Wall quality work?

<p>Hello, im looking for a little feed back before i make the jump into professional photography. Mainly i want to know is my work something you would appreciate hanging on your wall. As im using this as market reserch, honest opinions will be valued over ego stroking, thanks. here is some of my work http://500px.com/bladowphoto</p>

<p>How are you considering "making the jump into professional photography"? Do you intend to accept commissions for landscapes shot to spec, or do you intend to just sell that which you have already shot?<br>

To whom do you plan to sell your photography, and how do you plan to reach them? A web site like 500px is nice but does nothing to cause your potential customer to purchase.<br>

How do you plan to promote yourself? Do you have a marketing plan? Do you have a business plan?<br>

I ask all these questions because some of your photos are very nice, but I don't see any underlying thread or vision, which is necessary if you plan to make it as an artist. If you are going the "artist" route, I suggest reading Cay Lang's book "Taking the Leap" It explains how the art world works, and things like how to approach galleries, etc.<br>

There's a long distance between saying "I'm a professional photographer" and actually becoming one.<br>

<Chas><br /><br /></p>

Would I buy your work to hang on my walls? No.

 

Charles's response is far more useful than a few data points like the one I provided.

<p>I see no problem with the quality of your images. But...you are going to be selling NathanBurgers. Yes, you can make a better burger than McDonalds, but do you have a great location? How high is your ad budget? Do you have well trained helpers? Can you sell a mystique about your burgers that will cause people to drive 200 miles to have one, like Tommy's in El Lay? Do you have the bucks to maintain a high profile, or at least high enough? Do you have the staying power? I cannot say too little about the taste some people have in what hangs on their walls. The main thing for most people is the colors match the couch. Are your photos the type and do they have the subject matter for wall art? I think so. Would you put a six foot wide photograph of a lizard on your wall? I have seen it. You may have seen the Elvis painted on velvet and the four dogs playing poker prints. Making fabulous photos is only the first step. I am not trying to discourage you. If you have the right stuff, nobody will keep you from becoming a pro, not even by beating you with a stick. Good luck.</p>

<p>Many of your photos are much like others would take of the same subjects. They might sell in a market where there is little competition, but not in sophisticated venues. Salesmanship sometimes generates more income than good photography. If you are persuasive without being pushy and have a great personality, they may sell where you have face-to-face contact with buyers.</p>

<p>I like that Wayne. <em> "The main thing for most people is the colors match the couch"</em> . . . Unfortunately, the majority of people like this. And even, if you, producing quality images, who going to buy it. Most of the peoples home, the only one picture, poster, hanging above the couch, with matching colors. Working for renovators and real-estate agencies, I haw seen enough.</p>

<p>Some exception. Unfinished image.</p><div></div>

Nathan,

I'm not an experienced pro and have only been shooting more seriously for a few years, but I wanted to give you my point of view on this.

I have no idea if it's the "norm" or not, but with me... I just wanted to share my work and when I did, I un expectantly got inquiries and

started self full filling right away. This happened first with family and friends and it grew slightly with online viewers/buyers and people on

the fringe. Mostly my larger sales are in person after they view my work in home, and I direct them to my Facebook page, Redbubble,

and I've just recently started adding to 500px. Sometimes I am able to show them my paper portfolio, sometimes I break out my iPad.

I'm no pro, but I've kept my hobby going by breaking even and have made ALL my money back that I have spent on equipment, software,

lighting, finishing, what have you. Until it flips to having money in my pocket on a more steady basis, I don't plan on buying a website and

going all out and investing more money and time to promote myself. Until I can afford to be in business because my work carries me

there, I'm staying out of the debt trap.

Am I right in my thinking? I don't know, but it works for me, and unlike so many others that I'm friends with, or have online connections

with, I am able to handle my hobby successfully without it becoming an exsorbanant expense.

So my questions to you are: (these are more for you to answer for yourself rather than for my interest)

Have people in your life inquired and purchased your work at profitable pricing? (As soon as you share, even without a price tag, you are

offering your imagery to people who may be interested, and they WILL contact you if they are serious. Sometimes even when they aren't

lol. Sometimes they just receive a lesson in how much finished work really costs and they run as fast as they can)

Have you been finishing your work for yourself?

Do you have a paper portfolio?

Have you finished large and display your work in your home? (You can't expect others to, if you're not even willing)

Have you gifted work and saw them proudly display it?

