10 GREAT side hustles for photographers in 2025

[@katjafeldmeier]

What are your favorite side hustles?

[@TMVVisualMedia]

I loved the video! Because I am not yet a full time photographer; photography is my side hustle and I love it!

[@matthewburga]

Selling drugs.

[@2jzgenat]

​@@matthewburgait doesnt make you a bad person either

[@lightbox617]

I have been a professional, working, photographer for about 25 years. I came to it late and now, at 75, I mostly do freebees for local not for profits. I currently sell a decades worth of loose prints at locations where my 501c3 does shows. $10 each for a 13x19 print. I learned by working with and for professional who's work I admired. More recently, I began working with high functioning, developmentally disabled young adults. Teaching digital photography and making around $40 per hour, two weekly 3 hour sessions paid my rent.

[@Slurgical_3D_Terrain_Channel]

Great advices and proven true. I had my own gig for years as a freelance photographer. You put heart into it and be genuine, work will come through your passion, it may be quick, it may take some times. Don’t give up if it’s not an overnight success. KEep up the good work Katja :) One extra side hustle, get a small portable printer, go to dog groomers or local pet shop, pet food places and offer pet photography for holidays, like Christmas, Easter and others. I had people contacting me 10 years later to ask if I still have photos of their puppies or pets. I always kept them and random walk-ins are still contacting me. You learn and earn so much that way and it is so much fun if you love pets.

[@fershred]

Hello, I'd like to ask what kind of treatment you applied to the prints from the portable printer, because I'd believe they woul start fading after a year or so.

[@Slurgical_3D_Terrain_Channel]

For the pet photography I didn't treat them. But on the top of printing them I emailed the photos to the client so they could print or post them on social media. I never liked the restrictions photographers at the time were putting on copyright and such. I always looked at it from the perspective of the client. Most wouldn't really care about the prints, they would scan the print and ditch it. @@fershred My printer was dye transfer. The one I had outlasted my inkjet by years in regards of fading. I can’t remember the spray I used, but I got it from an art supply store that imported it from Europe.

[@echidna8499]

can you teach how to be a freelancer photographer, im a student and has a camera canonr50 kit lens, i hope i have a chance

[@Slurgical_3D_Terrain_Channel]

@@fershred odd, I thought I responded to your question. There was a fixer spray, I can’t remember the name. I later got a Cannon Proxima printer and photos haven’t faded yet and it’s been over 10 years. They are probably better now if you get a good photo printer.

[@Slurgical_3D_Terrain_Channel]

@@echidna8499 you have a chance no matter what. There will be up and down. Don’t let the down gets you. Put adds in your school to work on portfolio. For the add reach out to other students in other fields that would need to promote their portfolio but are not in photography field. Get a set of LED lights, or clamp lights with LED bulbs. Before reaching out, know your camera. Play with over exposure, under exposure, white balance, ISO, standard settings on your camera and do that on the same objects. Pick something at home. That would be a quick way to learn the range of your camera. By doing that you will have something to reference when you are on a photoshoot. Do portfolio for modelling student or drama class for headshots, art students…that way you get a feel to deal with people and find what you like to take photos of. Take photos of different toys of very different colours, so you learn the lighting and colour shifts. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[@FabrizioZago]

Hi, interesting video. I've done some local art fairs and my experience is that people tend to buy photographs of the places where they live because they have a connection. I had some nice photos of places I've visited around the world but the most sold where photos taken in a 20 Km radius from where the fair took place. At least this was my experience I made when I took part in the art fairs. Interesting channel, I'll follow it, new sub.

[@katjafeldmeier]

Hey, thank you for sharing your experience and for subscribing. Welcome to this little channel 😊

[@Armitage01101]

I've been shooting digital and analog for two years, and I really like your channel because it's actually about photography. Most channels are about gear, and technical details in one way or another.

[@katjafeldmeier]

So lovely to hear that. I appreciate the comment. Do you have any photography related topics in mind which would be helpful to you in the future?

[@Armitage01101]

@@katjafeldmeier A suggested portrait routine when asking strangers on the street for portraits. So one or two posing suggestions + a framing suggestion + recognizing optimal light. In other words a setup that you can propose so as not to come off as a novice when communicating with people and to help build up confidence.

[@Josenapoleonn]

So freaking helpful thank you! 🙏🏽

[@mightymorc]

I like the idea of selling postcard-like prints at flea markets!

[@muizzmukkey7930]

Awesome

[@erniehayden]

Excellent ideas, Katja! Danke! I was not aware of the Air B N B opportunity as a tour guide/tour photographer.

[@mercurelibbrecht5610]

This was really helpful! There's some things I didn't think about so this was a great inspiration! Thank you !

