Some CPLs reduce light by a couple of stops - allowing far less light transmission to the sensor. Do research and get a GOOD CPL which allows for the highest amount of light transmission ... Check out the HOYA line

Selling photographs is not at all dead...sure, the market is softer than in past years. I have been exhibiting at arts & crafts festivals for the past ten years. I track EVERYTHING and squally give a show three years to see if it is withy doing, since weather can cause significant changes in traffic and if course sales. I have tested local fairs and for the most part, they did not produce. I would recommend you look at arts & crafts fairs...great spot to check out is www.festivalnet.com.
As concerns pricing you need to cost out your total costs including ink, paper, may, frames, hardware, etc. Three times might work for some items, but for others you need to do market research. My pricing turns merchandise which is obviously what you want to do. I was a buyer on NY for many years...my
Mantra then is the same as today..."gross Margin dollars pays the bills, not gross margin percent."

I starting making photographs around the age of 7. My first camera was a Kodak Pony...you had to set shutter speed, aperture and distance, then look through a tiny little window to frame shot, which due to parallex issues, was never quite what you saw through that little window. Believe it or not, using this camera helped me learn about the technical issues surrounding a photograph. I studies the Zone System, and has a fully equipped darkroom for B&W and color film processing. In 2006 I entered the world of digital buying a 3.2 megapixel Nikon point and shoot. A few months later a Nikon Bridge camera and two months after that my first Nikon DSLR, the D80. All I learned about photography I employ as I shoot digital. The freedom to express myself and present not only the image I first captured but the enhanced version is refreshing. I do what I need to do on camera to get the best possible shot, sometimes using HDR methods to capture and wider gamut of tonal ranges( I shoot Jpeg). As often as not I create a new image from what I envisioned when first pushing the shutter button...old mansion into an Addams Family type residence for example. There is nothing wrong with post processing to create something beyond what was seen in the viewfinder...and at 66 years old, I am learning something new about digital aist every day.

Bridge type camera is the way to go
On my humble opinion. I use a first generation Nikon P510 as a back up to mynNikon DSLR. Optical zoom from 24-1000, with 5-way image stabilization. MUCH newer models out there..as many have said, get to a camera store and try them out...Canon or Nikon, you won't be sorry.

I used Photoshop for almost 10 years; tried Lightroom but just did not like it. I now use Photoshop Elements 14 and new On1 Photo Raw, which can be used standalone or as a plugin. I shoot architectural,
Landscapes, trains, automobiles , seascapes, cemeteries , etc.

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.

It will always be more expensive to print your own, but the satisfaction of producing the final print is, well, priceless. I liken the experience to seeing the print come to life on the developer tray in my darkroom days.

I use it on Elements 14...no
Issues at all

I used the Canon Pixma Pro 9000 for many years before it died...excellent quality photos...the Pro 100 is a great choice at the special prices being offered. I needed a better photo printer with additional blacks so ended up going with the Epson Surecolor 600. Have fun with the new printer.

I downloaded Topaz Studio...not very impressed. But it was free.

I used to use PhotoShop CS5, but switched to Elements 14. I added NIK Suite, On1 and Topaz Adjust for additional creative options. I shoot JPEG.

Topaz Photo Studio is free to everyone

I agree...sometimes the effects refresh can be very slow...I have a fairly high end Windows 10 PC, I7 core processor, with 24 gigs of ram and a 4 gig Nvidia video card.

I have been using On1 photo products for over 10 years. Love the new program. There is a learning curve but not that steep. Being able to jump from module to module seamlessly is sweet. I always grab any and all free presets they offer. I purchased On1 Plus and enjoy all the extras including video training, photo critiques, etc. I used PhotoShop CS 5 for years but switched to Elements 14 a short while back so On1 could be added as a plug in along side Nik and Topaz. I have used On1 as a stand alone but like using the other plug ins too, so I jump into On1 and it is my primary post processing add on. Well worth the money.

Go to Costco.com...they are running some great specials on HP Desktops...sale is still on, you can pick up HP ENVY 750se Desktop - Intel Core i7 - 4GB Graphics...specs
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Online Price $949.99
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Processor & Memory:
Intel® Core™ i7-6700 Processor at 3.4GHz
16GB DDR3L (2-DIMM) RAM

Drives:
2TB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
SuperMulti DVD Burner

Operating System:
Microsoft® Windows 10

Graphics & Video:
4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 745 Graphics

Communications:
Wireless-AC WLAN + Bluetooth 4.0

Audio:
Bang & Olufsen Audio Processing

Keyboard:
HP USB Keyboard + Optical Mouse

Ports:
4x USB 3.0
4x USB 2.0
1x HDMI
1x DVI
1x Display Port
Multi-format Media Card Reader
1x Combination Headphone / Microphone Jack

Additional Information:
Dimensions: 15.94" x 6.5" x 15.79"
300W Power Supply

Brand: HP
Computer Type: Desktop Tower
Graphic Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 745
Hard Drive Size: 2 TB
Operating System: Windows
Optical Drive: Super Multi DVD Burner
Processor: Intel Core i7
RAM Included: 16 GB

I bought this unit earlier in the year and paid more, so what else is new with technology. I have been very pleased with this PC...fast. I use Photoshop, ON1 and Nik Software and Photoshop Elements. Smooth for all the applications. Good luck.