Nature_Shooter Loc: Chesterfield Missouri

I will be retiring around the first of the year and plan on entering Art & Craft fairs to sell my photographs after retiring. My pictures are mostly nature (birds, waterfalls, flowers, butterflies, etc.). I am currently going through my portfolio and selecting the pictures I hope to sell. This is not meant to be a second career, but a way to meet people and hopefully break even or make a small profit at each show. I am already going to as many shows as possible to see booth configuration, product selection, pricing, etc. however I value your thoughts too.

Any suggestions regarding any of these considerations?

- What to print on (metal, canvas, paper...)
- Aspect ratios (4x6, 5x7, 8x10, square)
- How many different images to display?
- Numbering and signing (1 of 500)
- Pricing
- Anything else.

Thanks in advance.

Kevin

tdekany Loc: Oregon

Can't help you, but let me wish you good luck. Have fun!

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

You already said you're going to many fairs and checking on pricing etc., so you should have a good idea how you value yours. Aspect ratios, I guess depends on the image and so does the media it is printed on. You could sign on the mat of each picture and I guess the numbering depends on the number of prints you plan to do. I wish you good luck and success!!

Dave327 Loc: Duluth, GA. USA

Start with paper. Size: 8 x 10 with a a few 5 x 7 and offer larger if they what to pay (if digitally possible without loss of quality). Are these high end shows? Most people what to buy and take it home and hang. I'd look for a frame & mat source and sell some prints ready to go. Signature: very small tight in the lower corner or just stamp the back. Numbering: Who cares? Come on, most arts & crafts fairs are one step above a flea market so don't get too carried away until you find out if the effort is worth the reward of dollars or enjoyment for you.

DanielJDLM

Greetings. I have been doing the Arts & Craft show circuit since 2007.

To answer your questions:
What to print on? Difficult to answer since so much depends on your audience...many different tastes as regards the medium upon which you present your photos. I sell framed pieces and gallery wrapped canvas for much larger pieces. Many photographers sell matted photos, typically 8x10 on an 11x14 mat and 11x14 in a 16x20 mat.

BTW I just retired this year.

Aspect ratios: I stick with 8x10 for small frames and 13x19 for large frames. Tried 11x14 but they were
a very hard sell for me.

How many images? Enough to fill your display space as best possible. Depending on where you are doing the shows you may wish to present 3-4 different themed groupings. For example at one show I present train photos due to the area interest in railroads, while in another I will hand seascapes as many of this show's patrons seem to have beachfront homes. General landscape, country and nature themes will usually take up the remaing space.

I do not bother with numbering but to sign my frames pieces.

Pricing: shop the shows to get a general sense of prices. I did that before settling on my mark-up. Having been a retail buyer for several years I tend towards a lower mark up than many other photographers in order to
MOVE product...after all gross margin dollars pay the rent, not gross margin percent.

Get the best tent you can afford. Do NOT buy those pop ups you see in the warehouse clubs or discount stores...get a good one online. Get weights to help Hold the tent down in windy conditions.get a sales tax license if required on your state. Be ready and able to take credit cards. Other adds ons to consider...business cards and a website(lots of options out there, some free) whether to sell online or just so
You can showcase some of your works and post a show schedule.

Best of luck Kevin.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Did it for three years - wasn't worth the effort. Barely covered my booth fees, meals and lodging.

You'll have a considerable investment - a canopy (not an EZ Up shelter which leaks and flies away at the slightest breeze) from Trimline or LightDome are a good start. You'll need ballast and/or spikes to secure your tent to keep it from flying away. The better canopies already weigh almost 200lbs, but they can still fly.

Insurance - the last thing you want is your canopy flying and crashing into someone else's display and damaging something.

ProPanels to pin up your work.

Lighting is good if you have the room to carry it in your vehicle - but you will need LED lights and a Marine deep-discharge battery, or a very small and very quiet generator. Hondas are very small and quiet, but costly. You can look here for a few other suggestions: http://generatoradvisor.com/best-quiet-generator-reviews-quietest-portable-generator-on-the-market/

Numbering is not necessary - unless you are famous and have limited distribution releases. Think of your work more as decoration in someone's living room, kitchen, or gallery space, not as a collectible. Unless you already have a reputation as a displayed artist with a following.

Sizing, format, media etc is whatever the artwork demands. Creative and abstract pieces add to the uniqueness and sell better. As do images taken of the local area. I showed work in coastal Connecticut Upstate NY New Jersey and Long Island. I varied what I brought with me to suit the locale and the interests of the prospective buyers. The local interest stuff always outsold the other stuff.

