you.

So how does this make you money? There are numerous stock libraries, each offering different financial benefits. Once you find the one or more that suits you they will ask you to upload your photographs to their website, via a form on their site. There is no charge for uploading your photographs and if your image is downloaded you will be paid a royalty. Although each individual download will not generate much income there is no limit to the earnings on each image. That means that if your photographs are popular you could earn a nice ongoing passive income.

Take a look at the stock photography web sites and see what they are looking for, in terms of content type and technical quality. You may have just the thing or perhaps you can compose them to suit. Make very sure that you familiarise yourself with their terms and conditions. Some sites have comprehensive training and guidance, others are more relaxed. Find one that suits you, upload your first photographs, learn the trade and start to become a stock photographer.

Finally, remember to think like a professional photographer. Snapshots are not good enough, Compose your photographs with care, think about lighting and shadow and avoid distracting details that will detract from the focal point of your image. Resist the impulse to over-manipulate the photograph after the fact on your PC. Try to select unusual subject matters that may be difficult for designers to source. Most importantly, learn to think and behave like a professional. You will be well on your way to earning an income from your idle photos.