Are you an avid photographer? Maybe you're even a professional photographer. At any rate, if you take a lot of pictures, chances are some of them are pretty good. Have you ever considered selling your photos online? You don't need an elaborate e-store. All you need is a place to park the photos online, a way to take orders, and a way to print and ship the finished photos. With an online gallery website, the whole process becomes easy.

The first things you need, obviously, are some photos. You already have those, don't you? Once you've got the photos the next thing you need is a place to park them online, where people can see them and admire them. Online gallery sites are excellent for this, and many offer printing service. The better ones offer top quality printing services as well. Additionally, the online parking place, besides being a way to present your photos to the public, offers you a place you can safely keep your photos. Chances are your photos will be safe on your hard drive, but it makes sense for important, irreplaceable documents to have at least one off-site backup. That way if there's a flood or a fire or your dog eats your hard drive or your hard drive just craps out, as they do sometimes, you still have your photos.

The next thing you need is a way to get customers. One way to get people's attention, aside from any contacts you might have in the ‘real' world, is a blog. If you write a photography blog, be sure to learn enough about search engine optimization so that you can attract people to your website. You will want to show up high on every search engine list. Don't worry; all this requires is a little research, which can be done using that very same search engine. Yet another thing you need—and this will become your favorite part if it isn't already—is a way to get paid. These days, PayPal works great. Sure, they take a commission, but you can get paid quickly and conveniently from anywhere to anywhere.

The last thing you need is a way to print and ship your photos. Online galleries are an excellent solution for this. The quality of their online photo printing is outstanding, on a par with professional labs. The better ones use high-quality, Kodak photo paper, just like the kind of paper used for printing enlargements from film negatives optically. Their excellent photo printers will give you vibrant, clear, accurate color. Most services offer a variety of sizes to suit your printing needs as well. Once your prints are online, most online gallery services will print photos in a variety of sizes, so you can allow people to order the size they prefer. You can also order prints, in either glossy or matte finish if your customer is in a hurry, many online galleries offer express shipping. Best of all, all of this can be accomplished using a simple online form.