You may want to take a long a tablet or a printed book to display a portfolio, and an order sheet so you can deliver a print that is not on display.

Make sure you are set up to take money on site. Skip the credit card reading services. I used Paypal, which is one of the more secure payment processors and takes most credit cards.

Folding tables, print racks for matted and bagged prints. Use Clearbags https://www.clearbags.com/?gclid=CIeuoPnGttQCFYtWDQod_9YIVA

Tall chairs bar stool height - you will get tired, and the last thing a prospect wants to do is to talk to someone seated in a low chair.

A small dish with individually wrapped hard candy. It has a very noticeable impact on traffic, for not a lot of money.

Music - you can stick a Bluetooth speaker and an iPod or mp3 player anywhere. Background music only.

If you are printing or having your work printed - use good quality papers, and have them laminated or spray coated to preserve and protect them. Breathing color makes a good quality print varnish that is easy to apply. https://www.breathingcolor.com/

And you may want to enhance your booth with an awning or two - provides much need shade and extra protection when it rains.

As far as pricing is concerned, it depends on your work, and the clientele visiting the show. You have to be careful if you have multiple prices for the same items. People do visit multiple shows. Too cheap and you risk not being taken seriously, and if you are too expensive, people will just walk on by, looking for a better "deal." Never negotiate the price of your art - send those people packing who try.

This is a good website to get more familiar with the people and the process:

http://www.artfairinsiders.com/profiles/blogs/upper-teir-display-canopy-comparisons

But nothing substitutes for visiting a few shows and keeping your ears and eyes open for the various conversations that will undoubtedly take place. Be careful of the show promoters - they make their money on booth fees and will often oversell the venue in an attempt to get their fees with along with a little upselling (electric hookup, lighting rental etc).

Good Luck! I don't envy you . . .

Nature_Shooter Loc: Chesterfield Missouri

Thank you for all of the detailed and helpful responses so far!

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Numbering prints only makes sense if you are somebody well-known in the art world, and there are art dealers specifically seeking out your work because of the collector's value associated with your name. If you are not known, no one cares if they just purchased print #63/100 or whatever, because the print number serves no real purpose; self-imposed scarcity won't have an effect on the value.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Very good advice. Beyond that, make sure that you have a business plan and understand all the costs, since you will be making all sorts of investments in product, materials, time, travel, accommodation, and booth fees. Your time is not free!

Also, have a website so that people can follow up after the event and make custom orders - size, framing, print materials, and also be able to refer their friends to your site.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

As somebody who went this route after retirement, my first comment would be don't be surprised to find the art festival business to take much more time, effort, and expense than you may think. It's much more difficult than one might think. You will be running a business with all of the intricacies that entails.

A few things to know before you start:

1). You will need to get a state resellers permit (in some states called a state tax license). You have to pay state taxes on what you sell. Show promoters will demand one before allowing you to enter a show.

2). You will need documentation showing your booth and/or panels meet fire codes. Yes, I have been asked to show them to a fire marshall. Some shows will also require you have a fire extinguisher in your booth. (This often slides by, but IF a zealous fire Marshall decides to go around checking, you better have them)

3). You need to be set up to take credit transactions. Over 75% of my sales have been credit sales. Easiest solution is a point of sale account like Square or Intuit Go Payment used on a tablet like an iPad.

4). Understand that the majority of shows require that you "jury in" to the show. Meaning, you must submit digital examples of you work, along with a photo of your display booth. A jury will select those artists they will include in the show. Jury submissions are generally months before the show and have a non-refundable application fee. If accepted, you will have to pay your booth fee to secure your spot. Fees for most shows will fall in the $300-600 range for a 10x10. Most shows have limits on the number of artists in a given category (photography, jewelry, ceramics, etc. ) that they will accept. Early application is usually the best bet.

4b). many shows have gone to a system of online applications through third parties. The most popular is Zapplication. You will need an account there.

5). You need business insurance, including liability. Also you need insurance to protect your assets while on the road.

6). Do you have a plan for controlling your production costs? Will you be printing yourself? If canvas or metal, you will need a printer who has a "professional" program where they sell at a more wholesale price than they do to the retail public. If making paper prints will you cut your own mats? If you are framing your prints, start looking now for a wholesaler for frames and glass.

7). Be aware show set-up hours are often very early the morning of a show, and seldom as much time as you really need! 😶

To address your specific questions:

1). Metal, canvas, and traditional prints are all fine. For a while, canvas wraps were all the thing. Metal prints and acrylic face-mounts have become increasingly popular. All have pros and cons. The real key is what looks best for your work, and which allows you to best control your production cost and initial inventory cost.