[@katjafeldmeier]

Thanks and I’m glad it was helpful ❤️

[@MJ-Travel]

That Airbnb idea is totally new to me, but sounds great, thank for sharing! 🙂🙏

[@jaimininorath5760]

That's so weird, i have had that same idea about polaroids too lately. i have been telling my gf that i could go to this popular tourist/instagram selfie destination in my city, stand there and offer polaroids for $5 a pop. might do this if i get desperate lol

[@katjafeldmeier]

Haha, coincidence? Let me know how it goes if you try it

[@jaimininorath5760]

@@katjafeldmeier just goes to show how un-special we all are, only those who take action with reap the benefits

[@viddystudiosngr]

This is really interesting. Thank you such wonderful video

[@ArchiesLens]

This is super helpful and has sparked some inspiration for me thank you!✨

[@andrewblackman4372]

I love the video, Katja! Really useful and, what's more, totally realistic for many people.

[@katjafeldmeier]

Thank you Andrew! Yes I wanted to offer ideas that I have tried myself or would be willing to do.

[@jjonestowne]

These are pretty badass ideas. A lot I've not heard from other people. Thanks.

[@katjafeldmeier]

Happy to hear that! Thx ☺️

[@LuminousLives]

Loved this! Some great ideas in there. Thanks for making it.

[@adrianhydephotography]

I have been doing KZbin for a few years. I do it for myself but it’s not very successful but it’s successful to me. Stock photography sounds a good idea. Thanks for sharing

[@morpheusthyrux]

Really informative video! Looking forward to seeing more content like this

[@sonofapigeon]

Greetings from Berlin! Great tips! Thank you very much and keep on the hard work!!

[@katjafeldmeier]

Greetings back ☺️

[@JulioAvalos3000]

Thank you for the video. It gave me some ideas I will try out.

[@EdwardSJLens]

Very dope video. Very informative. Thanks for this. Keep up the content!

[@hermannmaier]

Another idea: Set up a green screen/green flash illuminated background, take photos tethered to a laptop, triggering an automatic workflow which puts your subject into a variety of prepared composites, displayed on a big screen, sell prints on the spot. Think of people coming out of a movie premiere, click… the person sees himself in Avatar land, hunted by dinosaurs, as a Toystory character, as a hobbit in Hobbit land. Or at museums: as Mona Lisa, inside a Hopper painting, walking into the Stary Night. At local theatres, at medieval, art, street festivals, amusement parks, corporate events, tourist attractions. Nail the workflow once, then constantly refresh with new concepts and collaborations.

[@LienLeon]

Great video. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@Regzillaaa]

Great ideas honestly! Thanks for that

[@tequilitita]

whats your favorite paper for cheaper prints that can be sold at flea markets? or do you get them printed at a copy shop?

[@tequilitita]

and how do you do your tax when selling prints at flea markets?

[@katjafeldmeier]

it was just fuji paper that’s in the printer at my photo school. Nothing fancy, nothing special. These were prints that cost me like 80 cents to produce and I sold them for like 5-10€

[@analoggdreamss]

I wish Polaroids were 1 dollar a pop 😅 At leats in the US, they cost 2.25 - 2.50 per photo.

[@katjafeldmeier]

Yeah inflation is creeping. Made the video six months ago, it was still that price in Germany then. But you know, figure out the margin and sell it at a higher price.

[@romiemiller7876]

Good ideas here.

[@alguresofia]

Thank you so much for this video such great advices!

[@katjafeldmeier]

My pleasure! Thank you for watching. Do you have any other topics you would like me to cover?

[@ThatCarpathianG]

In photographer too, but i really dont think that in 2024 people are giving money for photography. When u can just download them for free..sadly

[@katjafeldmeier]

it really really depends on the type of photography though...there is a lot of generic stock photography that you can just get for free or buy for pennies but if you are a skincare brand and you need your new products to be photographed, you still need to hire and pay a photographer or if you are a startup and you have a team that needs team portraits, you need to hire a photographer. or if you are a magazine that is reporting on social injustices, you need to send a photographer to cover the story. I have a video about photography niches that are lucrative and the ones that aren't. so yeah, there is still money in it, but you need to be a bit strategic about it and combine multiple things.

[@ThatCarpathianG]

@@katjafeldmeier agree, BUT, i feel like if u not in some fancy city u have no chance, i tried everything near me and just no luck .. some tattoo shops and restaurants but that's it. All the corporate shops have their crew in the HQ. no matter how good u are, and how low u go with price they just won't spend money on photography...

[@katjafeldmeier]

@@ThatCarpathianG you are right that location does play a role in it. specifically for certain industries like fashion and such. and restaurants and tattoo shops are often struggling themselves... so, how about going for smaller businesses in financially strong positions? real estate, insurance, financial services etc. Or if you are in a more rural area, try the private sector: weddings, family portraits, couple shoots, engagements, baby showers, newborns - those can be very lucrative as well, depending on how well you package your services. with this stuff it can also be an advantage not to be based in a big city, because people know you, will recommend you in your community. You could also try assisting other photographers near you and see how they get business. It's definitely not an easy path but there are always ways in, so I would encourage you to keep digging if its really what you wanna do, but challenge yourself to offer stuff that solves peoples problems and that people are willing to pay for. and in the end, yes, for certain things, you might even have to consider changing your location - I mean that's why actors move to L.A., tech startup bros move to the Bay Area and models and fashion designers move to NYC - to get closer to opportunity.

