Do you sell nature photography?

[john_sercel]

I have a few questions for all you nature photographers.

<br />

<ul>

<li>First, do you sell your nature photography?</li>

<li>If so, what medium has worked for attracting sales ... online, shows,

stock?</li>

<li>Do you have any tips that you can offer / ideas that you have or haven't

tried?</li>

</ul>

<br />

Basically, I am a relatively serious amateur nature photographer looking for

ways to monetize my hobby. I have tried selling through my website ( <a

href="http://photos.jstechs.com" target="_blank">http://photos.jstechs.com</a>

), and though I've sold some, the traffic I'm getting through there just doesn't

seem to be interested in buying. I'm getting some pretty decent traffic through

my website, but they just aren't converting into sales.

<br /><br />

Any tips, advise, criticism, or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

<br /><br />

Thanks,<br />

John

[alexander_illich]

I would say unless you work in a conceptual base/fine art mindset and your photographs

are part of detailed series' depicting change bla blah blah like Edward Burtynsky

(www.edwardburtynsky.com) or someone like Hugh Martin (http://

www.godardgallery.com/martin.htm) you are unlikely to get into big galleries, HOWEVER

that doesn't mean you cannot exhibit your work; try cafes, restaurants, etc. that regularily

hang work and strike a deal with them to have a solo/combined exhibition. Also, don't

underprice yourself, for example, make edition prints, etc. don't print too small, as far as

i'm concerned for a nature shot 11x14 is even too small, i like to see them in the 20"+

range, 16x20 isn't bad.

 

Have an opening when/if you get a deal like that, invite all your friends, invite people you

meet randomly, make little cardstock flyers etc. and make sure you have a blast.

[stephen_schoof1]

I have an unrelated full time job but make enough to usually pay for film, processing, and equipment by selling stock and doing the odd assignment for regional and occasionally national magazines and travel guides. I have more or less given up on selling finished (framed or mounted) prints in galleries or gift shops just because the net profit after framing, matting, printing, and driving around is usually not enough to buy dinner. If you do your own matting and framing (and put more effort into marketing) you might do much better. For me, establishing a good relationship with a few publications that use my work on a regular basis has been by far the most profitable and least troublesome of the outlets I have tried.

 

If you go that route you need to identify possible markets and what formats they accept (i.e., size of digital files or film formats) and what they want. Most will provide an editorial calendar of needed images. (Get the latest edition of the "Photographer's Market".)

You may have to tweak your shooting style to supply more than just nature shots, as a scene with a hiker thrown in may sell more readily than one with no human element, even if it's not as good a shot. I am thrilled when one of my favorite 'wilderness' images gets published, but those that end up being used over and over again often have signs, observation towers, or other identifying markers that better illustrate the art director's concept.

[steve_rasmussen]

1. Yes I sell some, mostly desert landscapes and a few seascapes.

2. 35mm has not worked well, so I use 6x7 and some 6x6. All is marketed by myself, no stock houses.

3. This is a very competative part of photography. Books, magazines, postcards, calendars are all difficult to break into. I can't give you a silver bullet on this.

[gary_anthes]

John, if you have not already done so, check out the Business Forum at

http://www.photo.net/bboard/forum?topic_id=2041. There's a huge amount of info there. (FWIW, I sell my photos -- not just nature -- at two local galleries, but the revenue does not begin to cover my costs.)<div></div>

[evil ted]

Nature photography is a very over supplied area and that makes it terrible to try and sell photos in that area. I suggest getting the photographers market book and start sending out portfolios. It's like fishing in the ocean, you'll never know whats going to bite your bait. I just worked a deal with a print company because they just happened to be looking for what I had. You never know, persistence is the key

[john_sercel]

Thank you all for your responses. I really appreciate the input.

 

The responses have all more or less reinforced what I have slowly come to understand. Namely, that for the amateur photographer, or anyone who is not a well known photographer it would be highly unlikely to have much success selling prints.

 

@Gary: Thanks. There is a lot of good discussion there.

 

@Hans: That's really more like what I'm leaning towards. I've been doing pretty well with Adsense on my website, and really, since the photos aren't selling anyway, I guess I might as well offer free higher-resolution downloads.

 

 

Thanks everyone,

John

[photo_dark]

Interesting tips Hans. I've always believed this is the way to really make money in photography, and why I believe the 'open source / free' model works so well. Traffic = advertising profit. Plain and simple.

 

I am personlly going this route slowly as well. It's just a matter of finding a niche market.

[ymages]

Gary how did you find that forum into photo.net ? it is listed nowhere

[gary_anthes]

Erick, if you are at the nature forum you should see at the top of your screen Community>Forums. Click on Forums and you should see a list of all forums ("fora" as the snobs would have it). Or go directly to

http://www.photo.net/bboard/forum?topic_id=2041.

[ymages]

Thanks Gary , I am on photo.net since 2003 and I have never seen it before :)))