Are shows worth it for non-decorative work?

[The_Traveler]

The local galleries are in the suburbs and don't attract an urban chic crowd.
I shoot the kind of stuff that, I think, some people might like or appreciate but probably wouldn't want to have on their walls because it is not decorative or pretty in any way.

That being said, I have the opportunity to be in three local Maryland galleries for shows and this is posing a real problem for me.

It will mean printing and framing ~30 pictures - not insignificant in time, effort and money.
In two places, I will be showing alongside photographers who do much more decorative stuff - flowers, landscapes, etc. and they are good at what they do. (even though I'd ratehr put my eyes out than do that stuff.)

So while they have the possibility of some reward in sales, I have to look at it totally as exposure, people seeing my work - because I don't expect to sell one damn thing.
But what does exposure mean to me but ego gratification?

I am having a very tough time deciding what to do.
I love attention, interest even the occasional praise but .............................

I am hoping to get a comment here from someone who has been in this situation or who has something helpful to say.

 

[Mully]

Back in the early 1970's I did shows at the LA County Museum in Los Angeles. What I found out is that the B&W sold well. I even got commissioned to do some large 50x 100 prints for one art patron that loved graphic images. Doe some larger canvas prints and I bet they will sell.

 

[spacefuzz]

Regardless of wether or not you feel you are stroking your ego, do you want people to see your work? If yes can you afford the show, if yes then show it. If either is no, then move on to something else.

 

[Ilovemycam]

I'm in your shoes. Ugly, but interesting and good pix that few will pay to hang up.

This is how I handle it...

Bear in mind I print all my own work, so doing a Hahn Rag 13 x 19 only cost me $6 - $7 in ink, paper and wear and tear. (I do have to make tons of smaller work prints sometimes to get a decent print though.)

If a gallery wanted some prints and I had some sitting around I'd lend them to them. Or I could print up a few if it was a prestigious gallery somewhat. I would not frame them in any case. If it was a small, no name museum, I'd offer them high res digital files and tell them to print them up. If it was the Getty or Gugg, or such I'd gladly print them up.

I don't fool with galleries though. I shoot for permanence with museums and rare book libraries. My pix are in a number of (mostly smaller) museums and (very prestigious) rare book libraries, so I don't care about a little gallery show. I had to fight and work like hell to get my stuff donated...no one pays a dime for my pix.

People don't want to buy pix that are not pretty, unless your collectible. If you shot crap like Egelston and Cindy Sherman then your worth millions. I've followed your work a lot. Your stuff, while nice, is not collectible in my opinion when it comes to $$ devotees.

I have a few of your prints in my guest photog collection with your name on them... lady on bus or train sneering, homosexuals in DC and the old BW of the guy wandering down the muddy road. That is about it for what you have done that I like for printing. I would not buy them...but they are good enough to put in my guest photog book.

The homosexual pix is more of a reminder to move my ass and get out there to shoot. But since Nov I have been printing almost full time and have shot next to nil. But, you having 3 pix I like is pretty good. 99.9% of the members on the forums don't have anything I would like enuf to 'collect' even for free.

So, to sum it up...if you want it on your bio...do it as an investment.

If not...get out there and shoot.

..Good Luck!

 

[The_Traveler]

Yes, I'm real clear I'm not in the big bucks, museum or prestige category.
I am hoping to be famous after I die.

I guess I'll put some time into letting it brew and the answer will surface.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Well, before that happens... your style seems more photojournalistic and obviously international; I could see your photos published in a magazine feature on a particular area of the world, or on display in a gallery or at an art fair/show (depending on the venue or event).

Of your collections on your site I could see some of the B&W photos of the southwest being ones that someone may want to have displayed in their home. Of the others I looked at, the ones that are more architectural rather than street scenes might be the type photos people would want to display. You have one that's floral in bright colors from a market I think, and I could see that possibly being more marketable.

I print and mat my own photos (and sometimes frame them) and have had a few accepted into juried shows, so eventually I'm thinking I'd have those to display and then could do more prints of them to sell at art shows etc. If it's feasible for you I suppose you could try it but keep it to a small number of copies/prints, and maybe stick to smaller sizes and select larger prints - you could always have your info. available to ship someone a print if requested. Depending on the timing of the shows it seems you'd actually be having a certain number of prints done then would have them already available for the next show (depending on what might sell you might need to get additional prints done by the next show). Or you may find out that these shows are not a viable option for your type work, but there may be other opportunities down the road.

 

[imagemaker46]

Anytime you can get your images out of the basement into a gallery hanging on a wall is the thing to do. As long as it isn't costing an arm and a leg to have them printed and framed, it's worth it.

 

[Ilovemycam]

Now, another thing to consider is this...

