Do I stand a chance?

[Designer]

I can handle the difficulty... what I want to know is if I actually have the talent for it.

Talent is one thing, and kind of hard to evaluate, practice, and build.

The rest of it is marketing, marketing, and marketing.

One of the most successful landscape photographers goes places most people never go. He travels the world seeking special places. He times his visits to (hopefully) catch the best light. He makes pictures that people want to buy.

I say; go for it, jump in and get your feet wet, try it for a few years and see how it goes.

 

[Derrel]

The OP needs some honest assessment of his work, in TODAY'S stock-oriented market. Images like his 500px portfolio are available everywhere. The OP's images show a serious lack of sound landscape compositional strategies. Off-topic efforts to introduce an Ansel Adams image to the discussion and state that it "has no foreground per se" are off-based, and unhelpful. As amolitor points out, the OP's images need assistance and improvement in putting things into the frame in "balanced and pleasing" ways.

The question was, "Do I stand a chance?". The answer based on the 500px portfolio is, "No, not until you become a good landscape photographer." A photographer who can compete in a crowded marketplace, against people who are really good, and whose landscape images engage viewers, using any number of well-proven compositional methods and practices--only one of which is to bring the viewer into a scene with a foreground that has at least something of interest to the average viewer. Snapshots; postcards;landscapes--all are different things. In today's image market, there are millions, as in literally millions, of quality landscape images; tens of millions of postcard images; and probably billions of snapshots and simple for-the-record photos.

http://www.google.com/search?q=phot...gH12oDoDg&ved=0CCsQsAQ&biw=1556&bih=905&dpr=1

 

[runnah]

I think the better question is why?

 

[ShaneF]

anyone call sell a photo no matter how good or bad it is, you just have to fond someone willing to buy it. Its all about marketing, the more people who can see your work the better chance you have of selling it. Promote yourself like Don King promoting a fight and get your work out there if you want to be seen.

FaceBook
Twitter
500px
Tumbler
Flicker
The list is endless

Enter your work in contests local and online, start your own website you so can have a home for your work. There is endless ways to market yourself and the more you use the better chance you have. Its all about being seen.

Good luck and may the force be with you.

 

[play18now]

I took a quick look, and my major observation is that the majority of your highest rated pictures were all of similar subjects. Lot's of sunset compositions with bold colors in the sky and on the horizon. Yes they're beautiful sunsets, but is that something that a customer would want to purchase and put up in their house or office. Being a successful landscape photographer requires much more than just taking great pictures. You're not giving someone a professionally done memory bank of something they experienced (i.e. wedding). Your photographs have to convey emotion or grab the attention of the viewer on their own. They will never be looked at to remind someone of a good memory they had from some event, so in order to sell, they have to be that much better. If you had set up a gallery of the photos in that portfolio, I would have walked in and looked at them, liked a couple of them, but ultimately left without purchasing one. Even phenomenal landscape photographers don't necessarily make their living selling landscape photos. There's just not nearly as much money in it as there is in event or portrait photography.

 

[lambertpix]

...In today's image market, there are millions, as in literally millions, of quality landscape images; tens of millions of postcard images; and probably billions of snapshots and simple for-the-record photos.

Harsh, but this is exactly the problem with landscape and other fine art photography. You don't have to merely be very good -- you have to be phenomenal....and then you have to start monetizing the photos, which takes marketing, business savvy, and probably some luck, too. I'm not sure if this is quite right, analogy-wise, but if you think of all the actors & musicians working side jobs until they get their big break, you might be able to appreciate the problem. I don't have any numbers to support this, but I have a feeling that an awful lot of fine art photographers have another income to support their hobby -- be it portrait or commercial photography, or another profession altogether.

I think you've got some nice photos -- I actually like the tone of the bird photo quite a lot -- and there's nothing wrong with *trying* to sell your photos, but until you start to see a steady income from your work, it's pretty difficult to wake up and say, "Today, I'm going to sell art." You might also find that approaching photography as an income source sucks a little art out of your hobby, too. Not necessarily a deal-killer, but give it some thought.

BTW, if you haven't already done this, try getting that bird printed on aluminized paper (fairly cheap in small sizes) or metal -- it'll look like liquid copper. Then, figure out how to sell it.

 

[elementgs]

I think the better question is why?

I've made my money, I've served my country, I've done the impossible before and quite honestly, I'm not worried about doing it again. I know it'll be difficult but as ShaneF said, even bad photos can sell. It's about marketing and exposure.

I'm truly not worried about the money.

I'm worried I'll never make an impact.

I really truly appreciate all the feedback, even the deviation in topic. It's all extremely helpful.

 

[elementgs]

BTW, if you haven't already done this, try getting that bird printed on aluminized paper (fairly cheap in small sizes) or metal -- it'll look like liquid copper. Then, figure out how to sell it.

