Individuals who want to work as photographers on a part-time basis have a number of opportunities to do so. There are a variety of part-time photography jobs available to people with all levels of experience, not just professionals. Many people begin as freelancers, selling stock or microstock photography. Others will work part-time for a photography studio, such as one that serves walk-in clients, before they are able to find more permanent work. More experienced shooters may be able to obtain part-time photography jobs shooting weddings or other big events; these often take place on the weekends or at night, so they represent a great opportunity for some extra part-time income.
Stock photography refers to the process by which an individual shoots photos and then later sells them to a general audience. This is as compared to a photographer being hired to take pictures of a particular event or image; in essence, these pictures are already sold. Stock photos will only be sold if there is interest after they have been shot. Some people find that shooting stock photos can be an effective way of generating part-time income. Microstock photography is open to photographers of all ability levels because the pictures are sold for an extremely low price; this can be a good place to begin with part-time photography jobs, although a lot of work will be required to make much money at it.
Certain photography studios or companies will post part-time photography jobs, especially when they get busier around the holidays. Though these companies may like to hire photographers with a bit more experience, some are willing to train amateurs who are willing to learn, demonstrate talent, and are enthusiastic about the job. People interested in these part-time photography jobs should enjoy working with families and kids, since the most common clients for these walk-in photography studios are parents who want commemorative photos of their children.
Individuals with more photography experience, and who have a portfolio to share, may be able to get their own part-time photography jobs shooting events like parties and weddings. Those who are just starting out will likely need to offer their services at a very low price, but it can be a good way to build up happy clients and positive references in order to eventually transition into a full-time career as a professional photographer. Because most weddings are not scheduled during normal workday hours, most people have no problem working a full-time day job as well as photographing weddings and similar events on a part-time basis.