If I have *THESE* morals, how can I make money out of photography?

[Tim Tucker]

Puppies? *shudders* I don't think any of my pictures would be fit for calendars nor would I want them to be there, now that I think of it. I hate calendars.

Anyway, I don't dsee myself as prima-donna artist. I simply do not consider this as something I do for a living as I already mentioned, I consider it as "maybe I can make something on the side, it would be nice and help me out even if it's a little." And I have standards and values that I will not undermine for money.

As for others' opinions, depending upon who you ask, they generally like some of my pictures. Probably 60-80% of what I show, and 10-20% "really like."

LOL, you're not a true artist until you've experienced the pain of selling your own soul...

Back to reality. Do some market research instead of dreaming that your 'art' shots hold any real value. Why do paintings shoot up in price when the artist dies? Brand and exclusivity, qualities that digital photographs do not have. Digital photographs are transient and short lived, they're easy and plentiful. Don't go naming a few examples of prints that have sold until you've stood in front of the actual print.
Everyone's a photographer these days, and they can all take better photographs than anybody else with little or no training. You could take stunning landscapes on winter mornings and 'Bob' with his super camera and super lens will still think he can take a better one on a dull day and digitally destroy enhance it. And even though the result shows no understanding of colour he still thinks it's better than your's. So nobody will really take you seriously until you post some of your work and stop trying to convince us that you're a serious photographic artist with values, because they only exist in peoples imagination.

I'm assuming that you have no formal art education or training as if you had you'd already know the answers to many of the questions you ask. With no formal training you'll have no real understanding of art or design and selling to or through a customer who invariably will. So I'd be grateful for their advice, don't be like 'Bob'.

Don't *shudder* at puppy shots or calendars, if you knew your market you'd know that puppies, kittens, and babies always sell. If you wanted to make a few pennies that's the easiest way to do it. I've done 'puppy' calendars for family and could easily sell some of them, but I'd struggle to sell prints of what I consider to be my best work.

 

[table1349]

Puppies? *shudders* I don't think any of my pictures would be fit for calendars nor would I want them to be there, now that I think of it. I hate calendars.

Anyway, I don't dsee myself as prima-donna artist. I simply do not consider this as something I do for a living as I already mentioned, I consider it as "maybe I can make something on the side, it would be nice and help me out even if it's a little." And I have standards and values that I will not undermine for money.

As for others' opinions, depending upon who you ask, they generally like some of my pictures. Probably 60-80% of what I show, and 10-20% "really like."

LOL, you're not a true artist until you've experienced the pain of selling your own soul...

Back to reality. Do some market research instead of dreaming that your 'art' shots hold any real value. Why do paintings shoot up in price when the artist dies? Brand and exclusivity, qualities that digital photographs do not have. Digital photographs are transient and short lived, they're easy and plentiful. Don't go naming a few examples of prints that have sold until you've stood in front of the actual print.
Everyone's a photographer these days, and they can all take better photographs than anybody else with little or no training. You could take stunning landscapes on winter mornings and 'Bob' with his super camera and super lens will still think he can take a better one on a dull day and digitally destroy enhance it. And even though the result shows no understanding of colour he still thinks it's better than your's. So nobody will really take you seriously until you post some of your work and stop trying to convince us that you're a serious photographic artist with values, because they only exist in peoples imagination.

I'm assuming that you have no formal art education or training as if you had you'd already know the answers to many of the questions you ask. With no formal training you'll have no real understanding of art or design and selling to or through a customer who invariably will. So I'd be grateful for their advice, don't be like 'Bob'.

Don't *shudder* at puppy shots or calendars, if you knew your market you'd know that puppies, kittens, and babies always sell. If you wanted to make a few pennies that's the easiest way to do it. I've done 'puppy' calendars for family and could easily sell some of them, but I'd struggle to sell prints of what I consider to be my best work.

Could you repeat that. You were talking to the side with my missing ear and I didn't quite hear you.
Dang women, they are expensive on a body's soul when ya fall for one.

 

[photoguydudeperson]

Here's some reality: There are literally millions of people taking photographs these days. Everything from rusty doorknobs to weddings, many of them with nothing more than a cell phone. There are thousands of them who claim to be "Professionals" and see their so-called "Work" as the best there has ever been. People go to their web sites, see their "Work" and say to themselves, "Well my photographs are better than that so I must be even better than they are!"

It doesn't work that way. Photographic standards have dropped so low that people are getting rave comments for photographs that 20 or 30 years ago wouldn't have been used to line the bottom of a bird cage. The vast majority of them are trash. The vast majority of the people calling themselves "Professionals" barely know which end of a camera to look through, some have never used any mode on their camera other than full automatic, many have no concept of exposure or composition, most have never studied their craft or bothered learning very much about what they are doing. They point, they shoot, they claim it's a great photograph because that's what their friends and families keep telling them. The world has become so saturated with really poor photographs that anything marginally decent is being called "Great". If you are using these as a comparison for your photographs you may be using a very poor ruler to measure with.

Maybe you are great, I don't know and I won't pass judgement sight unseen. All I can tell you is that those of us who have been around here for a while have seen the same comments more times than we can count. We have also seen more people than we can count get completely disillusioned when they realize that they aren't as great as they thought. There are some fabulous photographers on this site so use them as an opportunity. Post some of your photographs for comment and listen to what they say. You don't have to agree with every comment, but keep in mind that in most cases they are coming from people with a great deal of experience.

Actually I agree completely.

LOL, you're not a true artist until you've experienced the pain of selling your own soul...