2) print size can be perplexing. Most guys I've seen start with 11x14 (mat size) and move up from their. Larger prints 20x24 and up are popular. ( I sold a lot of 5x7 images in 8x10 mats as "loss leaders". Not a lot of profit in the small sizes. The profit margin is good but the number of sales required to make the work of production worthwhile is very high)

3). Most artists will have an inventory of at least twenty strong images to display. Those who primarily sell very large prints 40x60 will usually display fewer. You need to change up your inventory yearly; add new works and eliminate those than have not attracted attention.

4) signing -yes. Customers seem to expect it, as do promoters. A signed piece is your verification that the work is yours, a requirement of any good show. Numbered series - not so clear. Keeping in mind that numbered prints in photography are more a marketing tool than a meaningful practice, having limited editions doesn't hurt, but it's usually not necessary. Some shows DO insist on numbers editions (sometimes limited to 50 or less) but they are the exception.

5) pricing is a topic all to itself. I usually go 4x cost of production. The hard part is being in line with the show and other artists. I carry multiple price tag sets so I can adjust a few prices depending on what seems to be the show trend. Word of caution: it is a SIN to drastically undercut the prices of the other artists in your category. For someone like yourself, who is not planning to make a living this way, lowballing those who do make a living via their art is unconscionable. And be aware, if you do, you will hear about it from the other artists, and don't be surprised if the other artists are less than helpful once word gets around. If you wish to be part of the art community, you must consider the needs of all artists, not just yourself.

In summary, the art festival biz is much more complicated than most people think. There is a lot to learn in order to do it right. In the long run, only experience can give you all of what you will need to know. Don't get me wrong, it can be a great deal of fun (I used to tell friends I had finally found my tribe on the festival circuit) and if your talent allows, you can make enough profit to justify the time, work, and expense. I hope you are successful.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I'm not sure that I agree with that. At some point it can begin to pay off. If you find an image that is really popular you can sell a premium signed limited edition run in addition to standard edition prints. It doesn't work as an artificial marketing ploy, but if your work is good and you get traction then I suggest you think about it.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Another very well informed piece of advice. My wife has a business selling antique jewelry. We have been down this path.

mrpentaxk5ii

I live in New York State so I can't speak for the state that you live in. I have sold prints of my photographs, some are from the Maine and Cape Cod photo trips that I have posted on UHH. The large fairs will require a tax stamp from the state that you live in.......But and it is a big one... the small town street craft fairs where I live do not require a Tax stamp unless you sell produce, so you can sell prints. The size that I sell the most of are as follows.
8x10, 8 1/2x11, 11x17. I my self would not ever never buy a 4x6 or 5x7 their too small, for a lanscape photo I want 11x17 or larger.
The fee for the day ranges from about 35$ at a fire House to 80$ and up for a one day street fair. I would go to a fair or two in the town that you live in and talk to some of the venders as to what is required to sell prints. Don't expect to make alot of money, it gets you out in the public and if your work is good you might get a photo job if you are up to it. The money is in event photography or leading tours, today every one sells prints. good luck and I mean that in a good way..Jim M Ok I went back to re-read your post so forget that part. Last I will say this you can spend alot of money in a tent and displays for framed prints. So at the craft fairs that you went to did you see any thing sold, the reason is that I have been to Washington DC street fairs and seen alot of great framed work but little sold.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Limited editions of photographs are one of my pet peeves. The whole idea of limited editions came from traditional printmaking like etching or lithography, where each process has a limited number of prints that could be make before the quality started to decline. Now with photography the only justification for doing it is to artificially limit the number to hopefully get a higher price. I could maybe see it done with traditional darkroom prints which is a painstaking process, but with digital where you can print identical prints at any time, it strikes me a pretentious. With many art photographers, Ansel Adams for instance, the prints that are worth the most are those that are best known, like Moonrise, which he probably made the most prints of.

canon Lee

Hi Kevin. Consider that your clientele can do what you can do, in that they can take pictures too. I have doubts that you will sell much at outdoor shows, or even cover your expenses.
A more successful approach would be to inquire if your framed photos are salable by contacting the main office of furniture outlets, or companies like Bed Bath and Beyond. This way you have not invested anything but your time discovering if you have a market or not. I would suggest that you specialize in a particular subject. I know of a women that shoots horses only, and sells them to furniture outlets in NYC. Highly successful. If you are just looking for a small fun time business then by all means do flea markets and such. It would be fun and you get to meet lots of people. Selling prints on line is another way to test your market. Its free to get an online store at places like Art .com etc. Good luck. Oh by the way a great eye opener is to go on line and see how many thousands of other photographers are selling what you are selling.