Selling photographs
Feb 6, 2017 06:29:19 #
orrie smith wrote:
How do I introduce my photographs to sell them? Selling general photographs to the public, which venues should I use on the internet? Selling to magazines and businesses, how do I contact and present my photographs for freelance photography? Is there a market out there that is great enough to market?
That is part of the problem or challenge with marketing photography. It is often the case of which comes first, the chicken or the egg. With you as a photographer, do you identify a market and take photos to fit the market? Or, do you take photos, then try to find a market for them?
For people living in or near resort areas or other areas with specific travel/sightseeing interest, (Florida, California, Texas, New Orleans, New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia and others, there are markets and venues where a photographer might set up a kiosk or table to sell prints. The problem with this is that the photographer (unless he/she really knows what is wanted) may take 200 photos or have 20 large prints of exactly the wrong photo. In Clearwater, we have Pier 60 which has open air kiosks with venders hawking their wares. If you walk the pier, you will find 8 or 10 kiosks selling photos of the pier, sunsets, birds, fish, or whatever. I'm not sure how many actually make enough to pay their booth rental much less enough to live on or even buy equipment.
For me, I got lucky. I had an existing business and friends/contacts in Nikon and other places. When I moved from Philly to Florida, I had (and have) a thriving real estate photography business. I also (reluctantly) do weddings and other special occasions. The reason I say reluctantly is that weddings are always at a specific time and no flexibility. I quit offering wedding packages and strictly take however many pictures it takes to cover the wedding and charge for my 2 hours or what ever for the shoot. Then I process the images (all of my images are copyrighted) and write them to a DVD and give them written permission to have prints made. This eliminates me having to come up with pricing and also keeps me from spending 6 hours on a photo shoot and have them not take any images.
Feb 6, 2017 06:55:37 #
docphoto
Loc: Illinois
orrie smith wrote:
How do I introduce my photographs to sell them? Selling general photographs to the public, which venues should I use on the internet? Selling to magazines and businesses, how do I contact and present my photographs for freelance photography? Is there a market out there that is great enough to market?
I have used "Photomarket Place" which is a book that comes out yearly with ALL the magazines, periodicals,books, stock outlets etc with all their requirements for publications and how much they pay for photos. I have used it before and have been paid for submitting photos they used in their publications. They cover just about all the magazines, consumer and commercial, photographic needs. You can get it through Amazon.com.
Feb 6, 2017 06:58:09 #
Feb 6, 2017 07:10:26 #
Lance Pearson
Loc: Viriginia
You might want to hear one version of what I think, subjectively, as realism first. There are a couple of markets so oversupplied breaking in is nearly impossible. One is the market for screenplays where they are literally a dime a dozen. The other is photographs. Everyone has cameras nowadays and the volume of images is enormous. It is as oversupplied as a market as you can possibly imagine. However, if it is what you want to do give it a shot!
So, if you decide to use one of these channels to sell, be realistic as it's probably wise to keep your day job even if your work is very, very good. With the number of cameras out there even the non pros accidentally take a good image now and then and they are all out there in the public domain.
I tried the print, matt, set up in art fairs route. It was fun meeting people but about as slow as watching grass grow a way to spend your time.
After a long career in business I decided that photography will be a high level amateur at best no matter what level of skill I manage to or might manage to attain.
So, if you decide to use one of these channels to sell, be realistic as it's probably wise to keep your day job even if your work is very, very good. With the number of cameras out there even the non pros accidentally take a good image now and then and they are all out there in the public domain.
I tried the print, matt, set up in art fairs route. It was fun meeting people but about as slow as watching grass grow a way to spend your time.
After a long career in business I decided that photography will be a high level amateur at best no matter what level of skill I manage to or might manage to attain.
Feb 6, 2017 07:15:08 #
Go to your local library and check out a book called Photographer's Market. You may find some ideas there.
