Selling Photographs

Sorry Ken (and George - and I suppose everyone else too) - so go on answer the question!

Mike

Mike, if you find photography relaxing you cant be doing it right!

Seriously, I think you have to adapt to circumstances and markets. I think what has happened in the portrait market in the UK is interesting, Venture (for anyone who doesn't know them link)have opened up in over 100 UK towns and cities and is offering a highly popular very expensive service which is all about presentation. This has forced portrait photographers to re-think their operations. I'm not very keen on the cross-processed look, personally. How they will fare in the current financial situation is anyone's guess.

The other quality you need is to be client focussed and I would imagine your business will be the same.

I heard an archive radio interview with David Bailey a while ago where he was asked what qualities were needed to become a successful photographer, he replied "You need a leather jacket, a Pentax camera and be rude to everyone."

I think that's called marketing

Mike

I appreciate everyone giving advice on business start-up in weddings or portrait work. But what about creative photography. Or maybe offering photos to restaurants that are about to open?

Ken - so you've not mentioned the technical side at all - is that because it's assumed one has the techical expertise or that in many situations it doesn't represent a problem while relating to and dealing with the customer does?

You're totally right about my business, listening to the client and inerpeting what they say is the key to what I do. In my case the technical side is very much secondary to that.

Mike

There is an old saying about photojournalism that it is 'F8 and be there' meaning you have to be technically competent and have a foot in the door. Perhaps this could be re-written as 'F8 and schmooze the client' My training in photography and filmmaking insisted, amongst other things, on working without a meter and judging exposure visually which is certainly easier with film than video given its greater latitude. At the BBC I had to sit exams on Modulation Transfer Functions and D/logE curves and the like which was a great background for the changes to come. In the end I'm much more interested than image than technique or whether it was taken with a Pentax or whatever.

Ken

When I was young I had a Leica and a Weston meter but as often as not I would have to guess the exposure to catch a street shot and you could get away with it a lot of the time. Digital I find far less forgiving and of course colour then was far less forgiving. I'd have no confidence now estimating exposure and bless the internal meter.

Regarding the comment about being interested in the image - but the punter won't pay if it's not technically right (I assume).

Mike

I think showing in restaurants (cafes might be better, faster customer turnaround) is a good showcase. Someone is showing some nice work in my local coffee shop but it has been hanging for six months but not one picture has sold. Bear in mind that the cost of mounting and framing is an expensive business and this could well cost more than any sales you might make.

Its pretty difficult to get a technically bad image these days, in truth there was nothing particularly difficult about getting a good image on film either. A modern pro video camera is a nightmare to use with a bewildering aray of menus, switches, sockets, cables and buttons. By comparison a pro motion picture camera has a an on/off switch and an aperture and focus rings - quite delightful really. Here's another photgraphic reality, I'm just off to paint the toilets at the studio.

I bet your toilet didn't freeze over like mine did until I refurbished the office! I trust it's a tasteful colour in keeping with your artistic integrity

Mike

I've always interpreted that to mean that being in the right place at the right time is much more important than technical expertise.

F8 means that the subject will probably be more or less in focus, and any defects in exposure can be sorted out in the darkroom.

G

George - I agree that was always my interpretation as well. Nothing too bad will happen at f8 that the techies can't sort out!

Mike

Rather than looking for ones about to open, look for some that have already established a secondary business in selling other peoples' pictures. Depending on where you're located you should be able to find one or two not far from your doorstep.

As gartmore pointed out above, you need to budget for framing and the cafe itself will want a cut of any sale fees (some might even charge you for wall space) so there is some start-up capital involved.

Good luck anyway!

While I can't add any usefull knowledge or advice I've just got to say that this thread (and others like it) it what makes this forum so much better than all the rest of the photography forums put together

So you don't need me to tell you that you'll need to register with HMRC within three months of selling your first photo (unless you want a £100 fine that is).