How to sell your photos on Shutterstock

Stock photography is a volume game - build a portfolio that earns while you sleep.

Get accepted and learn the rules

Sign up as a contributor and submit your sharpest work - technical quality is the main rejection reason. Anything with recognizable people needs a model release, and visible logos or trademarks must be removed or the image submitted as editorial.

Shoot what buyers search for

Browse the most-downloaded categories - business, lifestyle, technology, and seasonal themes sell year round. Authentic-looking scenes outsell staged ones. Keyword every upload thoroughly and accurately, because search is the only way buyers find you.

Grow your royalties

Shutterstock pays a percentage that increases with your download level each year - from 15% up to 40%. Upload consistently rather than in one burst, spread your portfolio across several agencies, and treat each upload as a small asset that can earn for a decade.