If you want to make money editing photos and start building your dream side hustle or full-time career, this is the guide for you.
With the rise of online business, social media, and blogging, well-edited photographs are in high demand. For those reasons, photo editors (like you) have more of an opportunity to monetize their skills than ever before.
In fact, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about how to make money editing photos, from creating offers to promoting your services and even finding repeat customers.
Let’s get started!
10 Best Ways To Make Money Editing Photos
There are several ways to make money editing photos.
But if you’re just getting started, or aren’t really sure how to transform your passion into revenue, here are some of the best tried-and-true methods to start monetizing your editing skills.
1. Partner With A Wedding Photographer
Just as you love editing photos but don’t want to be the person taking them, there are photographers out there who feel just the opposite.
Wedding photography is a lucrative market for photographers and photo editors because couples will often pay top dollar to have beautiful images of their special day.
Though as wedding photographers grow their businesses and become busier, they often need to outsource the photo editing to keep up with increased demand.
And that’s where you come in.
All you have to do is find a wedding photographer or two in need of editing help, and be willing to follow their direction and adapt to the editing styles they prefer.
Remember, many couples seek out wedding photographers for both their photography and editing skills, so it’s important to continue providing consistent end results for their clients.
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2. Create A Gig On Fiverr
Fiverr is a freelancing platform that allows all types of freelancers to showcase and sell their services.
It just so happens that photo editing is a huge market on Fiverr, so there are plenty of opportunities to gain new clients.
You can sell your services on Fiverr by creating different “gigs” or packages that people can purchase from you.
If you decide to set up a profile on Fiverr, I recommend browsing the gigs other sellers are offering and figuring out where your services fit in.
For instance, you could create a specific wedding photo editing gig, or you could create one for editing Instagram photos.
It’s really up to you. But the more niches you are willing to serve, the more likely you are to land some clients.
3. Create/Sell An Online Photo Editing Course
An alternative way to make money editing photos is to sell your expertise in the form of a digital course.
There’s a growing market for online education, and your knowledge is valuable to people who want to improve their photo editing skills.
You can easily create a simple course curriculum that walks people through the process of editing photos. You could create your course around a specific photo editing software, a certain style of photo editing, or about editing photos for a particular context.
Then, you could promote your course to social media influencers, photographers in need of editing help, or other aspiring photo editors.
4. Edit Photos For A Marketing Agency
Marketing agencies typically offer services like branding, product photography, social media marketing, and digital marketing. However, many agencies don’t have an in-house photo editor, or they may be too busy with other projects to focus on editing their clients’ photos.
Their willingness to outsource is your golden opportunity.
Pitch your photo editing services to marketing agencies you like.
You could focus on pitching to agencies in your area, or you could search online for marketing agencies you like but are located elsewhere.
5. Edit Social Media Photos For Local Businesses
Brick and mortar businesses often need help marketing their businesses online or on social media. Local restaurants, bakeries, boutiques, and coffee shops all benefit from a strong social media presence.
Most small businesses don’t have the capacity to hire a full-time Social Media Manager, so they end up doing their own social media. This often results in less-than-attractive feeds with poorly edited photos.
Look for the social media profiles of businesses in your town or city and take note of a few that could use some help. Then, pitch your services and let them know how your photo editing skills can help improve their business.
6. Edit Product Photography
While it’s not the most glamorous form of editing, product photography edits are extremely important for a lot of businesses.
Therefore, if you want to make money editing photos, consider specializing in photo editing for products. Or create a separate gig or listing on sites like Fiverr to advertise your editing services for product photos.
Try to connect with business owners who are interested in selling their products online.
Photography is an essential element of ecommerce websites, and photos that are edited in a consistent style are important to achieve cohesive branding.
7. Edit Photos For Real Estate Agents
Real estate agents rely on photos to advertise their listings and promote their services to prospective clients.
They may take photos themselves to save money on a photographer, but quality photo editing can help improve their listings.
If you know any real estate agents, offer to partner with them in editing property photos for their listings and promotional materials.
Honestly, if you can find 4 or 5 real estate agents that are willing to partner with you for all their photo editing, you could make a really nice income.
8. Take/Edit Photos For Car Dealerships
Car dealerships also rely on high-quality photos of their vehicles to get people in the door.
While you may have to also provide photography services to secure a gig like this one, it may be worth it since car dealers tend to have lots of turnover in inventory. This means you’re more likely to stay busy with recurring work. Cha-ching!
The photography style for car dealerships tends to be basic and straightforward, so this might be a good option if you’re just starting out as a photo editor.
9. Edit Photos For A Local Photography Studio
Do you know of a photography studio in your area?
Studio owners are often looking for help with photo editing so they can be more efficient with their time.
