One such opportunity is the demand for digital images.
It used to be that if one wanted to be a commercial photographer they would need an expensive camera, lighting equipment, a range of lenses, lens hoods, light meters, lens covers, a flash system etc etc and maybe their own studio space.
Whilst this equipment can obviously still come in handy, the format shift from exotic and expensive media to simple electronic formats has really opened up the market to newcomers.
Now anyone with a half decent digital camera and a good eye for framing can make a good living simply by taking and selling photographs.
One of the fastest growing fields of photography is the advent of large online stock photograph sites. Stock photographs are the images used by professionals and semi-professionals as background images or for one-time-use rights. They appear in advertisements, in brochures on websites and in a variety of other marketing material. Stock photography has been around for quite a while but the online stock photography sites (also referred to a Microstock sites) are a relatively recent phenomenon.
What distinguishes these Microstock sites from the traditional stock photography outlets is that they source their material almost exclusively from the Internet; do so from a wider range of photographers than the traditional sites (including amateur photographers and hobby enthusiasts) and sell their images at a much lower rate than was traditionally the case.
Clients are able to license stock photos for just $1 or $2 and photographers earn money each time a client chooses one of their photos. You can quickly see that a bunch of half decent photos that can be downloaded by clients several times a day can quickly turn into a very nice second income.
The prevailing ethos here is that of quantity. The images on microstock sites earn less than their traditional counterparts but the increased demand for digital images (because of the explosive growth of the Internet) as well as the ease of delivery that the Internet provides, will lead to as much money being made from many smaller sales than as is the case from a few larger sales on the traditional stock photography sites.
Although by no means the only place someone can sell their photos, micro-stock photography sites are an ideal place for the beginning photographer to start selling his/her images. Entry requirements are not restrictive and if your already have or are thinking of getting a digital camera you are ready to go.
The fact of the matter is that you probably have a host of money making images sitting on your hard drive right now!
When traveling it is not as easy as with a conventional camera with a roll or two of film. A digital camera has a fixed storage capacity and we can only add to it by buying expensive flash memory cards. To compensate for this, it therefore makes sense to carry a notebook computer - if we have one -- and transfer the pictures to it periodically to free the badly needed camera memory.
We can also preview the pictures and decide if we want to want to erase them, e-mail them, or post them on the web. If our notebook computer has a CD writer then we can transfer the images to a CD. We can even carry a small printer and print the images, or have them printed at a shop that provides this service.
If we do not want to carry a notebook, the images can be transferred directly to a portable hard drive. This battery-powered, palm-sized device may come with or without a monitor. Or we can also transfer pictures to a Clik! drive, which is a portable storage device, powered by a rechargeable battery.
Once the images have been transferred to the Clik! drive, we can free up space on our flash memory card by erasing the images. When a Clik! disc gets filled we can replace it with another one, which may cost $10. Once we return from the trip, we can transfer the images to our computer. If a person is planning on a lot of traveling with a digital camera, this would be the way to go.
Electricity and power are not the same in different areas of the world and there will be many ways to compensate for it. In the US, the power supply is 110 volts and 60 Hz, whereas when you travel overseas, the voltage may be 220 volts and 50 Hz. The wall outlets may also be different. We will need an adapter kit, to plug in our notebook computer, AC adapter, or battery charger.
A transformer is suitable for use with electronic devices. A converter can be used with electrical appliances like hair driers. It can harm devices over time and should not be used for more than a few hours. Transformers can be used for longer periods, though they tend to be heavier.
When traveling, if a modem will be needed we would need to find out about the type of adapters that are used in the country where we are going. While hiking, canoeing, or sailing, we will need a solar-powered battery charger, to recharge our batteries.
The digital camera, laptop computer, flash cards, audio and video tapes, floppy discs and films will remain unharmed by the X-ray machines installed at airports. However, a metal detector may harm magnetic media like Clik! Discs. Please keep this in mind while traveling by air and be prepared.
Both Scott Salter & Mike Singh are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Scott Salter has sinced written about articles on various topics from Careers and Job Hunting, College Education and Seduce Women. Scott is a longtime photography enthusiast who makes a substantial second income by selling his digital photos. To learn how you can earn extra money by