If the answers are "No" to any of the above then, you have your next steps to take.

Continue to Improve your work so it stands out in the sea of competition out there and gains an interest on it's own merits, finish your

work, and continue to share it.

"The main thing for most people is the colors match the couch"

So true lol

That's why you should always add tags to your online images that describe the color pallet. While lots of people only buy

black and white, because black and white = art ;)

<p>Nathan, <br>

Getting into the world of pro photography is a whole conversation or forum on its own. I just did a blog post on how to becoming a photography assistant (the best way to really learn how to become a pro). <br>

So I will avoid that question for now, but I will make a comment on your existing work. <br>

You need portfolio categories my good man.<br>

I am looking an eclectic mix or good and bad imagery, which brings the whole body of work down. The first 3 images are a fork and strawberry, cityscape, a landscape... Its jarring. It's confusing and looks thrown together. Portfolios can should have a narrative, a consistency and harmony. <br>

It's like you took all these images and threw them on the floor and are like, hey guys what do you think? <br>

I would suggest getting a template website and building it with categories and get that work sorted out. <br>

Break images them down into categories like Landscape, Macro, Floral Fauna, Human Element... something like that... <br>

This will also help you edit your work and strong images will stand out where the weaker ones will fail. <br>

You will also see where you need work... <br>

We can see right away from this your strongpoint is macro and textures. Yay. Clap Clap, get that in a category and start working on an area that you are not doing so well in. People. We cans see here that people are not your strong point.<br>

So by building categories you will see you need to pick up your game there if you want to shoot people. If you don't want to shoot people, why have 2 mediocre images pulling your whole portfolio of excellent macro work down? <br>

I am not paving the way to photographic righteousness just giving an opinion.<br>

Good luck man. <br>

</p>

<p>Think about the people you know- how many of them have on their walls photographs where they have no strong connection with the picture- like pictures of them , their family, their dog or whatever? Very occasionally a shot of a place they hold in deep affection. In other words its hard to sell prints to consumers in meaningful quantities.</p>

<p>Unless you go to the very top of the market, where the work of established photographers is sold via galleries for thousands of dollars, just about everybody I know who sells prints has other strings to their bow to make up their living. Sometimes those strings are photographic- they shoot weddings, portraits, pets, houses, they shoot for stock, they have a particular niche strength in a market where they are well known. They certainly don't do it by selling prints to consumers to the exclusion of all else. A lot have a portion of their income from outside photography. </p>

<p>There is a market in selling décor images to commercial enterprises. Again, speaking as one whose worked that - a couple of times spectacularly successfully but mostly feeling like you're beating your head against a wall - its very very hard. Partly that's because there's often an intermediary "art consultant" involved who likes to keep things as narrow as they can to protect their tenuous place in the chain( and certainly doesn't spend a lot of time looking for new photographers to work with). Knowing people who can ease you into their company is more than a little useful- I might say that's by far the likeliest way in.</p>

<p>Now then, the hard to hear bit. I looked at your work. Did I see anything to persuade me that you'd break into the gallery market and become collectable; or get people flocking to a website to buy your prints for sufficient to make earning a decent living likely? I think your photography is competent but not unusual, to the point that there are thousands, maybe tens of thousands , who bring to the party what you do. You might sell some stuff at relatively low prices at craft fairs etc, but there's no sign of anything to differentiate you from lots of others . Maybe if you developed a few themes to focus on, had a few ideas that made your work different to or better than your competitors. Till then, sorry, I don't think so.</p>

<p>Hi Melinda. I agree with you hundred percent. The real art in photography is still B&W. You can attract people with crimson colors, but try to impress with grey scale only. Those who know art, picks B&W photographs, most of the time.</p>

<p>Nathan, the short answer is...........yes.<br>

There seems to be a misconception with the terminology of "pro" and the percentage of income derived from the photography business. In your initial request you did not mention relying 100% on the proceeds of fine art prints to sustain a living. That is not necessary, at all. I know a <em>lot </em>of big name photographers with varied sources of income.<br>

Your portfolio is strong. I'm not familiar at all with 500px as a web host I cannot offer an opinion on them with regards to their SEO tools for web sales. <br>

Target your clientele, draw up a business plan with a goal. Build your brand, market and in time the business will grow. How much is up to you, not a forum. ~best</p>

Oops Bela,

I apologize. I was kind of being facetious with the black and white comment.

