srt101fan

Photography can produce art, as can woodworking, glass-blowing, embroidery, metalworking, leathercraft, pottery-making, landscaping, painting, etc, etc, etc.......

waldron7 Loc: State of Confusion

If you want exposure, offer your framed pictures to your local hospital to mount on their walls. Include your information on each piece. By doing this, I have had many inquiries and sales, enough to fund new equipment and several Caribbean vacations.

henrycrafter Loc: Orem Utah

I am not depressed. I am merely stating what I believe to be fact as applied to me

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

There is far, far too much competition out there. But it is still right to feel frustrated.
An outlet of sorts can be to put pictures up for sale through an online stock photo site. Like Adobe Stock Photo, Shutterstock, etc. You generally won't make much more than pennies on a sale, but it would still feel kind of good. The trick is volume, though. If you post only a few dozen pictures, likely nothing will happen.

Rae Zimmerman Loc: Pine Island, FL

In the days of SLR photography, there was less photographic productivity. Photographers rationed their photos due to film capacity limitations. Shutter activation wasn't measured in FPS, resulting in fewer photos per event or sighting. Cameras didn't allow as much experimentation with techniques, unless you had the film budget for it. And in general, photography was a less common hobby for people.
With the switch to DSLR (and mirrorless) photography, it seems everyone who wants to is out taking pictures. The number of purchase-worthy, interest-worthy, eye-worthy photos has increased by far...but I bet our willingness to spend money on such purchases hasn't kept up. After all, we only have so much wall space to exhibit photographic work. And we are more anxious to exhibit our own work in that space!
In conclusion, don't judge public appreciation of your carefully, insightfully, artistically executed work on the basis of whether it sells or not. The market is glutted. Instead, get your validation from those comments and non-verbal signals of those who do stop and look at your work!

pendennis

Accumulation of money or wealth can't be pursued directly; if you do you will be sorely disappointed. At least that's what one of my finance professors told our class, some 45 years ago.

I applied the same logic to my photography, both professionally and as an amateur. I photograph what pleases my eyes, and if I'm rewarded for my effort, so much the better. I've entered what I deemed were great photographs in contests, and have been disappointed to see what I considered inferior and banal work of others to be rewarded, and mine virtually ignored.

When shooting professionally, I always gave the client, whether portraits, weddings, etc., what they wanted, and my clients were always pleased. Did that grind against my taste? In some cases, yes. But clients were paying the tab, so they got what they asked for. At the same time, I would include some of my interpretations, and in many instances the clients liked mine over theirs, but if not, no great shakes.

After all, it is art...

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

I knew a fellow who priced his work at too high of a price. If his work had been priced at a lower price and it didn't sell, this would have indicated that people weren't buying it because they didn't like it . However when priced beyond what people would be willing to pay, he avoided coming face to face with the possibility that maybe people just didn't care for his work.

fantom Loc: Colorado

I hear what you are saying but think there may be other possibilities or circumstances.

By that time in his life he was living in "his own world" and I doubt if he was particularly interested in the monetary value of his paintings. His brother was buying all of his paintings and VVG's reality did not include the cold hard facts of the economics involved.

He was an extremely complicated person with severe mental problems that made separating reality from "reality" very difficult or impossible for him. I personally think that he was doing it for the pleasure it gave him and he thought he was supporting himself through his work. It is my understanding that he did not know Theo was not selling them. He also had many serious distractions that added to his problems and depressed him that could have led to his death. There has been much speculation about what actually happened.

Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA

Art that commands money is a big business today. I went to Art Basel twice
when I was living recently in FL. Last year a piece of garbage duct taped to a wall
sold for 6 figures by a known artist. I follow Satchi and other sellers.
Collectors are buying for investments. And some can afford to pay outrageous
prices like a trophies. And ego trip.

As for photography and graphic photography most museums of shows
dedicated to photo artists. Camera creations are art. And maybe the most
interesting in telling a story. Displaying things like lifestyles and culture
to the rest of the world. Enjoy art it is one of the gifts in life.

Shel B

I found out long ago that it is tough to sell photos as art. It's best just to shoot to please yourself.