Private sales of your own shots?

[Lagunakidd]

Hi everyone, Im a high school student and i really want to starts selling my work, but i have no idea where to start or how. Any help or advice would be appreciated

 

[orljustin]

Hi everyone, Im a high school student and i really want to starts selling my work, but i have no idea where to start or how. Any help or advice would be appreciated

What does "selling my work" mean? You want to sell prints of random things you've shot? You want to do portraits of your friend for sitting fees? You want to capture events for the local paper?

 

[tirediron]

Get a business license, register wtih city, county, state and federal taxation authorities as necessary, get insurance, establish an Internet presence and you're ready to go... well, except for clients. You're on your own for those.

Oh, and that was being serious. I'll assume that by "selling your work" you mean selling prints of things that you've shot. That's just about the most difficult game to get into in the whole photographic world. For every successful photographer who makes real money selling prints, there are MILLIONS who spend more on gear in a year than they make in a lifetime!

If you do have some good shots, than there are two viable options. One is to sign up with the various stock agencies and sell to them. That doesn't pay a lot, but if they do accept your work, it does pay. The other is through gallery showings. Most galleries will take work on consignment, IF IT MEETS THEIR STANDARDS, but beware, assuming you do sell some prints, you could lose up to 60% of the price in fees and commission to the gallery.

There is a variation on the gallery technique which I think is a little more profitable... many small businesses such as coffee-shops display are on their walls, and often they will display your prints for sale for a very modest fee (basically, you're renting cheap wall space from them, they get free decorations). Again though, your work has to be at a certain level. You can also trot around to craft and art shows, but from what I've heard, that doesn't usually meet with a lot of success. Understand though, if you're trying to sell through a gallery or even a coffee-shop, you have to have top-quality prints, professionally matted and framed. That can EASILY run $300+ for an 11x14!

Good luck!

 

[Lagunakidd]

Hi everyone, Im a high school student and i really want to starts selling my work, but i have no idea where to start or how. Any help or advice would be appreciated

What does "selling my work" mean? You want to sell prints of random things you've shot? You want to do portraits of your friend for sitting fees? You want to capture events for the local paper?

It means selling prints and enlargements, framed or unframed. however the buy wants it.

 

[Lagunakidd]

Get a business license, register wtih city, county, state and federal taxation authorities as necessary, get insurance, establish an Internet presence and you're ready to go... well, except for clients. You're on your own for those.

Oh, and that was being serious. I'll assume that by "selling your work" you mean selling prints of things that you've shot. That's just about the most difficult game to get into in the whole photographic world. For every successful photographer who makes real money selling prints, there are MILLIONS who spend more on gear in a year than they make in a lifetime!

If you do have some good shots, than there are two viable options. One is to sign up with the various stock agencies and sell to them. That doesn't pay a lot, but if they do accept your work, it does pay. The other is through gallery showings. Most galleries will take work on consignment, IF IT MEETS THEIR STANDARDS, but beware, assuming you do sell some prints, you could lose up to 60% of the price in fees and commission to the gallery.

There is a variation on the gallery technique which I think is a little more profitable... many small businesses such as coffee-shops display are on their walls, and often they will display your prints for sale for a very modest fee (basically, you're renting cheap wall space from them, they get free decorations). Again though, your work has to be at a certain level. You can also trot around to craft and art shows, but from what I've heard, that doesn't usually meet with a lot of success. Understand though, if you're trying to sell through a gallery or even a coffee-shop, you have to have top-quality prints, professionally matted and framed. That can EASILY run $300+ for an 11x14!

Good luck!

Thanks for the great advice, Ill take all of that into consideration.
Ill post a pic of some of my work up on here, tell me what you think

 

[Lagunakidd]

I had this one enlarged to 45x40 and its sitting on my wall happily, haha

 

[seanowurries]

Nice photo!

 

[orljustin]

It means selling prints and enlargements, framed or unframed. however the buy wants it.

Same as everyone else then. Open a gallery on smugmug and wait for the dough to roll in.

 

[KmH]

The photo is gone.

 

[spacefuzz]

Contact your local photography club and start there. I know Cleveland Photographic Society routinely has group exhibits that allow people to put their work up for sale. That is a low risk, no overhead move that will also get you valuable additional experience.

 

[emma1]

These are recognized on a state-by-state basis. For example, Idaho recognizes an Oregon permit, but Oregon does not recognize an Idaho permit.your sales is very uses and and quality things in your product and speach is inpress the private sales of your own shorts.

 

[Forkie]

Get a business license, register wtih city, county, state and federal taxation authorities as necessary, get insurance, establish an Internet presence and you're ready to go... well, except for clients. You're on your own for those.

I presumed the OP meant selling prints from a stall. Does a high school student need to register for taxes for this in the US?

 

[bennielou]

Get a business license, register wtih city, county, state and federal taxation authorities as necessary, get insurance, establish an Internet presence and you're ready to go... well, except for clients. You're on your own for those.

I presumed the OP meant selling prints from a stall. Does a high school student need to register for taxes for this in the US?

Yep, if you sell it, you have to pay taxes. I'm not a fan of it either, but Uncle Sam is in charge, not me.

 

[Forkie]

Get a business license, register wtih city, county, state and federal taxation authorities as necessary, get insurance, establish an Internet presence and you're ready to go... well, except for clients. You're on your own for those.

I presumed the OP meant selling prints from a stall. Does a high school student need to register for taxes for this in the US?

Yep, if you sell it, you have to pay taxes. I'm not a fan of it either, but Uncle Sam is in charge, not me.

What age is a high school student? In the UK, you have to be over 16 and earning over £7000 per year before paying taxes on your income. Are there no such limits in the US?