 

"Target your clientele, draw up a business plan with a goal. Build your brand, market and in time the business will grow.

How much is up to you, not a forum."

Thomas, (not being facetious this time)

Do you believe this to be true? Have product, will sell. It's up to you if it sells or not? Just push? Is there really THAT

much riding on marketing and "creating" a demand vs. creating a quality product that's superior than average? And if so,

you don't believe Nathan's port needs organization, or any of the other suggestions he received here to help him market

successfully and create "his brand"?

While I appreciate your optimism, and very kind words, and the fact that it's not up to any of us to make this decision for

him, or to say wether or not there is any sort of demand for his images, Nathan is talking about taking a very big step both

financially and in the amount of work and time he spends promoting himself. Regardless of how much of his income will

be derived from his photography, this step means more investment from him. While yes, I agree he needs to come up

with a clear plan, a product line, a profitable price list, etc. there also needs to be a clear initial consumer interest in his

work. Without it, it means sure failure and possibly a fair amount of debt. Am I wrong in thinking this way? Instead of

working on my photography, editing and adding to my port. I should be working/concentrating on "building my brand",

marketing, and web SEO instead? "Build it, they will come"? "It's only a matter of time"? "It's up to you how much your

business will grow"?

Like I said I'm inexperienced, maybe you are right? But if you are... You just discouraged me from pursuing further with

the business side of selling my art. I think instead, I want to create the best photographs I possibly can. I get that

marketing is a HUGE factor to success in this field, but please don't tell me people don't give a crap about superior

quality, compelling content, and intended emotional response, and all that has to exist to make a person want to buy our

work.

<p>I don't really buy photography. Your photos are good enough to be wall art provided you market them and get your name out. But to me they lack signature. There isnt anything that makes me think "Oh, that's X's photography!". When a photo is recognizable as an artists work, it appears more valuable for some reason (maybe that's just me).<br>

The photos I like are the BW canyon holes, the wilting flower, and the purple rainy chairs. The rest are good photos, but just nothing unique (to me) They could be to someone else.<br>

In my experience of selling prints, people tend to want something interesting that they havent seen before "holes", something sentimental (a photo of their favorite mountain - sell local), or something that matches their house decor, "purple" would look great in a cafe or bar that has similar colored lights or decor.</p>

 

<p>@ Melinda. Breath......relax!<br>

Let me quote myself "the <em>short </em>answer is yes." SEO keywords being "short answer".<br>

I understand the <em>short version</em> of my reply may leave a few unanswered questions. You asked quite a few with your reply and implied a few comments I did not say. My initial response was "whoa!" but I wanted to read and comprehend your writings and not sound defensive in my reply.<br>

I understood the jest of Nathan's request, I just did not feel a Google Analytic answer was called for. (I write articles for publication on the New England Photography Guild website so I tend to tone back a bit elsewhere). He clearly holds a pretty good hand at this point, and YES what he does with it IS up to him.<br>

I have the phrase "quality over quantity" embedded in the <em>about</em> section on my homepage website. Also I promise my clients assurance in that quality and my commitment to meeting their needs. Being able to add that to my website and mean it took more than a leap of faith. If called out on it, I need enough ass to back up my mouth so-to-speak. Once your reputation is damaged word travels. If you re-read my reply to Nathan, in no way, shape or form do I even come close to implying that "quality, compelling content and emotional attachment or response" is not critical!<br>

Your quote: "Like I said I'm inexperienced , maybe you are right?"<br>

Short of writing my own BIO or feeling like I need to be defensive, I have quite a bit of experience in the business as fine art and licensing for stock and commercial. Food on my table, roof over my head and lights are on. That being said, it's led directly to uncountable publications, sales shipped to 4 continents and displays in thousands of public and private collections. My artwork is licensed to puzzle companies and calendar publishers alike. My point being Melinda, without marketing no matter how you do it or who does it for you it is equally as important to market and work on SEO to be seen and attract your specified clientele base.<br>

I'm disappointed you are so discouraged. Sounds more like you are caving in? One thing you have on your side is it's your right not to pursue photography as a business or even a second income. Yes, it requires technical excellence. Artistic vision. Marketing skills. A good reputation. Hey nowadays just to be a damn cop you need to go to college and major in criminal law and psychology. Nothing good comes easy!</p>

<p> </p>