Feb 6, 2017 07:59:46 #
Feb 6, 2017 08:45:25 #
orrie smith wrote:
How do I introduce my photographs to sell them? Selling general photographs to the public, which venues should I use on the internet? Selling to magazines and businesses, how do I contact and present my photographs for freelance photography? Is there a market out there that is great enough to market?
There are many,many books out there regarding this Photography subject. Also You Tube videos. Check out Kindle Books online, I have 4 photography book from kindle loaded on my tablet from different authors.
Feb 6, 2017 11:21:04 #
TheDman
Loc: USA
dirtpusher wrote:
Running it through paint degrades it. It looses pixels also.
No, it doesn't degrade it or lose pixels. A pixel is a pixel.
Feb 6, 2017 11:56:27 #
Leitz
Loc: Solms
dirtpusher wrote:
How better to learn. Care to venture out an explain why you think he is not ready
The OP is asking about marketing, the UHH is about photography. Two entirely different subjects.
Feb 6, 2017 11:57:33 #
Leitz
Loc: Solms
cmc4214 wrote:
I disagree, the OP MAY be a great photographer, and just not know how to market his work
My point exactly.
Feb 6, 2017 12:56:16 #
TheDman wrote:
People can just screenshot it.
...what kind of resolution do you get with a screenshot? (I really don't know, but it seems to me they'd be pretty low-res...)
Feb 6, 2017 14:45:25 #
amfoto1
Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
Go to Amazon and search for books on the subject of selling your photos.
The market for photographs is huge. But, unfortunately, the number of people trying to sell their work has also grown exponentially since digital has become the norm and made it so "easy". There are legions of "wannabes" out there clutching their Rebels and kit lenses, saturating the market and driving prices and fees for photography way, way down from what they were in the past.
It is extremely hard to make a living or even a decent secondary income at photography these days, though still possible if your work is unique and very, very good, and provided you have good business sense as well as self-promotion and marketing savvy.
Look for the "Photographers Marketplace", which is published annually. It's well organized, filled with tips for would-be sellers and usually lists 4000 to 5000, maybe more, would-be buyers.
Some tips....
- Never, ever sell your copyright There really is no need or reason to ever do, completely giving up your ownership of an image. It's nearly impossible to predict the future value of an image, so you want to maintain your ownership. Instead of surrendering the copyright, license usage of the image. Licensing can be structured many different ways to meet all the needs of a buyer and there are books about how to do that, too.
- Register your copyright to protect it. This has to be done prior to publication of the image or withing 90 days after first publication. It isn't difficult to do, a large number of images can be submitted en masse for registration, for a relatively small fee. Registration can be done by mail or by electronic submission.
- Utilize other copyright protections, such as limiting the size of images displayed online, watermarking them, recording copyright info in the EXIF (and being sure to not strip off the EXIF when the image is prepared for online display.
- The vast majority of images sold are photos of people... And because of that model releases are necessary. An unreleased photo of a person has limited uses and little value. In contrast, a properly released photo will have wide commercial applications that can make it worth 10X, 100X even 1000X as much as an unreleased image.
- Beware of selling your work too cheap, such as through microstock sites. Once sold for 99 cents, you can't expect another buyer to pay $1000 to license it's use.
- Beware of "royalty free", "creative commons", "work for hire" and other possible snags that might undermine the value of your images or cause you to lose your copyright or its protections.
Most successful professional photographers (i.e., anyone who makes some income from their photography) have multiple income streams.... from assignment work, stock photo sales, fine art sales, direct usage licensing, and more.
ASMP or American Society of Media Photographers has a website rich with info, including samples of some of the most widely used and accepted model/property releases. They also have several "how to" books published, which can be very helpful with additional examples of contracts and more.
90 percent of "being a successful pro" is business.... only about 10% is "taking photos", although those have to be top-notch. So classes at local colleges about taxes, accounting, marketing, business law, etc. can be very helpful.