Your gallery showing may be your only time ever to get your work out. If you have to frame your work, save the frames for the next showing. You don't seem like the kind of guy that does this for $. The hardcore photogs do it for love and not money. In short many of us pay to play. (actually work and not play)

I went into a local gallery. Just a no-name nothing. But in our little town we are lucky to have anything.

First they said there is a $30 entrance fee. I told them my work is in museums in the US and U.K and I wont pay the $30. They didn't like that. I started to show her my work. After she glanced at the first 2 or 3 pix she was not even interested in looking at the rest. I left.

If and when you have a show, send in the gallery pix.

 

[The_Traveler]

Mid-Atlantic,

Post a link to your work.

 

[Ilovemycam]

Ugly photos have to go to collectors only. And collectors only want big name work.

That is the problem with my work. I never promoted my work until Nov of 2012 when I found out my wife and DIL will trash it all photos in the nearest dumpster upon my death. So I set out to archive some of them.

I never cared about promotion one bit. Just loved shooting. I've had big name NY collectors refuse my free print offers. Their reason? They never heard of me. Tells me thay are interested in $ above love of photography.

If they said your work is ****...fine. I accept their personal view. But to say they never heard of me and turn down FREE pix...that says it all. I offered one collector $1500 of free prints... she refused the offer.

 

[amolitor]

I have zero experience with this scenario, but I have second-hand experience that attempting to sell or even to get ego strokes through this sort of thing is a heartbreaking exercise.

It sounds to me like you are wrestling with what to DO with these pictures, perhaps even a little "why am I taking pictures?" mini-crisis. I dunno what to say about that except to suggest that your most likely source of purpose is going to be yourself. Looking for an external reason to make pictures is (probably) an exercise in heartbreak.

 

[The_Traveler]

I have zero experience with this scenario, but I have second-hand experience that attempting to sell or even to get ego strokes through this sort of thing is a heartbreaking exercise.
It sounds to me like you are wrestling with what to DO with these pictures, perhaps even a little "why am I taking pictures?" mini-crisis. I dunno what to say about that except to suggest that your most likely source of purpose is going to be yourself. Looking for an external reason to make pictures is (probably) an exercise in heartbreak.

You are partly right. I know why I take pictures and I don't need to sell pictures.
The ego-stroking would be nice.
I'm trying to balance the pluses of ego stroking with the negatives of effort required, disappointment, etc.
If the third place is interested after seeing my work, I will take that as a positive sign and will probably go ahead with all three.

Ugly photos have to go to collectors only. And collectors only want big name work.

That is the problem with my work. I never promoted my work until Nov of 2012 when I found out my wife and DIL will trash it all photos in the nearest dumpster upon my death. So I set out to archive some of them.

I never cared about promotion one bit. Just loved shooting. I've had big name NY collectors refuse my free print offers. Their reason? They never heard of me. Tells me thay are interested in $ above love of photography.

If they said your work is ****...fine. I accept their personal view. But to say they never heard of me and turn down FREE pix...that says it all. I offered one collector $1500 of free prints... she refused the offer.

When someone says something about an image, I don't care what their experience is because that kind of comment is self-evidently 'true' or not.

However, when the question is not about images but life experience, I am very interested in the actual abilities and experiences of the person making the comment because that certainly bears on the weight I give to what they say.
ILoveMyCam, you have many started threads but you have never posted an image or a link to any.
As far as I could know, all your weenie-wagging about pix in museums, etc. could just be hot air and your opinions worth the same.
Why not point to some of your pictures or give some credential beyond an anonymous identity on the web?

 

[Ilovemycam]

I prefer not post my stuff on forums much. Just look at what I say and not worry about the pix so much.

 

[sm4him]

I prefer not post my stuff on forums much. I posted a few snapshots for 'the road trip to hel'l for a moment. But that is it. Just look at what I say and not worry about the pix so much.

Yeah, and then listen to me tell you how you can repair the transmission in your car, and don't worry about whether I've ever successfully done it.

No, sorry. When you speak as though you have some "authority" on these matters, what you say holds absolutely no sway whatsoever if we can't SEE that your work actually backs up the authority that you claim. Spouting off is easy; producing quality work, not so much.

 

[The_Traveler]

I prefer not post my stuff on forums much. Just look at what I say and not worry about the pix so much.

If I claim to be a successful race car driver and give opinions on the tactics and strategy of driving, the readers might be more wary of my advice if they knew I can't even drive.
Since you won't demonstrate the basis of your advice on life strategy, I am unwilling to listen at all to what you say.

1.	all hat, no cattle
	Description of a person that is all talk and no substance; full of big talk but lacking action; a person who canot back up his/her words; a fake; a pretender. That guy is all hat, no cattle. Pay no attention to him.
2.	all hat, no cattle
	Originally used in reference to people imitating the fashion or style of cowboys. These people wore the hats, but had no experience on the ranch -- thus, all hat, no cattle. Similar to talking the talk without walking the walk (which was originally used in reference to wanabe gunslingers)