Attention to every Malaysian stuck at home with just the smartphone!

Have you heard how some people in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia are making extra income while at home during the movement control order (MCO) lockdown? No, this is not making money as a food delivery runner for Grabfood or Foodpanda. You do not need to leave home actually.

All you need is your smartphone that can take and edit photos.

Take some time and check out this secret money-making tips.

Do you know that many people are selling digital photo products, and made easy money via marketplaces like Etsy?

Check out how these casual photographers are making money via Etsy (freebies below).

photographers how to make money via etsy

This first seller sells digital downloads of stock photos that can be instantly used as-is. Buyers then can overlay their text, their call-to-action, their print, screenshot, web design, card, stationery, promo, headline, or add product shot – right on the purchased photo. Her digital products are perfect for SOCIAL MEDIA, BLOGS, ONLINE SHOPS, and BUSINESSES.

This seller already made over 10,000 sales. If each of the photos sold costs around US$15 on average, this photographer would have made $150,000 of revenue. And this seller has less than 100 products in her shop! Anybody with a smartphone and a little bit of creativity can duplicate this success.

We are talking about US dollars here, not just RM! Yes, if you sell online, you can reach global buyers. You are not limited to your local or Malaysian market only.


This smart photographer combines the editing skill to provide blank gray t-shirt Mockup-styled stock photography where buyers only need to insert their image or text into it for a fashion or apparel design product.

This seller already made more than 740 sales since opening the Etsy shop. If you have the ability to make nice arrange for a flat lay or to edit your photos, you should try doing the same like this seller.

photography make money on etsy

This photographer sells styled frame mockup photos. One of the best seller is a gold frame image mockup with books and flowers in the photo. The image is enhanced to provide a more realistic effect with a shadow layer and a blend layer. Each listing comes with a PSD file and a simple PNG file that is great for an easy drop and go option to buyers.

Would you be able to do something this simple? If you know Photoshop, this would be a plus point. Else you can always hire somebody with the skill to help you.

What Can You Sell?

To understand how you too can profit from your photos and smartphone, answer these questions:

1. What Have You Shot or Printed That Was Praised? Have you ever done something (or purchased something) that other people loved? Maybe you shot baby photos for your niece, or designed a flat lay for a friend’s business, or maybe you’re complimented on your eye for nature photography. This can be a good indication there’s a market for that.

2. What Desperate Needs Can You Fill? All successful businesses have one thing in common, and that’s that they fill a need. This is how many wealthy photographers in your region started doing really well. A potential customer wanted customized digital flat lay for her new restaurant, and couldn’t find somebody to do them fast. So a seller made them for that customer and then filled that need for other restaurant owners. Think back to the last time you had difficulty finding something. Can you fill that need?

3. What Do You Enjoy Doing or Creating? You want to start an Etsy shop so you can express your creativity and be paid for it. So what are your hobbies? So start with what your hobbies are. If you love photography and arts, consider selling your favorite niche. If you love photographing objects, consider selling digital stock photos of objects and items around you.

If you’re reading some of our examples and thinking to yourself that they’re not good ideas because there’s too much competition, we’ve got news for you (don’t worry, it’s good news!):

Competition is a good thing. It means there’s a market for your product. If there were no competition, there’s a reason for that.

Imagine your have a huge International market to sell to. No need to constraint yourself to your local buyers or just Malaysians. Be creative and you never know what awaits your out there.

Click here to register and try now. You can get 40 free listings via this link

Making Sure Products Will Sell

We don’t want you to waste your time and effort by setting up an Etsy shop around an idea that won’t sell. And the only way to see if there’s a market for what you sell is by validating your idea.

So how do we do this? Through the research of course.

You should also research your competition on Etsy. See what they are selling. If they are doing well, there is a high chance you can too.

Here’s a brief list of things that you can sell:

  • Framed photo prints
  • Photo canvases
  • Stock photography
  • Photoshop actions
  • Lightroom presets
  • Overlays / textures
  • Calendars
  • Post cards
  • Greeting cards
  • Digital / printable photo prints
  • Old camera gear

Why Etsy is Good for Photographers?

We highly recommend photographers to start on Etsy instead of other marketplaces like eBay, or stock photo websites because Etsy has a huge quality audience. These potential buyers do not care about price as much as buyers on eBay or stock photo sites so you can sell at higher prices.

It is also free to start at Etsy.

Freebies: For a limited time, click here to get 40 free listings and open your shop today.