If you want to become a photo editor, it can be very rewarding, both from a personal, as well as from a financial point of view.
Edited photos are used in many different industries, especially in their marketing campaigns, so the earning potential in editing photos is vast. The added bonus is that with modern technology, this is work that you can do from home to earn money and can be done from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection and a way to receive payments.
Good photo editors are creative and have an eye for detail, but the skill in photo editing is often more about the knowledge of the photo editing software, than it does having creative talent. If you learn the skills and you have the talent, you can go on to become a photo editing artist. If you are serious about making money from photo editing, it is advisable to get a computer, as mobile devices have limitations. It will take work, skill, and dedication to be successful.
Learn to edit photos
The first step in pursuing photo editing will be to learn how to use your photo editing software. I recommend Cyberlink , which has a range of products, including a free download to get started., They also have a learning center on their website with various tutorials, some in text and others in video format. This free training will greatly reduce the time that it will take to learn the skills that you will need but will not eliminate the fact that you will need to practice these skills. Their photo animation is my personal favorite, so be sure to take a look at that as well.
To practice your skills, you can start by editing photos that you have on hand, or stock photos that you can download from a website like Freeimages. Keep in mind that if you are planning on starting a photo editing business, you have to also start to build up assets, so while practicing, you might as well do it in such a way that you can add the photos to your stock library for potential future use. In other words, if you are going to take the time practicing your skills, try to do it in such a way and on types of photos that you can potentially sell in future. Most photo editing software also has the potential to be used for graphic design, so practice these skills as well.
Suggestions on where to market edited photos and graphics
1. Create and sell stock images online – There are numerous ways to sell your stock online and this is something that I recommend you consider doing this as early as possible. Listing your work online has the potential to generate a passive income selling photos. In other words, once you have created an image or graphic and placed it online for resale, these images have the potential to sell, without you having to do any further work on them. It probably will not bring in enough money to earn a full-time income, but it could bring in money, while you are working on other projects. To sell these online, you can create a website to sell from, or you can sell it on websites like Shutterstock. Also consider Print on Demand websites like Etsy and other sites where you can make your graphics available for T Shirt printing, coffee mugs etc.
2. Advertising agencies – There is a big demand in advertising for images that grab the attention of target audiences. Approach advertising agencies to assist with their photo editing needs.
3. Photographers – Photographers often do not have the time, to edit photos. Approach them to assist with their photo editing needs.
4. Businesses – Approach businesses to assist them with their photo editing, logo design, flyer design, business card design etc.
5. Private individuals – Advertise your services to assist people with editing and restoration of wedding photos, family photos and any type of personal photos that they need assistance with.
6. Freelance photo editor – You can list your services on websites for freelancers like, Fiverr , Upwork, Freelancer and other similar sites.