Non-fungible tokens (NFTs)  can be anything, including photos. Photographers and collectors rejoice because beautiful art photos can now be sold in more select markets. Gone are the days when you receive little or no credit for your hardcopy photos with the help of blockchain technology.

But which ones are the best NFT marketplaces for photos? In this article, we’ll find out which have a high volume of digital assets and which marketplaces are the most trustworthy to help you avoid scams.

How Do Photography NFTs Help Photographers?

A big issue that photographers (and many artists) deal with are copyright and ownership issues. It’s easy for someone to claim ownership of your intellectual property without you knowing.

NFT photography aims to change that. NFT marketplaces for photography, like other  NFT marketplaces, are built on blockchains. It is a way to secure your digital asset, prove your ownership and prevent others from taking recognition for your hard work. 

Photography NFT Marketplaces – Ones You Can Trust

The first NFT marketplace for photographers is OpenSea, the best NFT marketplace and a pioneer in the space. The platform has various types of NFTs, from digital collectibles, art, access to utility NFTs, and NFT photography. If you’re looking for variety and diversity to add to your profile, OpenSea is it. It takes a 2.5% platform fee, which is quite standard. However, OpenSea is built on the Ethereum blockchain, which could equal higher transaction processing fees. 

The supported cryptocurrencies are ETH, WETH, USDC, and DAI. OpenSea supports MetaMask, which is one of the best crypto wallet options, Trust Wallet, and many more digital wallets. To make it even more user-friendly, the platform also takes over 150 tokens including $WHALE. 

OpenSea is one of the rare NFT marketplaces that have cross-chain support, which means it also works with other blockchain technology such as Polygon (which also happens to be gas-free). 

Aside from an organized layout with clear tabs, OpenSea also has a “stats” section that outlines the value and growth of certain collections, to help you make informed decisions and keep an eye on the cryptocurrency market.

Open Sea isn’t the only marketplace to integrate NFT minting (creation), but it is one of the rare ones that offer lazy minting, which means no gas fees upfront.

Pros

• The first and largest NFT marketplace 
• Offers many types of digital artworks
• Has a lot of wallet support 
• Supports many cryptocurrencies and tokens
• Has cross-chain support
• Lazy-minting
• Standard and Dutch auctions
• No gas fees on Polygon
• Stats on popular collections

Cons

• Takes 2.5% on every transaction

 

SuperRare helps shine a spotlight on deserving artists who are struggling to generate attention on their projects. It is one of the older platforms, being founded back in 2018. In the world of NFTs, that makes SuperRare quite a seasoned marketplace. It’s not a dedicated exchange for NFT photographers, but a premier platform for digital artwork. 

SuperRare focuses on authenticating each piece so that collectors know it is unique and genuine. The exchange requires approval, and not every artist will be accepted. If you have NFT photography that you think is special and “super rare”, then you can fill in an application form. However, be aware that SuperRare only onboards a small number of photographers and artists in order to guarantee authenticity. Sales on the secondary market can garner creators a 10% royalty fee.

Pros

• 10% royalties on secondary market sales
• Invite-only NFT marketplace 
• MetaMask, Fortmatic, and WalletConnect wallet support 
• Ethereum blockchain support
• Focuses on authentic digital artwork
• Ensures above-average quality

Cons

• High fees (15% seller fee)

From curated and verified drops to a regular marketplace, Nifty Gateway is a leading NFT marketplace for photography digital art. Like SuperRare, it was founded in 2018, which gives it a significant standing in the NFT world. Since it has an earlier inception, it’s not surprising that Nifty Gateway has attracted many NFT artists.

It also operates on the Ethereum blockchain, which many NFT experts have equated to higher transaction fees. However, Nifty Gateway promotes no gas fees on their site because they allow users to bypass blockchain transactions. 

As for fees, the ones on Nifty Gateway are still considered high for the NFT market. There is a 5% seller fee, which is still a lot lower than SuperRare, but you will get 10% in royalties for sales of your creations on a secondary market. Nifty Gateway only supports the MetaMask wallet, which is a major crypto wallet that many other NFT marketplaces share. You can also choose to pay via your debit or credit card.

Pros

• Takes credit and debit cards
• No gas fees as stated on their site
• Best NFT marketplace for curated and verified drops
• Secure and authentic NFT marketplace for photography 
• Home to some big name artists
• 10% royalties
• Various purchasing formats

Cons

• Doesn’t support many crypto wallets

 

Rarible is also a multi-chain NFT photography marketplace that supports Ethereum, Tezos, and Flow, with Polygon in its beta stages. You can connect some of the major crypto wallets including MetaMask and Torus, but one of the best parts about this NFT marketplace is the customizable royalties that don’t appear to have a limit.

