Digital photography has made it possible for anyone with a decent digital camera and basic knowledge of photography to make money selling stock photos. There are thousands of stock photography websites around that allow anyone to put their photos on the market. The issue now, however, is that so many people are doing it that there is a lot of competition. Here are 6 ways to rise above the competitors and sell more of your stock photography in 2016.

1. Find out what sells. There are many different publications, bloggers, designers and the like that are looking for stock photography for their websites and creations. The key is finding out what your buyers are looking for and delivering it to them in better quality than anyone else.

2. Decide what your niche will be. Perfecting your photography in a couple of different areas will ensure that you’re delivering better images than if you’re all over the place in the photos you are taking. Focus on one target area and network and master it before expanding your expertise.

3. Use specific keywords. Keywords are crucial to the amount of views and sales your stock photography will bring in. Be sure to use descriptive and specific keywords that will direct someone who’s searching for the kind of photos you provide straight to your page. For instance, if you are trying to sell a picture of a man riding a bicycle, use keywords like ‘riding bike’ and ‘man riding bicycle’ instead of using generalized words like ‘sports’ and ‘riding’.

4. Know your lighting. Good lighting is one of the main things a lot of buyers look for when purchasing stock photos. You may just be using a digital camera, but you should familiarize yourself with good lighting, including when the sunlight is the best to shoot in, to improve your quality of photo and increase sales potential.

5. Inspect all photos you plan on selling at their fullest possible size. When a buyer goes to review your stock photos before purchase, they will most definitely be looking for imperfections and comparing it to other similar photos. Some pictures look great as thumbnails, but when increased to their 100% size imperfections become (very) noticeable. It is important to inspect all of the photos you plan on selling at their fullest size before making them available for sale.

6. Make some photos available for free. Some stock photography sites have the option to list some of your photos in their free sections. Let them. While it may seem like you’re taking a loss, the free sections get a ton of views which will lead more potential buyers to your paid photo page.