You need to look into local business licensing and zoning ordinances. Running a business from your home might sound great, but some types may not be permitted under zoning laws. For example, you may not be allowed to have clients come to your residence. Most places also require some sort of license, too.
You also need to look into local taxes. I know a photographer who thought he didn't need to collect sales tax because he felt he was providing a service, not selling a product. Turns out he was wrong and the mistake cost him $600,000 in back taxes and penalties.
Three types of insurance might be necessary.... the most obvious is equipment coverage, in case of theft, damage or loss. But there is also liability coverage, in the event that someone is hurt or something is damaged as a result of your work. There also is errors and omissions insurance, which might called something else some places and can be necessary for some types of work. This basically helps protect you and your business from bankruptcy if you screw something up and get sued.
I ain't an attorney and you really should sit down and talk with one before jumping into the deep end of the pool. All the above is just off the top of my head, as someone whose been trying to make a few $ from his photography for a number of years now.
The best way I know to "learn the business" of photography is to go to work for an established pro as an assistant and/or second photographer. That way you might avoid a lot of costly mistakes and find your niche, without having to invest a lot of time and money.
Starting a business yourself, don't plan to earn anything for the first couple years. The business won't be feeding you... you'll be feeding it money.
Supposedly only about 50% of businesses survive past 5 years, only about 33% make it 10 years or longer. I'd wager the percentages are much, much lower for photography businesses... especially home-grown, single proprietorships. A while back I counted 700 photographers advertising on my local Craigslist (world's worst place to offer photographic services, IMO)... most offering their services for free or at rates so low it isn't worth starting one's car and driving to the location, let alone doing the work involved. I bet 95% of those give up after a year or two when their camera breaks and they can't afford to replace it.... But there always seem to be another 700 or more who will step up to take their place!
Still want to "go pro"?
I don't know you or your work. Your photography may be great and you might be a superb business person with excellent instincts and an indomitable drive to succeed. The above is just to be sure you're going into it with your eyes wide open!
The market for photographs is huge. But, unfortunately, the number of people trying to sell their work has also grown exponentially since digital has become the norm and made it so "easy". There are legions of "wannabes" out there clutching their Rebels and kit lenses, saturating the market and driving prices and fees for photography way, way down from what they were in the past.
It is extremely hard to make a living or even a decent secondary income at photography these days, though still possible if your work is unique and very, very good, and provided you have good business sense as well as self-promotion and marketing savvy.
Look for the "Photographers Marketplace", which is published annually. It's well organized, filled with tips for would-be sellers and usually lists 4000 to 5000, maybe more, would-be buyers.
Some tips....
- Never, ever sell your copyright There really is no need or reason to ever do, completely giving up your ownership of an image. It's nearly impossible to predict the future value of an image, so you want to maintain your ownership. Instead of surrendering the copyright, license usage of the image. Licensing can be structured many different ways to meet all the needs of a buyer and there are books about how to do that, too.
- Register your copyright to protect it. This has to be done prior to publication of the image or withing 90 days after first publication. It isn't difficult to do, a large number of images can be submitted en masse for registration, for a relatively small fee. Registration can be done by mail or by electronic submission.
- Utilize other copyright protections, such as limiting the size of images displayed online, watermarking them, recording copyright info in the EXIF (and being sure to not strip off the EXIF when the image is prepared for online display.
- The vast majority of images sold are photos of people... And because of that model releases are necessary. An unreleased photo of a person has limited uses and little value. In contrast, a properly released photo will have wide commercial applications that can make it worth 10X, 100X even 1000X as much as an unreleased image.
- Beware of selling your work too cheap, such as through microstock sites. Once sold for 99 cents, you can't expect another buyer to pay $1000 to license it's use.
- Beware of "royalty free", "creative commons", "work for hire" and other possible snags that might undermine the value of your images or cause you to lose your copyright or its protections.
Most successful professional photographers (i.e., anyone who makes some income from their photography) have multiple income streams.... from assignment work, stock photo sales, fine art sales, direct usage licensing, and more.
