Heartwarming close-ups of your dog. Breathtaking views of the valley. Your digital camera is turning snapshots into priceless works of art. It could also be paying your rent and giving you a valuable tax write-off. The digital camera boom has not only allowed budding photographers to chronicle their pets, families and vacations but has also allowed these same hobbyists to go into business as stock photographers.

Armed with a reasonably priced digital camera ($300 and up), anyone with a little creative flair can start earning money almost immediately, while feeding the design world with a flood of new high resolution photographs.

Stock photo agencies have been around for quite some time, supplying endless varieties of photos to web and print designers, advertising agencies, and even to individuals for personal use. Traditional stock agencies like Comstock and Getty Images sell stock photos for $40 to $500 on average, depending on the photo and intended use. In the past, such agencies featured only professional photographers since shooting quality photographs once required a high level of skill and costly equipment.

A new breed of low cost stock photo agencies is fueling the design world, selling high resolution photos with royalty-free usage rights for $1-3 each. Digital camera owners are submitting thousands of photos to sites like bigstockphoto.com and istockphoto.com, who in turn can sell these photos for a fraction of what traditional agencies charge. Advances in digital camera technology and dropping equipment costs have allowed even amateurs to shoot high resolution, top quality photos suitable for most stock photo needs - at about 1/20th the cost.

Low cost stock agencies not only save buyers money, they provide photographers of varying degrees of experience the opportunity to meet an increasing demand in the stock photography market.

All stock agencies work differently. Many traditional agencies only hire professional photographers and require a portfolio and credentials for extensive review. Low cost agencies review photos before posting, but will accept photographs regardless of a photographer's experience. Posting photos to these low cost sites proves relatively easy, but be sure to review and fully understand the agency's specific requirements for photograph file size, type and resolution first.

Once photos are posted, photographers receive compensation per photo downloaded. The photos "work" for the photographers indefinitely, as the purchaser does not retain any exclusive rights to images. Photographers may earn only 50 cents per photo downloaded, but an attractive portfolio of about 1000 photos can easily earn hundreds of dollars a month.

Although royalties per download seem marginal, remember that many people who depend on stock photos for their daily work are turning to these agencies first. The low cost allows designers to download multiple photos for experimenting. Designers can now download 25 or 30 full-sized photos for about the same price as one of the least expensive traditional stock agency photos. This means additional exposure for photographers, as photos are viewed and downloaded far more frequently.

Photographers can also take a proactive approach by regularly referring to the agency's featured list of in-demand photos. Photos featuring people in business meetings and enjoying food are popular; however, note that model release forms are required on all pictures of people. Many photographers can shoot specifically for the demand, increasing their chances of exposure, additional downloads and increased income.

Photography is a great way to earn an extra income. Educate yourself, shoot everything, and review the work found on other stock photo sites to develop your skills. You can build a portfolio that will work for you for years to come.