There are many NFTs and types to choose from, including NFT photography. The seller fee is also considerably lower than our previous two options at 2.5%. Like OpenSea, Rarible has lazy-minting (no upfront gas fees), and it even offers integration with our number 1 choice.

Keep in mind that Rarible has now created a separate category for NFT photography, which it didn’t have for a long time until photographers raised issues with this.

Rarible is a pretty straightforward platform to use, but one thing we feel it can improve on is to integrate a search bar in its FAQ section for easier navigation.

Pros

• Supports multi-wallet profiles
• Listens to the requests of NFT photographers
• Best NFT marketplace for customizable royalties
• No upfront gas fees to get digital artworks minted
• Has a lot of wallet support 
• Multi-chain NFT marketplace
• OpenSea integration 
• One of the biggest NFT marketplace options

Cons

• No search bar in FAQ section 

AirNFTs is also not a new NFT photography marketplace as it’s made its way on our list as one of the best for music NFTs as well. It’s home to many types of art assets including game, sports, influencer NFTs, and collectibles.

Built on BSC, Fantom, and Polygon, AirNFTs provides plenty of resources and functions for collectors and artists alike. There is a Launchpad, which is essentially a support feature to help many creators launch their NFT projects with minting included. In addition to that, it’s also where you can raise funds for your projects, launch, and gain exposure you wouldn’t have from a traditional art gallery.

Like each NFT marketplace we have listed before, AirNFTs also has a lot of wallet support such as Trust Wallet and the dominant MetaMask.

Photographers can tokenize their creations and AirNFTs will help you earn profits, unlike stock photography.

Pros

• Multi-chain NFT marketplace
• Has an NFT Launchpad
• Has various types of NFTs
• Cheaper minting than ETH
• You can mint, trade, and earn
• Has a staking feature

Cons

• Trust Wallet may have some issues

Mintable’s main function is to help creators, artists and NFT photographers mint their NFTs. If you have a whole collection of limited edition digital artworks ready to go, then Mintable can help you tokenize your collection and get ready to sell photos.

You can sell your work online such as photography, artwork, music, collectibles, and utility NFTs. Why choose to mint with Mintable? Because of the low fees, of course! You can opt between gasless or traditional minting methods, but creating a store on the NFT platform will incur certain fees.

Photographers have a choice between fixed-price NFTs and auctions. You can list your pieces at set prices or auction them off for a potentially greater deal with the auction function that can last anywhere from 12 hours to a week.

Mintable has a lot of photography NFTs, so feel free to browse around and see what the platform has to offer. There is even a very handy rarity tool that rates and ranks NFTs into various classifications: Holy Grail, Insanely Rare, Ultra Rare, Rare, Uncommon, and Common. 

Pros

• Provides gasless minting
• Rarity tool
• Auction off pieces or set a fixed price
• Lower fees
• Offers on NFTs are acceptable
• Best NFT marketplace to build a storefront

Cons

• UI can be improved 

Ephimera is more than just an NFT marketplace, it also has a magazine of its own! It’s a place where you can choose to list your NFT photography or set up an auction. Ephimera is the first dedicated NFT photography marketplace to make it to our list, with a focus not only on 2D photos, but also video art.

While it doesn’t possess the same exclusivity as invite-only platforms, Ephimera only accepts new applicants at certain times. Since this is a platform that will showcase your creativity, we suggest uploading your works at the highest resolution possible. 

Ephimera is actually the first dedicated NFT marketplace to photography and video art, and it’s secure on the Ethereum blockchain, which definitely brings a layer of appreciation to artist creativity.

As for fees on this NFT photography marketplace, you’re looking at a 10% platform fee, which is covered by the final sale price of the piece. Aside from that, Ephimera still takes an additional 5% seller fee on secondary sales and royalties go up to 10%.

Pros

• World’s first platform dedicated to the photography NFT marketplace
• List non-fungible tokens for a set price or auction them off
• The application process is stringent, which improves the quality
• Supports 1-1 digital artwork

Cons

• Only supports MetaMask 

Foundation is an exclusive NFT marketplace with photography artwork for sale. It’s pretty new to the game, having only been established in 2021, but it’s quickly become an up-and-coming exchange. It’s also on the Ethereum blockchain, and collectors know they are only getting the best of the best from the platform because of its rigorous vetting process — not any creator can join.

Make sure you mint from your own wallet because the 10% royalty fee the piece incurs from secondary sales will only go to that digital wallet. 

It’s difficult for artists to get on the site, but the story is different for eager collectors — all you need is a MetaMask wallet to get started.

