Stock photo and footage portfolio

Designers, marketing teams, publishers, bloggers and small businesses who need ready-made images or footage.

You earn a share of each licence sold on a marketplace. Earnings build slowly as your portfolio grows and gets found in search.

• Photography or videography
• Editing and keywording files
• Spotting what buyers need

• Model and property releases are usually needed for recognisable people or private property, check each site's rules
• Avoid visible logos, artwork and trademarks, which many sites reject
• Income is uncertain and slow at first, so treat it as a long-term project
• Keep records of income for Self Assessment, and check each site's payment terms

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £0 to £1,500, depending on the camera, editing tools and equipment you already own or need to buy. Many people start with what they have.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around £20 to £800, depending on the size and quality of your portfolio and what buyers need. Income is uncertain and slow at first, so treat it as a long-term project of at least about 5 hours a week.

Check each site's rules on model and property releases, which are usually needed for recognisable people or private property. Avoid visible logos, artwork and trademarks, which many sites reject. Keep records of your income for Self Assessment.