You can help a photographer or illustrator with no actual cost to you, support the arts, and really make someone grateful.

Like most artists, I have to really diversify my work sometimes just to get by. A global pandemic isn’t helping, either. One of the ways I make a little extra money is by selling stock photography and illustrations.

When it comes to stock photography, I am Master of the Mundane, because, well, a lot of stock photography is not about that perfect sunset. It’s about drainage pipes and road construction and medical stuff and food. So, if you need that perfect picture of an amputee for your ambulance chasing / accidental death and dismemberment website, I’ve got you covered.

A lot of companies buy stock photography and illustration plans for their business websites, brochures, and blogs. A plan gives you a certain number of downloads per month, and it’s likely you won’t use all your downloads.

Now, for photographers and illustrators, they get paid by the download, which is an embarrassingly small amount I would add. At the end of the month, any money you paid for your stock plan that was not taken up by the licenses you purchase, the company keeps. Is any of that revenue shared with their photographers and illustrators? Be serious; of course not.

Since you’ve already paid for those pictures, why not get some extra pictures and fill out your monthly stock plan, even if you know you’ll never use them? That insures a little more income for a starving photographer or illustrator, and you get the satisfaction of knowing you helped support an artist in need.

My stock photography and illustration portfolios

Shutterstock
IStock
BigStock
Dreamstime
123RF
Adobe Stock
Depositphotos
Alamy