Foundation focuses on fostering a positive creator-artist relationship and seeks to build a harmonious community. What isn’t totally on its radar is fees. Depending on gas rates and minting fees, the cost can easily be over $30 per NFT. This is okay if you have a few unique pieces to sell, but it isn’t the best for entire collections. 

Pros

• Very high-quality pieces
• Invite-only for exclusivity, authenticity, and uniqueness
• Dedicated marketplace for photography NFTs
• 10% royalty fees on secondary sales

Cons

• High gas and minting fees

Another dedicated NFT marketplace for photographers is Unique One Photo, which also happens to have a very professional-looking interface. It supports both ETH (Ethereum network’s native cryptocurrency) and BSC, and you can directly choose which marketplace to access from the homepage.

It is a decentralized market and focuses on fair pay for creators. The platform works in the photographer’s favor by not charging any fees. The only 2% commission fee you will see is the buyer’s responsibility. 

It’s largely governed by the community, giving photographers control over things such as royalties, licenses, and certificates. Honestly, it’s not a very large and well-known NFT marketplace for photography compared to the others on the list, but it is 100% on the rise.

Pros

• User-friendly platform, great for those unfamiliar with non-fungible tokens
• Decentralized marketplace
• Dedicated photography NFT exchange 
• Makes sure photographers are compensated fairly
• Levies the platform fee to the buyers

Cons

• Artists not paid for market contributions

We now pivot away from dedicated marketplaces to UnknownOrigin, one that encompasses all digital art forms. You can find rare collectibles with new drops and a regular marketplace.

Photographers still have to apply, even though the platform isn’t based on invitation. What they assess you on is the strength of your profile. As of now, there aren’t a lot of photography NFTs available on the marketplace, which gives photographers with powerful portfolios a very good chance.

The platform features exclusive unlockable content, but the fees mirror that. The platform takes quite a bit starting with a 15% commission on the first sale of a specific piece, and secondary market sales will award you a 10% royalty fee with an additional 3% going right back to KnownOrigin.

The art pieces available on the platform are very intricate and artistic, and nudity seems to be permitted. 

Pros

• Your work speaks for itself during the application
• Features unlockable content
• Has NFT drops
• Auction or set price formats
• Has a lot of digital wallet support 

Cons

• A lot of fees 

 

Perhaps the oldest of all, Makersplace has been around since 2016. The platform puts the majority of the control in the hands of the creators, which empowers them to join. Makersplace is also on the Ethereum blockchain, which equates to higher fees.

The commission for Makersplace is 15% of every successful transaction, but you do get royalties from sales on the secondary market (not primary sales) of your digital art. If you don’t go through the cryptocurrency wallet and want to pay with your credit card, you can, but be aware that it will incur additional costs. Makersplace currently supports MetaMask, Coinbase and Trust Wallet. 

Anyone can apply to join Makersplace, but the platform is pretty selective on artists and photographers to admit because it does offer a lot of perks for creators.

For starters, Makersplace awards proof of ownership on the blockchain ecosystem. You can also choose to create a storefront to sell photography, and Makersplace provides you with the tools to do so.

Pros

• Indisputable proof of ownership
• One of the leading platforms in the NFT world
• Has NFT drops and a regular marketplace 
• Credit card purchases are permitted with additional fees
• A lot of wallet support 

Cons

• High fees on the Ethereum blockchain 

We round out our list with Quantum Art, another dedicated NFT photography marketplace for digital artists. The exchange is carefully curated to offer collectors the best, but this also means the application process is pretty strict.

Only approved artists can post their projects. Artists must submit their artwork to Quantum Art for review, but not everyone will make the cut. Artists are also at the mercy of Quantum token holders, who will vote on the pieces they like. 

Why choose a platform that makes you jump through hoops? Because Quantum Art is debatably one of the most respected photography NFT exchanges available, and if your photos are approved, they will be presented with other NFT photographers that are world-renowned.

From the view of collectors, you will find the very best quality pieces that other photography NFT sites don’t offer. 

Pros

• Offers a top-quality curated collection
• Has NFT drops
• Photography-focused marketplace
• Quantum Key unlocks additional features 

Cons

• Photographers go through a tough vetting process 

Conclusion

NFT photographs are growing in popularity because blockchain technology secures your creations, and NFT marketplaces offer proof of ownership to protect the integrity of your intellectual property. We believe more photographers will start to take this route.

As an artist, you can sell your creations and also earn royalties on top of the initial profits. As a collector, you are eligible to purchase unique pieces on these NFT marketplace platforms that are exclusive and of high quality..