Very nice, I'll give it a shot. I just took that one a few days ago so I haven't even had it printed yet. I love the texture in the sand and the tones, a ton. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[sashbar]

I do not want to add anything to what the more accomplished photographers have already told you about your portfolio, and I think you have got some very good advice in this thread. I just would like to say that if you are hell bent to "achieve impossible" again, in my opinion, you have to adopt a completely different approach to what you have at the moment. Your portfolio looks way too casual. You have to be much more systematic and conscious of what you are doing.
First of all - I think self education is not enough here because at best it is a very long and winding road. There are extremely talented self educated photographers, of course, but this kind of talent is rare and and it shows if not immediatly, but early.
So if you have the money, invest in your education and do it wisely, work as an event photographer or anywhere in photography where you can earn money, it will add to your technical pedigree anyway.
Secondly - a landscape photographer is a very broad term, you need to find your niche within landscape photography to be able to market it succesfully. Who will be your customer - housewives decorating their houses? Media editors?
Then you will need to find your own style accordingly, work on developing, improving and polishing it, making it recognisable. What exactly is going to make it unique - your compositions, your feeling of colors, your locations, your inique shhoting technique, your post production prowess... I have no idea whatsoever. There you will need a professional help, that's why a formal education or a good tutor is so useful. But anyway only you will make it. You will have to put your own mark on these frigging sunsets or whatever you choose to shoot. So that people would say "Is it John Gannon sunset?" THEN you can build a powerful portfolio and after that MAYBE, just maybe you will have a chance to even sell something . I can only guess here, but my feeling is, as other guys said, it is about as difficult as flying to the moon. But if you were in Air Force, than maybe..

In the meantime - analyse work of the best landscape photographers, ask yourself why this image is so good, and you have to consistently come up with the right answers. Because talent is not something abstract, it is just a simple ability to see things, tell a good image from a great one, break it to pieces and come up with right conclusions. You need to get under the skin of your favourite photographers and understand how do they do it and how do they see the world around them, what motivates them aestetically etc etc. copycat them mercilessly to learn - not to borrow their style, but to find your own. Because you have to face the truth, if you want to be a sussessful landscape photographer, these guys are your competition. Can you do a landscape exactly as they did? Do you see how to improve upon it? Tough, really tough..

Just my 2 cents into your future bank account. So good luck !!

 

[KmH]

Do I stand a chance?

Absolutely.
Though if you only do landscape photography the chances are almost non-existent.

Your profile has no location. For trying to establish a landscape photography business it matters.
You will need access to 2 or morel urban centers that have substantial arts communities, galleries, business that collect fine art photography, art representatives, etc.

Photography talent won't be the deciding factor. Business talent will be.
Plan on having 3 years worth of income in the bank to live on while you get the business into the black.
A majority of your time during those 3 years will be spent on business tasks (mostly marketing, promotion, networking, trying to get established with an art representative), and not on doing photography related tasks.

A vast majority of the photographs that sell (about 85%) have people in them, and are bought by the people in the photographs.
The rest of the market (the remaining 15%) is split among all the other genre's of images, of which landscape photography is just 1.

Those 10 (maybe) photographers Amolitor mentioned that make a living from landscape photography more than likely make their money doing workshops and selling workshop DVD's, than by selling images.

 

[amolitor]

If you want to learn about how to make really good pictures, I recommend starting with some books on painting.

The material on photography is mostly "here's how you use your camera" mixed with some stuff that's wrong about how to make good pictures.

 

[SCraig]

The musician example that lambertpix mentioned is appropriate. Living in Nashville I see talented musicians every. single. day. Highly talented musicians that look and sound much like all the other highly talented musicians floating around here. Many of them are waiting tables or working as secretaries or whatever they can find to make ends meet until they get their "Big Break". On weekends they can be found on every street corner, guitar over their shoulder, doing everything they know to do to get that one foot in the door.

Many are not untalented head-bangers but truly talented musicians. The place I used to work had a secretary who came to Nashville from Seattle to become famous. She was a very talented singer and every minute she wasn't at work was spent trying to make that one break. Every dime she made went into tapes and CD's and agent's fees. Five years or so of hearing "No Thanks" was eventually enough for her.

I don't have numbers to back it up but I would suspect that this same story holds true for about 999 our of every 1000 that come to Nashville to make it big. The market is entirely saturated and calling it an uphill battle is an understatement. Talent alone won't do it. Effort alone won't do it. Both combined often won't do it. It takes a unique niche and an enormous amount of luck, and in my opinion your battle is going to be very similar. You can certainly try, and I wish you luck, but I hope you aren't one of those that head back to Seattle with their dreams shattered.

 

[DiskoJoe]

Youre not there yet or even close. This is a new contact I found on flickr. This is exactly what darrel is talking about.

Flickr: CResende's Photostream

 

[Newtricks]

I'm still bouncing around a bit trying to decide on my personal style but I'm really getting a feeling for it.

Personal style is just that, one really does not decide on what it is, it just is. I choose to have a silk vest/waistcoat made with every suit I order from my tailor that is complimentary, yet doesn't match the material or color of the suit. Your point of view and lighting chooses that differ from the norm, or accepted perfect are what set one apart from the pack, is your style, IMO that is.

 

[The_Traveler]

I've made my money, I've served my country, I've done the impossible before and quite honestly, I'm not worried about doing it again. I know it'll be difficult but as ShaneF said, even bad photos can sell. It's about marketing and exposure.

1)I'm truly not worried about the money.

2) I'm worried I'll never make an impact.

in re 1) that's good because I know 20 people here locally who shoot as well as you do or better and don't even consider trying to sell their images because there are too many competitors and the price they could get wouldn't be worth the time and effort. That BS about social media marketing. That's what gets you $30 8 x 10 sales occasionally for all your efforts.

in re 2) make an impact on what? with what? you don't have anything specific to say or show so far. Come up with something first.

If you love it, do it because you love it.
If you are doing it to make money, shoot weddings and other stuff or even better, get a job that actually pays money rather than tearing your heart out to produce something and hop to get paid for it.