Take Photos with Your Phone and Sell them at Foap for $5 a Pop
If you have an eye for photography and can quickly identify an interesting subject, scenario, or event, then you better make use of your phone to snap pictures and earn cash on the side. Foap is an Android and iOs app that lets anyone register, upload photos, and sell them for real cash. It was founded in 2012 with its corporate locations found in New York, Sweden and Poland.
Foap serves as a platform for casual photographers to sell their work to companies and brands. Calling itself as "the next wave of stock photography," Foap also distributes photos through partners, such as Getty Images.
How Does Foap Work?
To get started with Foap, download the free app from either iTunes or Google Play. You'll also need to create an account using either your e-mail address or Facebook account. You can't start uploading photos yet though. You need to check out other photos first and rate at least five images with 1 to 5 stars. Once done, upload any photo you think people would find interesting, write photo description, license information, and relevant tags.
For your uploaded photos to be included in the Foap Marketplace, other users must rate your photo until it reaches 2.5-star rating or higher. The website has a rating system in place, wherein higher-rated images are seen more frequently.
The idea seems pretty easy, right? Well, Foap has two customers – the casual photographers who are uploading content into the app, and the companies or other people who need to purchase images. The demand is there. In fact, Foap claims to be partners with brands like Bank of America, Air Asia, Nivea, Absolut Vodka, Pepsi, Volvo Group, HoneyMaid, Heineken, Sony, Mango, Garnier, and more. But do these partnerships translate into earnings?
How Much Can You Earn?
Photos in the marketplace are sold at $10 each, but the money is split 50/50 – $5 goes to Foap and owners of the photos get to keep $5. The only good thing about this is, you can sell the same photo over and over as long as it's hosted on Foap.
If you join Foap Missions – the company's version of photo contests – you'll get a chance to sell your photos to brands that started the mission. Companies often use the photos chosen for marketing campaigns. In return for being chosen, users may receive cash (somewhere from $50 to $500) or rewards, depending on the Mission description.
In order to get paid, you'll need to cash out earnings before the 15th of the month. You then have to wait until month's end to receive it via PayPal (No other payout options are available).
Things to Like about Foap
Foap isn't the most novel idea, but there are several things to like about the app. For example, users do not need to complete a ton of requirements – all you need is a smartphone and photos that follow basic guidelines, and you can upload as much photos as you'd like.
Other notable things to like about Foap include:
Mobile in nature – Snap photos and upload, even while on the go
Huge community – Because the app is free to use, you can expect thousands of Foap users. This is a particularly great feature, especially for budding photographers who want free exposure of their work. Fans won't translate to earnings, but it sure can help to get their names out there.
Photo contest Missions – The money isn't all that great (common prize amount is $100), but it's one way to gain exposure if a popular brand uses your photos for marketing.
Learning platform – Foap can be used for market research – what kinds of photos are people interested in? What kinds sell the most? The Foap rating system gives you immediate feedback of your work.
Things NOT to Like about Foap
Foap has a lot of potential, if the company changes these three things:
Rating system – The rating system has received a lot of complaints from users, since it's basically free-for-all. Your photo may look award-winning and all, but as long as users rate it low, it won't have a chance to be seen by a wider audience. There has been complaints that users can be competitive and down-rate others with obvious photography skill.
Require plenty of effort – If you're a phone cam addict who takes over 20 snaps throughout the day, Foap can be a cool platform to showcase your work. It may not be worth the extra effort for people who aren't fans of using their smartphones for picture-taking.
Price and Prizes – If Foap changes the rating system and more "worthy" users are featured, the company should also change pricing and amount of prizes to attract more brands and budding photographers to the community.
The Bottom Line: Should You Join Foap?
No one can earn enough money and turn Foap earnings into a full-time income. The Foap app is worth checking out if:
1. You're only after passive income
2. You're a professional photographer
3. You are willing to spend time and effort uploading photos (one at a time)
4. You excel in a competitive environment
Personally, I think there are better ways to spend your time in order to make money. Click here to see what I recommend most.
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