How to sell photos...let me explain

bbbflash · Oct 3, 2014

(After writing this, I realised I am after some CC on my website and ordering system and I am after some advice.)

I take a lot of photos of dogs at agility photos. It gives me something to do while my dogs are not running. I take a fair few and have had so many people asking me where they can buy them that my wife and I made a free wix page and put the photos up there. The website is fiddly and clunky and I am sure there is a better way to do it. Wife likes wix but I am in the Wordpress camp and would like to move over before we get too invested in it. People order photos from our website by getting the photo number and then send an email of the photos they want. We then will have to find the photos, organise payment and the send them to them hopefully by email or hightail.

I am after some advice as to what I want or at least point me in the right direction as I am sure there is no one size fits all solution. What I am after is a website that allows is to have the usual setup as in my signature. When people go I to the gallery page of their choice. They can then scroll through the page and select the photos they are after. Once they select they can organise payment with PayPal or CC or what ever they want to use as payment linked to out account. Once that happens we get an email saying someone bought photos and has paid. Invoices a re automatically sent and the whole thing is really automated. I am sure there are plug ins and services out there that offer some of the thing that im after.

If you have a similar setup on your website I would love to know what you use, how it works and how you find it. I am also happy to hear about others who have found better alternatives.

Look forward to seeing your pages and your solutions. Feel free to have a glance through our site in my signature to see our current setup.

What I do - photo

W.Fovall · Oct 3, 2014

Build a Website - Squarespace

tirediron · Oct 4, 2014

Do you actually sell (or anticipate selling) so many images that you need an automated 'shopping cart' system? Personally, I much prefer anything which increases interaction with clients because that actually gives you a chance to sell! Consider adding prints to your sales since they allow for good mark-ups.

As well (and understanding it's not part of your post), considering adding a medium/medium long, fast telezoom (70-200 f2.8) as that will allow you to more effectively isolate the subject from what is usually a complicated and distracting background.

tirediron · Oct 4, 2014

You also might want to consider revising this line:

NOTE: All photos are copyright. When images are published, put on a website, or sent to others, the photo should be acknowledged by referring to PohlerPhotography

What you've done here is to essentially allow anyone to use the images for anything. The use of the word "should" does not indicate an explicit requirement, therefore people can do what they want with your images. I would suggests a line more like, "All images copyright XYZ Photography. No unauthorized use or reproduction permitted"

bbbflash · Oct 6, 2014

Thanks for that. I will have a look at that and make a change.

Does anyone have a website that people can view pictures, buy and then download the photos.

What I do - photo

imagemaker46 · Oct 9, 2014

Have a look at Photoshelter, it will allow you to set up everything you require.

gsgary · Oct 10, 2014

I used to shoot events, and the best way to make money is selling them at the event, i had a laptop and screen for viewiing and printed them with a dyesub printer 8x10 mounted print would cost me about £0.50 and would sell for £10, i had a look at your photos and the backgrounds to the photos are very distracting you need to position yourself and adjust your camera better to reduce distractions
Here's some of mine

gsgary · Oct 10, 2014

I actually made more money when someone suggested setting up a studio at an event and shooting dog portraits

MichaelHenson · Oct 10, 2014

I second the advice posted above to check out Squarespace. It's a sleek, clean web design that has the e-commerce option if that's what you're going for.

I also agree that your backgrounds are distracting...Working to isolate the dogs from the background will probably have a solid positive impact on photo sales.

I tried to get into this locally but the big agility club in the area already has an exclusive contract with another photographer (actually not sure it's a contract...just someone that one of the managers of the agility club knows) so I'm not allowed to go to the trials and shoot.

Pretty frustrating and disappointing.

bbbflash · Oct 10, 2014

I agree 100% with you guys on isolating the background as much as possible. My wife pointed out that I need to pick one obstacle and one jump that are not so far away and nail those shots until I get more experience behind me. I am not sure if a larger aperture will help, but for now, I'll practice with my canon 18-135.

What I do - photo

MichaelHenson · Oct 11, 2014

I'm still a newb, but from all I've read you want to decrease your depth of field in order to separate your subject, the dog, from the busy background. There are a lot of variables that go into increasing/decreasing depth of field but two of the main ones are aperture and use of a telephoto lens. So, I would recommend using a fast lens (something in the f1.4-2.8 range) that is also a zoom. I'm assuming that you are already using a zoom because I'd imagine that you can't get super close to the obstacles...so just use the fastest zoom you have.

I would also recommend (if you aren't already) giving manual mode a shot. That will allow you to set your aperture and shutter speeds where you want them and then compensate for any lack of light by bumping up your ISO. However, going too far with the ISO will eventually result in "noise."

Vautrin · Oct 20, 2014

I use zenfolio. It's a great way to share photos and you can link through to various photolabs. Everything is drop shipped and you set the prices, anything above cost is yours to keep

Gary A. · Oct 20, 2014

I have many pro photographer friends who use Smugmug for their online sales. Smugmug has all the tools you'll need to sell and depending on the plan you select, you can customize the templates to your taste. Smugmug also prints. I've been using Smugmug for more than seven years and I am very happy with the service. They are family owned and their customer service is very good. It is easy to get a person on the phone. I don't sell my stuff ... but I do trust the judgements of my pro friends.