Aslam

Praise be to Allah.This

ruling needs to be divided into categories. If he is developing pictures

which people need for necessary reasons or for some reason which will

serve the general interest, then it is permissible to develop these

pictures and take that as a profession and a source of income, because

whatever is permitted for reasons of necessity or serving the common

interest, it is permissible to deal in it in all kinds of transactions

and contracts. What is permitted in essence for reasons of necessity,

it is also permitted to take its price. This kind of pictures and the

cameras and machines used for them are a means of serving a necessary

purpose which people need, and the means are subject to the same rulings

as the ends, provided that this is only done as much as is necessary

and as is needed to serve those needs and achieve that interest only,

based on the principle “actions based on necessity should measued by

that necessity.”

The

second type of pictures are those for which there is no need and which

do not serve any purpose. The most correct view concerning these pictures

is that they are haraam and that it is not permissible to keep these

pictures. Therefore it is haraam to develop these pictures.

See

Ahkaam al-Tasweer by Muhammad Waasil, p. 602.

See also the answer

to Question # 3243 concerning the earnings of one who makes images. And Allaah knows best.