So really, where do people buy photos?

[molested_cow]

Nah this isn't about "how can I make money from photographs".

Since I got my digital SLR last April, things really started to kick in. I've been playing with 35mm SLRs for about 10 years, mostly self-taught and trial and error. However I am never a very diligent student and I don't make the effort to record my settings vs the results, so I never really "got" the relationship between aperture and DOF. Since I wasn't doing the developing and printing myself, darkroom possibilities was limited too. All I could do was editing the scans in photoshop.

Then came digital, the immediate review of the result helped me really learn my lens quickly. I know which aperture will yield what kind of DOF on which lens and setting. The power of RAW allows me to explore the possibilities of post processing and other techniques like stacking and HDR. Also, the past year had been my most traveled year, giving me a ton of opportunities to practice what I've learned. This is also when I find my photo results becoming much more predictable and consistent, making people "WOW" more frequently.

Then comes to the sharing part. So far I only share by posting them here and there. It's really limited. I'm not trying to get famous or something, but just want to share the good stuffs. I would like to make prints of some of my photos, but then the bigger question hit me. Where do people buy photos?

Or rather, do people buy photos?

I am asking this because... if I am an average Joe, have no technical knowledge about all the stuffs about photography nor its theory. I know I like something when I see it. I am not an art collector. Again, just an average Joe. When, where, why would I buy an photograph?

So about 6 months ago someone I knew saw a print I made of one of my photographs. He likes it and asked me if I can sell him a copy. I said sure, but I won't charge for the photo, just the cost of making it with the frame. I got a quote from the store and he shied away from it. I can understand why. He's not well off, got a family to feed and can't afford to spend money on non essential things. I think he represents the majority and I start to think that photography will never really become a part of normal consumer item.

Today we buy prints as post cards or from art stands and galleries. That's really about it. I am trying to picture "photographs" as something people will just buy, like magazines or good quality chocolates. It's like a little treat for yourself buy always affordable as long as you don't do it too often. It's different from downloading a digital copy. It's tangible. It's somewhat permanent and being physical means there's a better reason why someone picked it.

Any chance at all?

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Where people buy art.

 

[Designer]

Some communities run an annual "art fair". Vendors buy space, set up an awning, a table, and their art. People buy the stuff they like. Bring only what people will like, already framed or matted between posterboard. Charge what you think people will pay, hopefully to make a profit for yourself. Good luck!

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

The wrong thing to do, is equate the buying of photography to the buying of magazines and candy.

Original art is a luxury item. People who want it, seek it out. It is not a random, thoughtless, frivolous purchase.

The closest to your analogy would be the "art" sold at places like Bed, Bath, and Beyond. But even then it's not a frivolous, random purchase. This is not a collector who is seeking out original work that speaks to them. It is a consumer looking to fill space on their wall for $35. Their selection being based on what is popular and accessible.

We can turn the question back to you. Do YOU buy art, where do you buy it, and why?

 

[Iron Flatline]

Both are generally referred to as art. Both are valid business choices. Yes, there is a HUGE difference between art and wall decoration. You can parse the differences - and then rage against the machine - all you want, but the different approaches exist. They are mutually exclusive, by the way.

The sub-genre of photographic art is difficult to understand. Go the the Armory Show in New York or Paris Photo and see what is being offered. Build up a credible presence by submitting to the appropriate magazines and getting your work shown in art shows. Find a real gallerist.

The genre of photos for wall decoration is well known, and is directly tethered to your ambition and general entrepreneurial skills. Get into Bed, Bath & Beyond, or have a stand at a fair, whatever your flavor is.

 

[PlanetStarbucks]

I've never bought any art in a physical location. There's plenty of artworks in my home, many of which are my own, but anything I bought was online. And to illustrate Bitter Jeweler's point, anytime I bought art I knew roughly what I wanted before I started looking. There's a ton of online outlets for artwork and I would usually go to a category and start browsing until I found something I liked.

 

[DinoThePhotoGuy]

where do people buy photos? wherever it's cost effective or convenient. Perhaps online....perhaps flea markets, maybe festivals when there some, or Art Galleries, Auctions and or Craft Shows.........Just a Thought