jsecordphoto
Been spending a lot of time on here!
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2013
- Messages
- 1,493
- Reaction score
- 1,055
- Location
- new hampshire
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
I'll chime in on a few of your ideas
I have never had much luck hanging my prints in local galleries/shops/etc. It is a big investment to have a bunch of prints made/framed and I have rarely broke even doing this. There was a while when I was actively pursuing hanging my stuff all over the state and just from moving the prints around so many times, eventually the frame will get a small scratch, or whatever. I have a big pile of older framed prints sitting in my apartment that were from previous shows.
I haven't done any craft shows, but have a lot of friends that do them. It is definitely a huge investment. I do know a few of them who make enough over the course of the year that makes the shows worth it- but they are travelling and spending basically every weekend during the peak months (summer/fall), to the point that they barely have any time to shoot. Many times they'll have a show where they barely break even on the cost of booth space, and some weekends they'll make a few grand- but they have to do shows all year so the return on investment evens out. I'd much rather be out shooting
Posting blog/how-to/etc. articles on your site brings in more photographers, but how many photographers do you know that buy prints?
I do know a few photographers who send out newsletters and such, but they're also doing some pretty awesome stuff. "Hey, I'm travelling to Iceland next week- look out for exclusive content I provide to my subscribers" or "I'll be speaking at the photoplus expo this weekend, come say hi!" I'll be honest and say my life is pretty boring (despite what I might portray on social media) 99% of the time.
I just got put on the speaker list for an organization that puts on photo weekend type events all over New England- and let me tell you that the pay they offer (if any) is pretty dismal. Like covers the cost of travel+ maybe $50-75.
The workshops are definitely a viable option to bring in more income. I will say that I think you are charging WAY too little, but if you're comfortable with making a few hundred then it's all good.
I hear you on wanting more gear and I too have expensive taste but at the same time, some of the guys I know who are doing very well with print sales are using pretty basic gear. One guy in particular I'm thinking of is using a canon t5i and his glass is not what I'd consider high end....but- his images are incredible. He connects with his audience and does very well with print sales, paid speaking engagements, etc.
I do alright with sales over the year, but not enough to fund all the gear I want. December is one of my better months and I usually make a few grand in print sales, but the rest of the year it's maybe $1-200 a month. Let's face it- very, very few people are making a living as a landscape photographer just from print sales. The guys I know who are making it full time are generating most of their income from doing workshops and stuff. Also, a lot of landscape photographers I know are making their living doing mostly video work, and then making some extra income from the occasional print sale. You could definitely try boosting your prices some and play into the psychology of perceived value, and pandering to the "fine art market". Lots of wealthy people out there looking for bragging rights from their expensive art purchases, but I wouldn't expect to make enough sales to cover gear. I do know people who set their prices far higher than mine, and do bring in $1-2k a month just in prints, but they also have developed a pretty big name for themselves.
Maybe this is fairly pessimistic, but also what I consider realistic advise. Keep doing what you love and honing your craft, and there's much more potential that the success will follow. Don't invest a ton of your time and money trying to force it and generate more income
I have never had much luck hanging my prints in local galleries/shops/etc. It is a big investment to have a bunch of prints made/framed and I have rarely broke even doing this. There was a while when I was actively pursuing hanging my stuff all over the state and just from moving the prints around so many times, eventually the frame will get a small scratch, or whatever. I have a big pile of older framed prints sitting in my apartment that were from previous shows.
I haven't done any craft shows, but have a lot of friends that do them. It is definitely a huge investment. I do know a few of them who make enough over the course of the year that makes the shows worth it- but they are travelling and spending basically every weekend during the peak months (summer/fall), to the point that they barely have any time to shoot. Many times they'll have a show where they barely break even on the cost of booth space, and some weekends they'll make a few grand- but they have to do shows all year so the return on investment evens out. I'd much rather be out shooting
Posting blog/how-to/etc. articles on your site brings in more photographers, but how many photographers do you know that buy prints?
I do know a few photographers who send out newsletters and such, but they're also doing some pretty awesome stuff. "Hey, I'm travelling to Iceland next week- look out for exclusive content I provide to my subscribers" or "I'll be speaking at the photoplus expo this weekend, come say hi!" I'll be honest and say my life is pretty boring (despite what I might portray on social media) 99% of the time.
I just got put on the speaker list for an organization that puts on photo weekend type events all over New England- and let me tell you that the pay they offer (if any) is pretty dismal. Like covers the cost of travel+ maybe $50-75.
The workshops are definitely a viable option to bring in more income. I will say that I think you are charging WAY too little, but if you're comfortable with making a few hundred then it's all good.
I hear you on wanting more gear and I too have expensive taste but at the same time, some of the guys I know who are doing very well with print sales are using pretty basic gear. One guy in particular I'm thinking of is using a canon t5i and his glass is not what I'd consider high end....but- his images are incredible. He connects with his audience and does very well with print sales, paid speaking engagements, etc.
I do alright with sales over the year, but not enough to fund all the gear I want. December is one of my better months and I usually make a few grand in print sales, but the rest of the year it's maybe $1-200 a month. Let's face it- very, very few people are making a living as a landscape photographer just from print sales. The guys I know who are making it full time are generating most of their income from doing workshops and stuff. Also, a lot of landscape photographers I know are making their living doing mostly video work, and then making some extra income from the occasional print sale. You could definitely try boosting your prices some and play into the psychology of perceived value, and pandering to the "fine art market". Lots of wealthy people out there looking for bragging rights from their expensive art purchases, but I wouldn't expect to make enough sales to cover gear. I do know people who set their prices far higher than mine, and do bring in $1-2k a month just in prints, but they also have developed a pretty big name for themselves.
Maybe this is fairly pessimistic, but also what I consider realistic advise. Keep doing what you love and honing your craft, and there's much more potential that the success will follow. Don't invest a ton of your time and money trying to force it and generate more income