1. Quiz
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  3. Your plan
  4. Your guide

Step-by-step guide

Stock photos and video: from your first upload to your first payout

License your photos and video clips through stock agencies like Adobe Stock and Shutterstock, and earn a small royalty each time someone downloads them. This guide covers 2026 royalty rates (Adobe pays 33% for photos and 35% for video; Shutterstock 15% to 40% by level), how South Africans get paid, model and property releases, what sells, and a worked rand example with clearly labelled example figures.

  • 23 lessons
  • 5 modules
  • About 2 hours
  • First lesson free

Is this guide for you?

Good fit if

  • You already take sharp, well-lit photos or steady video.
  • You are patient: income builds slowly as your portfolio grows.
  • You enjoy keywording and organising files.

Think twice if

  • You need income this month.
  • You only have a few photos and don't plan to shoot regularly.
  • You want to sell photos of people or private places without written permission.

Honest expectations

  • Earnings per download are small: Adobe's own example works out to about US$0.99 a licensed photo on a common subscription plan.
  • Most contributors need hundreds of accepted files before downloads become regular.
  • Adobe requires South African contributors to be paid through Payoneer, and pays out from US$25.

What is inside

  1. Module 1

    Is this right for you?

    What it involves, who pays, and honest expectations.

    1. How stock photography worksFree · 5 min
    2. Honest expectations4 min (in the full guide)
  2. Module 2

    Set up and price

    What you need and what to charge.

    1. Your startup kit, costs and skills5 min (in the full guide)
    2. Set up step by step: ready to upload6 min (in the full guide)
    3. Royalties, payouts and fees: real 2026 figures5 min (in the full guide)
    4. Your numbers: a worked example in rands5 min (in the full guide)
  3. Module 3

    Your first week

    The first steps, in order.

    1. Your first week, step by step6 min (in the full guide)
    2. Week one, step 2: Read each site's rules on model and property releases3 min (in the full guide)
    3. Week one, step 3: Pick a theme buyers search for, like everyday South African life3 min (in the full guide)
    4. Getting your files found and licensed5 min (in the full guide)
    5. Your 14-day playbook to your first paying customers6 min (in the full guide)
    6. Messages to copy: your first customers5 min (in the full guide)
  4. Module 4

    Your first month

    A routine that brings in customers.

    1. Your first 30 days: build a routine4 min (in the full guide)
    2. Month one, task 1: Aim for 100 uploads3 min (in the full guide)
    3. Month one, task 2: Upload a batch of your best photos each week3 min (in the full guide)
    4. Common mistakes in stock photography4 min (in the full guide)
  5. Module 5

    Months two and three

    Repeat what works, grow and stay safe.

    1. Days 31 to 90: repeat what works and grow4 min (in the full guide)
    2. Months two and three, task 1: Review earnings per image3 min (in the full guide)
    3. Months two and three, task 2: Look at which photos sell and shoot more like them3 min (in the full guide)
    4. Free courses to fill your skill gaps4 min (in the full guide)
    5. Getting paid and spotting scams4 min (in the full guide)
    6. Tax: what to put aside, with worked examples6 min (in the full guide)
    7. Risks, rules, tax and staying safe5 min (in the full guide)

What it costs to start

ItemCostNote
Camera or recent phone you already ownR0Start with what you have; agencies check sharpness and noise.
Editing software (free options exist)R0Free editors are enough to start.
Better camera or lens later (example range) (optional)R0 to R10 000Example range. Only once you know what sells.

Try it before you buy

Lesson one is free. If it helps, the whole guide is R149 once-off.

Start the free lesson

Reviewed 26 October 2026 by the Earn Path team. Next review due 26 April 2027.