jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

A comment about quality from a non-pro. If you were selling to a magazine or a stock photo company, your images would have to be perfect. You will be selling pictures of people at an event to remind them of that day. Perfection would be nice, but capturing the mood is more important. I don't know how many times I've gotten on a boat of some kind and had my picture taken, posing before I boarded. Then, when I get off, I can buy a print for $10 or $20. If it's decent, I buy it, but I never examine it for perfection.

Composition will be important. What is the image showing? What story is it telling?

Baz Loc: Peterborough UK

Very true comment CaptainC. This also applies to competition work as well. The first person you have to sell to is yourself.
(Don't forget the midge spray !!)

cthahn

No one can tell you this. Submit your pictures and if one sells, let us know.

ronz Loc: Florida

Not sure you would sell the posted images and hope you have learned how to use fill flash in daylight. Keep subjects facing away for the sun and use f2.8 to f4. Backgrounds are too distracting as they would be at any special event. Think about how you would envision the shot to be perfect, then press the shutter to obtain or try to obtain that shot. Best of luck and have a great time.

ronz Loc: Florida

Don't believe you would be able to sell too many of the posted photos. I hope you have learned to use fill flash in daylight and suggest you always have your subject facing away from the sun. The appeal will be much greater if you shoot no greater than f4 and use f2.8 as much as possible. Be cautious of the items included with the subjects at events such as this, they may break the sale ie the suggested f stops. Enjoy and have a great time.

ole sarg Loc: south florida

Captain you just gave a very valuable free lesson. Next time charge!

Not to put down stepping up from amateur what I see are a bunch of snap shots and ones for which I would not pay. The staged shot is well just too staged.

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

From experiance, I can tell you that if you gat an accomplice(assistant) to help, and print right there, you will more than pay for a small portable printer. We print at the "scene of the crime" and sell tons ore than we did when we tried it your way. Even if the first time you do it, it just pays for the equipment, it is money well spent. Also, if you have a smart phone, get a square reader, and you can take credit and debit cards at the event, reader is $10, then they give you a $10 rebate, so it ends up free. Then they do take 3% of sales, but since the credit/debit card thing also increased our sales, it was well worth the 3%. We also do charge sales tax and square makes that easier. Cash is king, but you have to carry a lot of change to be completely legal. I wouldn't do an event and not charge tax. There is always someone, maybe someone that wants YOUR business next year, that is willing to turn you in. Plus, it IS the right thing to do.

Another thing to consider is insurance. That is something that a lot of people don't consider, but let someone trip over you when you are doing business, and, well.... your homeowner's policy won't cover that if you are working professionally.

In answer to your question, if you print there, you can expect several sales. I can tell you that even Theme parks with their crappy photography sell a LOT, because they print THERE. If you don't, well, honestly, I'd be surprised if you get any sales, or more than a few.

Take my advice for what it's worth. Been doing this a long time, and still learning as I go. I only sell online, what I run out of time, or supplies (good problem to have if you sell almost double what you expected), then, I will hand out cards for people to order online. The average on that kind of sale ends up probably less than 1%.

Good luck. I have fun at events, my wife and/or daughter are my assistants, they work for food :-), and we don't take ourselves serioulsy, and people seem to respond well to our having fun.

THRaleigh Loc: NC

Thanks Captain, I just learned a lot from your comments.
:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

LLucas Loc: Upstate South Carolina, USA

This is great advice that I will take to heart as I'm venturing into this arena, myself. Thank you for sharing so generously.

Alois

An experience.

clixpix Loc: Surprise, Arizona

Dan:

Sounds like a fun opportunity. If you want to do more with the photos than just sell them to the folks in the photo, you might want to consider having some model releases. Find out of the event organizer has a blanket model release for any photos taken at the event. You may be able to do and sell the photos for other things under that blanket release. Good luck.

PaulR

I am a learner and a good listener not a poster on this website.
I feel compelled to post today concerning Capt. C. I believe that Capt. C's comments are spoken from long experience and with authority. I have learned much from his explanations and comments. They are practical and easily applicable. Write a book Capt. "C" if you dont already have one. I would buy it.

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

To add a little more to what others have said.

1) Shoot the shade. I used clipped light a lot… like just inside the tent but out of the sun.
2) You have to keep photos to the period. Having mid-Evil characters fighting on a Newly stained deck with modern boat docks in the background doesn't sell the image. LIke cliff said watch your background.
3) The reason that headshots are better it's easier to pull off and keep to period.
4) Be aware of what your subjects are wearing. You see that watch on the girl with the sword. Out of period. As others mentioned it's bad light too. You had good light inside the tent.

If you have the ideal setup you can do a group shot. The stars have to align. Everything has to be period.

Finally you really have to know how to process an image. Below is an example by Ronny Welscher. The stars aligned and he knows how to process an image. (You need flat light to pull off a shot like this. Clouds…. You should love clouds….)
The chance of you getting a background this good is slim to none! You get sets like this in the movies.
This is also world class editing!!!!!

http://500px.com/photo/3478664


Here is an example of a period headshot. Natural clipped light.
This is the lighting I get on my portraits.
This photo is by Victoria Angelova. Nobody does clipped natural light portraiture like the artist from the former communist states. Angelova is from Bulgaria.

http://500px.com/photo/49600740


Finally a period photo of the quality that you should expect to get without a lot of post processing. Its really good but it's not world class. The light is ok but could have used a little fill to the face. I still like the image and it would probably sell. Everything in the photo is period.

Photo by Gabriele Mucci.
http://500px.com/photo/40705426


And finally one more point to emphasize what Cliff said….

You have to move your subjects!!!!!!!!!!! I have never found a subject just standing in good light.

Good luck.

billgr Loc: UK

That is the best bit of advice ever. Thank you

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

LLucas Loc: Upstate South Carolina, USA

I love the examples you shared, PalePictures.