Getting it Right

Well I hope that hasn't frightened you off before we have started. The reason I am saying all this about art is because I know of a few photographers who sell their work to the public and earn some real cash at it. OK not enough to pay the mortgage, or make the bank manager smile I agree. Yet certainly enough to pay for their hobby and buy them some nice new kit once in awhile. Interested?

In this post modern society we are told that anything you call is art, is art, and I am sure if you can persuade the art critics it is then it is. Old Joe public isn't as open minded as this, and certainly will not put his hand in his pocket and pay out his hard earned to buy something he doesn't like. So what does old Joe call art. Well at last he and Mrs Joe seem to be accepting B/W pictures as art. Providing the subject is pleasing and the print is framed nicely then it can be sold to hang on the living room wall. Unfortunately colour pictures do not have this same feeling. The point being I suppose is that anyone can take pictures with any camera so how can it be art and have any value?

Well as a photographer this is where you really can find a slot in the market for your work. The trick is to make your work look different. Present it well and sell it yourself. The most successful avenue for sales (for cash) is craft fairs. All countries seem to have them and they always appear to be well attended. Mr & Mrs Public have gone along with an open mind, money in pocket ready to purchase something. Usually something their friends haven't got and that will make a conversation piece. So there is definitely room for you here.

The biggest yet simplest trick of all is that a picture will be framed, with a mounting around. Obliviously unless you do your own framing this is actually very expensive. NOT TRUE! All you need to do is find a guy that does framing in his garage or whatever. Boot sales, local papers, they're certainly around. Negotiate with him. My guy will, providing I have at least six frames made up at a time do them for £6.00 each. Obliviously they must be rectangular in shape, anything else is too tricky. For that he does the mounting, glass, and seals the whole thing with hanging wire. If I want very large frames then obviously he charges me more.

Firstly I'll look at selling prints that are straight prints for those of you that do not work in any digital form.

Click any image for a full size view

Make the print an unusual shape and allow the mount to do the work. Note the soft gold banding.	Here the frame mimics the shape of the print selection and the yellow compliments the black.	Notice how the frame, mount and border line all follow exactly the print.

So above in the eye of Mr & Mrs Public good glamour prints have become something they can put proudly on their wall. A definite talking point!

For those of you with digital capabilities the ideas and effects you can create are as endless as your imagination.

Notice the paint effect and use of the mount.	Just another effect achieved with image manipulation.	Again more manipulation. You might think these are all crap, but hey that's what art is about. :-)

So spending a little time thinking, playing around, using paper masks cut out to place over prints etc. It will surprise you what you can do. So what is the cost. Well really first you have to think about the cost of a stand at a craft fair. Then the print cost, frame and mount. You then charge what ever you think you'll get away with. :-) If you are lucky enough to live in a high traffic of people area like a tourist spot then maybe you could get local gift shop to sell on a commission basis.

IMPORTANT. Sign each one you sell on the back and do it with a flourish. Make sure your name and contact are on the back because that can bring in quite a few commission. I speak from experience. Good luck and most importantly ENJOY!!!!