ASMP or American Society of Media Photographers has a website rich with info, including samples of some of the most widely used and accepted model/property releases. They also have several "how to" books published, which can be very helpful with additional examples of contracts and more.
90 percent of "being a successful pro" is business.... only about 10% is "taking photos", although those have to be top-notch. So classes at local colleges about taxes, accounting, marketing, business law, etc. can be very helpful.
You need to look into local business licensing and zoning ordinances. Running a business from your home might sound great, but some types may not be permitted under zoning laws. For example, you may not be allowed to have clients come to your residence. Most places also require some sort of license, too.
You also need to look into local taxes. I know a photographer who thought he didn't need to collect sales tax because he felt he was providing a service, not selling a product. Turns out he was wrong and the mistake cost him $600,000 in back taxes and penalties.
Three types of insurance might be necessary.... the most obvious is equipment coverage, in case of theft, damage or loss. But there is also liability coverage, in the event that someone is hurt or something is damaged as a result of your work. There also is errors and omissions insurance, which might called something else some places and can be necessary for some types of work. This basically helps protect you and your business from bankruptcy if you screw something up and get sued.
I ain't an attorney and you really should sit down and talk with one before jumping into the deep end of the pool. All the above is just off the top of my head, as someone whose been trying to make a few $ from his photography for a number of years now.
The best way I know to "learn the business" of photography is to go to work for an established pro as an assistant and/or second photographer. That way you might avoid a lot of costly mistakes and find your niche, without having to invest a lot of time and money.
Starting a business yourself, don't plan to earn anything for the first couple years. The business won't be feeding you... you'll be feeding it money.
Supposedly only about 50% of businesses survive past 5 years, only about 33% make it 10 years or longer. I'd wager the percentages are much, much lower for photography businesses... especially home-grown, single proprietorships. A while back I counted 700 photographers advertising on my local Craigslist (world's worst place to offer photographic services, IMO)... most offering their services for free or at rates so low it isn't worth starting one's car and driving to the location, let alone doing the work involved. I bet 95% of those give up after a year or two when their camera breaks and they can't afford to replace it.... But there always seem to be another 700 or more who will step up to take their place!
Still want to "go pro"?
I don't know you or your work. Your photography may be great and you might be a superb business person with excellent instincts and an indomitable drive to succeed. The above is just to be sure you're going into it with your eyes wide open!
Feb 6, 2017 15:30:27 #
TheDman
Loc: USA
chasgroh wrote:
...what kind of resolution do you get with a screenshot? (I really don't know, but it seems to me they'd be pretty low-res...)
You get exactly however many pixels the image was uploaded with. You lose nothing.
Feb 6, 2017 19:16:00 #
I agree with cmc4214. I take very good photos but don't know how to sell them!
Feb 6, 2017 19:33:01 #
find a quaint little town, one that has an artsy feel. You know, lots of little shops, lots of tourists. Then check out when they will have their next street fair/craft show. Go to that town, take shots of it and the surrounding area and any animals in the area. Print em up, frame em and head to that art show.
You'll sell 2 maybe 3 pix, possibly even break even. Hand out lots of cards. with a website listed where they can see your other work. Now once you have
spent a few thousand dollars on pix and frames and gone to manymany art/street fair shows.spent way too many hours in the hot sun
you will be sure to make tens of dollars.
try Deviant art to sell your photos. There are lots of places on line to sell. Many many people here have tried selling their pix. Most gave up after a while.
You'll sell 2 maybe 3 pix, possibly even break even. Hand out lots of cards. with a website listed where they can see your other work. Now once you have
spent a few thousand dollars on pix and frames and gone to manymany art/street fair shows.spent way too many hours in the hot sun
you will be sure to make tens of dollars.
try Deviant art to sell your photos. There are lots of places on line to sell. Many many people here have tried selling their pix. Most gave up after a while.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.