Back to reality. Do some market research instead of dreaming that your 'art' shots hold any real value. Why do paintings shoot up in price when the artist dies? Brand and exclusivity, qualities that digital photographs do not have. Digital photographs are transient and short lived, they're easy and plentiful. Don't go naming a few examples of prints that have sold until you've stood in front of the actual print.
Everyone's a photographer these days, and they can all take better photographs than anybody else with little or no training. You could take stunning landscapes on winter mornings and 'Bob' with his super camera and super lens will still think he can take a better one on a dull day and digitally destroy enhance it. And even though the result shows no understanding of colour he still thinks it's better than your's. So nobody will really take you seriously until you post some of your work and stop trying to convince us that you're a serious photographic artist with values, because they only exist in peoples imagination.

I'm assuming that you have no formal art education or training as if you had you'd already know the answers to many of the questions you ask. With no formal training you'll have no real understanding of art or design and selling to or through a customer who invariably will. So I'd be grateful for their advice, don't be like 'Bob'.

Don't *shudder* at puppy shots or calendars, if you knew your market you'd know that puppies, kittens, and babies always sell. If you wanted to make a few pennies that's the easiest way to do it. I've done 'puppy' calendars for family and could easily sell some of them, but I'd struggle to sell prints of what I consider to be my best work.

Hmm. I think the opposite: you are not a true artist if you sell out.

I never dreamt that my shots have value. Realistically, I'm sure some of them do, what value - I don't know.

And no, I'm not interested in market research. This isn't and won't be my job, and money will never be why I take a single picture.

I'm not convincing anybody of anything. I asked a question and provided information that people who want to help me should take them into consideration. Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant, I'm not here to convince anybody of anything, I'm here to get advice based on the information provided.

Wrong about education. I stopped typing my next sentence and instead type this: You have a different understanding and I won't waste my time writing down a mix of facts and my own opinion. It's objectively pointless in this case. Unless I'd be focusing on selling, which - if you read my posts - I'm not.

I do know that. You should know though, if you've read my posts, that I don't care what sells, I care what I like.

 

[Tim Tucker]

Hmm. I think the opposite: you are not a true artist if you sell out.

I never dreamt that my shots have value. Realistically, I'm sure some of them do, what value - I don't know.

And no, I'm not interested in market research. This isn't and won't be my job, and money will never be why I take a single picture.

I'm not convincing anybody of anything. I asked a question and provided information that people who want to help me should take them into consideration. Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant, I'm not here to convince anybody of anything, I'm here to get advice based on the information provided.

Wrong about education. I stopped typing my next sentence and instead type this: You have a different understanding and I won't waste my time writing down a mix of facts and my own opinion. It's objectively pointless in this case. Unless I'd be focusing on selling, which - if you read my posts - I'm not.

I do know that. You should know though, if you've read my posts, that I don't care what sells, I care what I like.

Actually you've told us nothing except you own opinion of yourself. Even in the post above you stop short of divulging any information but instead suggest something without actually saying anything.

Your initial post was directly about selling some prints, which you're now not interested in, or do I mis-understand what you just posted?

Rubbish like, "you are not a true artist if you sell out," is pure idealistic talk used by some to define themselves as the true artist by dismissing others. Let your art talk and leave the bull***t to walk.

Post an image.

 

[photoguydudeperson]

Hmm. I think the opposite: you are not a true artist if you sell out.

I never dreamt that my shots have value. Realistically, I'm sure some of them do, what value - I don't know.

And no, I'm not interested in market research. This isn't and won't be my job, and money will never be why I take a single picture.

I'm not convincing anybody of anything. I asked a question and provided information that people who want to help me should take them into consideration. Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant, I'm not here to convince anybody of anything, I'm here to get advice based on the information provided.

Wrong about education. I stopped typing my next sentence and instead type this: You have a different understanding and I won't waste my time writing down a mix of facts and my own opinion. It's objectively pointless in this case. Unless I'd be focusing on selling, which - if you read my posts - I'm not.

I do know that. You should know though, if you've read my posts, that I don't care what sells, I care what I like.

Actually you've told us nothing except you own opinion of yourself. Even in the post above you stop short of divalging any information but instead suggest something without actually saying anything.

Your initial post was directly about selling some prints, which you're now not interested in, or do I mis-understand what you just posted?

Rubbish like, "you are not a true artist if you sell out," is pure idealistic talk used by some to define themselves as the true artist by dismissing others. Let your art talk and leave the bull***t to walk.

Post an image.

No, I mentioned opinions of others earlier. And once again - that's irrelevant. I specifically told you that it is, and even if you were to read my first post - you would know that it is.

If you want someone to convince you of something or to prove someone wrong, look for another thread. I don't know about you, but I haven't been 4 years old for a long time.

 

[The_Traveler]

If you want someone to convince you of something or to prove someone wrong, look for another thread. I don't know about you, but I haven't been 4 years old for a long time.

You're deflecting, the first sign of someone with something to prove who can't.

 

[photoguydudeperson]

If you want someone to convince you of something or to prove someone wrong, look for another thread. I don't know about you, but I haven't been 4 years old for a long time.

You're deflecting, the first sign of someone with something to prove who can't.

Alternative would be to comply, which is more of a sign of trying to prove something.

 

[The_Traveler]

You've proved enough to me.

 

[table1349]

Just curious, for the old timers, does this not sound quite similar to
Josh100Lubu from a couple years ago?

 

[photoguydudeperson]

You've proved enough to me.

If that makes you feel better about yourself.

 

[tirediron]

Everybody pick up a camera and go outside, mmmkay?