[@shabir2020]

Great one mam

[@craigzievis2074]

Thanks for the video!!

[@domingogomez9802]

I really like your video. It giv3s a lot of interesting ideas for side hustle 😊

[@katjafeldmeier]

Thank you! I’m happy you got some ideas

[@richardl3809]

Great tips, thanks and ❤ your video.

[@katjafeldmeier]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Armitage01101]

How did you print those A5 prints you sold for 5-10 euro? Just the cheap digital prints from a lab?

[@katjafeldmeier]

Yes. Exactly. Those were just working prints that I printed out on a fuji photo printer in my photo school to do edits with.

[@Armitage01101]

@@katjafeldmeier I thought so, because art printing couldn't possibly work out at that price, at least from what I see from places like printspace.

[@katjafeldmeier]

@@Armitage01101 yes exactly. that's a whole different game. but tbh, it's probably much harder to find the right customers for an an actual art print at these kinds of markets. and obviously it's a much bigger cost upfront if you go in and spend the money on high quality art prints. A gallery or a an art print shop would be better suited for that.

[@photobizmethod]

What great ideas!

[@Usiris23]

Funny I saw an open spot at a weekend market here in my city and thought “hmmm I bet I could sell some prints here”

[@katjafeldmeier]

yes, do it 🙌

[@FastVibezVault]

How about students who may be too young to get paid online or maybe cannot really find people to work for because you are too young and inexperienced?

[@katjafeldmeier]

How old is too young? There are lots of ideas for those in this video…selling Polaroids, selling your work at a market, starting a KZbin channel ;)

[@keyboardwarrior6890]

Hey dein beitrag hat mir sehr geholfen, weil meistens sind diese side hustle filmchen eher trash,weil der fotograf hinter deer camera basicly von seinen big jobs redet ..... und well how should i get them as starter lol

[@katjafeldmeier]

yes, genau das hab ich halt auch gedacht. Alkes ist einfacher, wenn man schon erfolgreich ist. Und ich wollte Leuten ein paar Ideen geben, die realistischer sind und bisschen out of the box.

[@jelly.1899]

Welche Stockfoto Seiten findest Du denn gut? Dankeschön

[@katjafeldmeier]

Im Moment hab ich da noch keine einschlägige Empfehlung.

[@jelly.1899]

@@katjafeldmeier okay, und auch keine halbwegs vernünftige?☺️

[@bfoz]

I like to use Pexels. Not sure about the money making potential, though.

[@michaldziekonski3162]

thank you!

[@adithyashankar103]

Hey!! I’m from India and I’m looking to join a photography course in Berlin. I got accepted in UE’s BA in Photography which is a 3 year course. But I just came across your channel. Now I’m curious about the photo school that you are attending. Can you please guide how the place is according to you? I did go through their website but was not very much satisfied with the information I got from there.

[@katjafeldmeier]

Hi Adithya, the course is great. It’s all in German only though which makes it not very attractive for most international students. Hope that helps

[@adithyashankar103]

@@katjafeldmeier Thanks a lot for the info! I will keep in mind about the course being taught in German only. Will definitely be a decision make/break part.

[@bfoz]

A niche I'm interested in is real estate photography. I think it is a pretty hot market and there are even companies that will hire you to work with agents, I believe. You seem to need good equipment, though, if you want to be serious about it.

[@katjafeldmeier]

I agree, it can be a viable niche. I think it’s a niche where you need to know how to stich images together and where a lot of images are cgi. also video and drones are very common now in that niche. So either you can offer that yourself or team up with a videographer.

[@michaellewis5921]

Lots of original ideas here - well presented.

[@katjafeldmeier]

Thank you 🙏

[@womansworkproductionco]

I have a youtube channel but I don't want to show my face, so I'm not sure what to make videos about.

[@katjafeldmeier]

Whatever you like to :) maybe research some other channels that don’t show their face and get inspiration from those

[@photobizmethod]

I know some youtubers that don't show their face. I felt the same way but you get over it after awhile :)

[@ynamaxa]

Hey, you are pretty. ! Photo tips are nice too...

[@eilishwarnes]

Such good ideas and I think everyone will suit at least one of these!

[@katjafeldmeier]

Thank you, and yes I hope so too. Let me know if you try one out and how it goes. :)

[@000CloudStrife]

The retoucher one is meh. 99% of retouchers aren’t high end.

[@marcanthonyskidmore4131]

This will not work here in Thailand for sure.

[@katjafeldmeier]

Don’t knock it till you try it. :)