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HOW–TO |
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Solutions: Selling Prints For Profits
Help turn your hobby into a business with these basic tips
By Mark Lukes
Photography By Ibarionex R. Perello |
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At some point, photographers
consider the possibility of making a living with their cameras. Some
turn their passion into a lucrative business while others are enthusiastic
about maintaining their amateur status. However, if you’re interested
in sharing your images with the world and actually being paid for
it, here are some tips for selling fine-art prints to the public.
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Assess Your IQ (Image & Quality)
As with any business, your initial step is to analyze your market.
What kind of photography appears to be selling in your area? Go to
the art fairs, gift shops and galleries to see what other photographers
are doing with prints. Then look through your image bank and determine
whether you have the kind of images that your market appears to be
buying. Once you’ve established that you have marketable imagery,
make an honest assessment of your work’s quality: sharpness,
color, composition, exposure.
More than a single image, you need to determine whether you have an
assortment of images in which people will be interested. Your work
doesn’t have to be markedly different, but neither should it
be exactly the same as others. Bring your unique take of the world
and share that.
The Best Print Possible
Quality printing is key for successful sales. Whether you choose to
do your own printing or use a professional lab, it’s important
to never settle for “good enough” quality. You’re
a professional; your prints should show that you’re a professional.
Currently, you have three professional printing choices: traditional
photographic printing, digital photographic printing (using laser
or LED printers) or inkjet printing (sometimes called gicl´ee).
Digital printing offers the best quality and soon will become the
only way most labs will print photographic images, but at this time,
it can be more expensive than traditional printing.
There’s a growing trend for photographers to print their own
images. If you choose this route, make sure that you’re using
a printer that delivers archival quality, prints that will last a
minimum of 25 years or longer under normal display conditions. Learn
as much as you can about inkjet archivability as it will be a question
that will inevitably be asked by your potential buyers.
Where To Sell
Art shows come in all shapes and sizes. The shows that will net you
the best sales are juried shows (shows that require you to submit
slides of your work and where you compete with others for the privilege
of selling your work). Go to as many art shows as you can and evaluate
the other artists: How many are photographers? What are the displays
like? How much are their images? Are they selling well? After attending
several events, you’ll have a great sense of how you and your
work will fit.
An alternative to the art show is a gift shop, especially in tourist
areas. To make this financially successful, you’ll have to find
more than one location to sell your work. Expect to pay a fairly healthy
commission (typically, 40 to 60 percent). But remember, you take on
little of the risk and none of the expense of retail.
Final Thought
Probably, the most important thing to remember in print sales is that
while you may be a fine-art photographer, you’re also a businessperson
trying to make money. Remember that your customers are looking to
buy “wall décor.” Buyers are thinking of filling
spaces behind couches, in bedrooms and, yes, even in bathrooms. Understand
why people are buying, and you’ve solved half the problem of
what to offer.
Mark Lukes is head of Fine Print Imaging, a professional imaging lab catering to artists and photographers. Visit his website at www.fineprintimaging.com
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