Introduce yourself to local photographers and studio owners and offer to take some of the editing off their hands.
Just as when you’re working alongside wedding photographers, it’s important to be receptive to the photographer’s direction. Make sure to be flexible and accommodating to ensure repeat business.
10. Teach An In-Person Photo Editing Class
Many people prefer learning in-person because it offers a more hands-on approach.
If you’d rather teach an in-person class on photo editing as opposed to creating an online course, see if you can partner with a local school, university, or studio. This will help you avoid the cost of securing a location for teaching.
Plus, it will give you all kinds of material and credibility if you do end up creating your own online photography course.
How To Promote Your Photo Editing Business
After you’ve decided on a few ways to get the ball rolling and you start to make money editing photos, it’s time to promote and scale your services.
But promoting your photo editing business doesn’t have to be complicated.
These simple methods will help get the word out about your business and will help you start gaining more exposure and income.
1. Reach Out To Local Photographers
One way to grow your photo editing business is to network with photographers.
Every photographer has his or her own network of social media followers and clients, and they may be open to collaborations with you.
The best way to earn more money in your photo editing business is to make offers to people who benefit from your services. Photographers are the exact right target market, and the more photographers you can develop relationships with, the easier it will be to grow your business.
2. Create A Portfolio Website
Let your work speak for itself!
Showcase your editing skills on a portfolio website so prospective clients can see evidence of your talent.
Always be sure to get permission to use the photos you’ve edited before posting them on your portfolio site. Most photographers won’t have a problem with this, but it’s important to ask ahead of time to avoid misunderstandings.
3. Create An Instagram Account For Your Business
Instagram is the best social media platform for photographers and photo editors to showcase their work. It’s visual in nature, so users are always on the hunt for aesthetic photos.
Create a separate Instagram account for your photo editing business to stay professional and keep your personal posts private. You can always promote your business Instagram on your personal profile to generate an initial following.
Showcase your editing skills by posting before and after photos. People may even start asking you to create presets so they can edit their photos like yours.
This is another great opportunity to make money editing photos.
4. Start A Blog About Photo Editing
Blogging is more than just a hobby for writers – it can actually be very profitable.
Photo editing is a specific niche that many people want to learn more about. You can provide tips, tutorials, and case studies on your blog. This will help demonstrate your expertise, drive more interest in your services, and offer more money-making opportunities.
In your blog posts, be sure to promote the photo editing software and equipment you use through affiliate links so you can earn commissions on your recommendations.
Oh, and if you do create an online photo editing course, be sure to promote that too!
Interested in starting a blog? Here are a few posts to help you get started:
- 5 Blogging Secrets Every Beginner Needs To Know
- How Much Does It Cost To Start (And Run) A Blog?
- Blog On A Budget: 10 Low-Cost Essentials For New Bloggers
- 21 Legit Ways To Grow Your Blog Traffic
- 10 Blog Writing Tips To Get More Traffic And Subscribers
- How To Make Money As A Fashion Blogger
- How Do Blogs Make Money (10 Proven Ways)
5. Network With Businesses In Your Community
The more people you know, the more likely you are to get referrals to your business.
So, take the time to meet people in your community and learn about their businesses.
Look for business networking events and be prepared to share about how your photo editing services can help make a difference for them.
6. Get Active On LinkedIn
Make sure to publicize your services on job sites like LinkedIn.
Oftentimes, prospective clients will check your LinkedIn profile to make sure your services are legitimate.
Also, new clients may find you through LinkedIn if they’re searching for a photo editor.
Include examples of your work or a link to your portfolio on your profile so it’s easy for people who visit your page to see what you’re capable of.
On the other hand, LinkedIn works both ways. In other words, you can actively look for people who are hiring photo editors.
Set an alert for job prospects involving photo editing.
That way, you’ll get an email whenever someone in your area posts a job having to do with photo editing, and you can be one of the first people to apply.
Related Questions
How Much Should I Charge To Edit Photos?
As a photo editor you should plan to charge anywhere between $20 and $150 per hour. When setting your rate, make sure to consider your skill level, experience, and the size/complexity of each project.
How Do I Get Started As A Photo Editor?
Take advantage of online resources and learn the basics of photo editing either through free information on the internet or by taking a course. Also, learn the ins and outs of your photo editing software of choice. This will make the editing process easier and faster.
How Much Can You Make Editing Photos?
According to Ziprecruiter, full-time photo editors make an average of $43,931 per year. But, depending on which methods you use to grow and scale your business, you could earn significantly more than that.
What Skills Do I Need To Become A Photo Editor?
To be a successful photo editor and make money editing photos, you need to have excellent visual, communication, and organizational skills. You need to be comfortable using technology and able to meet tight deadlines. To work alongside photographers, you must also have a collaborative spirit.
